Smoke Alarm Installation
Smoke Alarm Installation in Metro Vancouver
Are you renovating your home and now need interconnected smoke alarms?
Are your smoke alarms 10 years older or more?
Building a secondary suite?
Do you want to protect your property and loved ones in the best possible way?
Home smoke alarms are available as stand-alone and/or interconnected smoke alarms.
Interconnected smoke alarms alert all occupants at the same time, providing more time to react and evacuate.
Today it is mandatory that interconnected smoke alarms are installed in all residential units except those built prior to March 31, 1979; however, when you renovate those homes interconnected smoke alarms are required.
Also, If a single-family home has a secondary suite, additionally to the required smoke alarms, there shall be one smoke alarm in the principal unit and one in the secondary dwelling and they shall be interconnected if the fire separations between the two only have half an hour fire-resistance rating.
Battery-powered vs hard-wired smoke alarms.
Battery-powered smoke alarms can be installed almost anywhere and allowed in homes built prior to March 1979. Hardwired smoke alarms must be installed by a certified electrician. Many models of this type have battery back-up as well, to offer continuous protection if the power goes out.
Hardwired smoke alarms w/ battery back-up are mandatory by the current BC Building Code. Also, no matter when your home was built if you are renovating you will need to install hardwired smoke alarms with battery back-up.
Contact us today for your Smoke Alarm Installation in Metro Vancouver
Where Should I Install Smoke Alarms?
The present B.C. Building Code requires:
You install hardwired smoke alarms on every floor of your home, inside bedrooms, hallways, outside of sleeping rooms.
You should replace smoke alarms if it’s 10 years old, shows signs of battery corrosion, fail during tests, the exterior is damaged or covered in paint, it has stains from smoke or heavy accumulation of grease or dirt.
The Importance of Smoke Alarm Installation
Many old homes have battery-operated smoke alarms that are simply fixed to the wall. But these are not enough to ensure the safety of your family and your property. A better and safer option is to have interconnected, hard-wired smoke alarms installed.
Hard-wired smoke alarms are wired-in directly to your home’s electrical system.and also have batteries as a back-up, they will work even if you forgot to change the batteries. All Metro Vancouver main municipalities require hard-wired smoke alarm installations in all newly built homes and renovations.
Interconnected Smoke Alarms Can Save Lives
Smoke alarms detect and alert people to fire in its early stages, giving them the time needed to escape safely. When working well, smoke alarms mean the difference between life and death
in a fire. Smoke alarms should be maintained properly and tested on a regular basis to ensure their effectiveness.
The National Fire Protection Association recognizes that interconnected smoke alarms are the best protection when one of them sound they all do.
Do I Need an Electrician in Vancouver to Install Smoke Detectors?
Yes, for your smoke alarm installation a License Electrician is required. “Hard-wired” means connected to a permanent electrical circuit; installation requires an electrical permit. Also, it’s safer to have a qualified electrician – that knows all the city regulations and standards – doing the job.
Interconnected Smoke Alarm Installation Tips from City of Vancouver
Contact us today for your Smoke Alarm Installation in Metro Vancouver Area.