Building Inspections Include Smoke Alarms

Smoke Alarms regulations in S.A

All South Australia homes must be fitted with a working smoke alarm. Homeowners and residential landlords are responsible for ensuring a working smoke alarm is installed in the property.

Fines of up to $750 apply if alarms are not installed. I also believe that’s this can also affect insurance claims as the dwelling is none compliant.

The type of smoke alarm you require depends on when you purchased your home or the age of the home. Homes or residential rental properties purchased before 1 February 1998, are required to fit a replaceable battery powered smoke alarm. If after 1 February 1998, Regulation 76B requires a smoke alarm or alarms be fitted within six months from the day on which the title is transferred and can be either * a 240 volt, mains-powered smoke alarm or * a 10-year life, non-replaceable, non-removable, permanently connected battery powered smoke alarm. Homes or residential rental properties built on or after 1 January 1995 must comply with The Building Code of Australia requiring a 240volt, mains powered smoke alarm.

From 1 may 2014, The BCA requires a smoke alarm system or a smoke detection system to be installed throughout all new class 1 dwellings, within sole-occupancy units of class 2 or 3 and in a class 4 part of a building. Smoke alarms installed are required to be located in strategic positions such as hallways serving bedrooms, in order to facilitate an early response by occupants to fire. In some circumstances, the size or layout of the dwelling necessitates the installation of more than one smoke alarm within a dwelling e.g. a two-storey dwelling requires at least on smoke alarm to be installed on each storey even if there is no bedrooms upstairs. New dwelling, additions/extensions require smoke alarms to be interconnected, meaning that when one alarm is activated, it will activate all other alarms in the occupancy. Existing smoke alarms in a dwelling originally before extensions/additions will have to be interconnected with new required smoke alarms in extension/addition. Interconnected smoke alarms must comply with the Australian Standard AS 3786 Smoke Alarms

The fact remains, despite what the regulations say, it just makes sense to have a smoke alarm properly installed in your home and checked reguarly. FACT, smoke alarms save lives and considering it is a once off cost, it really is the cheapest insurance you will ever purchase. For me in my home, the three things that are the minimum requirement to be installed are 1. Hard wired smoke alarm 2. Safety switch or ELCB and 3. temperature controlled hot water. I can’t be around to keep my family safe all the time but these simple insurances give me piece of mind that my home is as safe as it can be for my family.