Help me Decide a dispute: smoke alarms

My question about qualifications is interesting (at least to me) as I have asked the same question to several companies and the best that I get back are the agencies that they work for or the length of time they have been doing this type of work.

Just subscribing to their services may not actually cover you with your insurance company hence my questioning.

 

My 2 cents on this being a fireman and also having worked for one of these companies.

- in my IP's I simply install a photoelectric smoke alarm with a 10 year lithium battery. They have a use by date on them. No need to change batteries annually. Keep the receipt. Take photos. If you change tenant test the alarm.

- the company I used to work for used to book me in for 20-30 of these 'checks' per day. I was literally at each house for 2-5 minutes. I'd change the battery, check the date, spray some aerosol concoction on them. Not hard.

- I did 6 hours training. No qualifications are necessary.

Are they a scam? Not sure. I think it's great that most houses have smoke alarms these days. Majority of fatalities from house fires are at night and from people not waking up in time to escape the fire.

Do I think you need to pay a company to comply? Absolutely not. If you have 5 IP's my opinion is it's an easy $500 saved every year.

 

To specify I meant that if you purchased a 10 year lithium battery powered alarm (make sure it meets Australian standards) there was no need to change annualy. You cannot actually remove the alarm in this type of detector so it is actually safer as you don't have tenants removing it because it goes off when they burn dinner.

That is correct. It's says that WHEN a smoke alarm has a replaceable battery it is recommended it be changed at the beginning/renewal of a tenancy. Hence getting a lithium powered one. Covers your ass.

All I'm saying is that if you are able and you know the rules you don't need to be pressured into paying a company $100 to tick a boX.

 

In QLD you do in fact have to have the smoke alarm "maintained" at each tenancy changeover, yes. Link to verification is here; Smoke alarms | Residential Tenancies Authority

 

I find this bit interesting

Tenants must:

• test and clean (by vacuuming or dusting) smoke alarms at least once every 12 months
• replace any flat or nearly flat batteries
• advise the property manager/owner if there is any issue with the alarm (apart from batteries)
• allow the property owner/manager right of entry to install smoke alarms.

Based on that there would be no need to emply any kind of yealry maintenance service. All the PM needs to do is test & clean at the start of every tenancy and every 10 years install a new one.

Also says that "smoke alarms either hard-wired or powered by a 10-year lithium battery" so those 9v ones are no good by the looks of it. Should be a simple install and forget for 10 years.

 

I would be really interested to see how an insurance company could refuse to pay out in the event of your house burning to the ground. How would they prove there was no working smoke alarm?

 

Wylie if a house burns to the ground there is zero chance they would find remnants of a plastic smoke alarm. that is why I'm curious on the matter. How would they prove it, I'm not sure they could.

If you have a receipt for the alarm, photos of it on the ceiling in the correct space, and it is a photoelectric lithium battery alarm with 10 year life span I think you have you ass covered.

 

My understanding is that the smoke detector is to save lives, not the building.

I don't see it has any bearing on an insurers building obligation, unless for personal injury or death.

Houses aren't always occupied but still burn down, a smoke detector on it's own won't stop a fire.

Having said that, I do have a deal with a testing mob for annual checks.

Less than $100 per year (each) which includes what ever is required to make them compliant even if they are out of date or needed relocating.

I'm hoping it will keep my neck out of the noose if something bad does happen.

 

Yeah, exactly, smoke alarm is not an early warning so inhabitants can combat fire, it is to prevent injury and death, mostly for when asleep.

Fighting a fire is never going to be the inhabitants or owners responsibility, that is what the fire brigade is for

 

Battery, probably could be found but deformed. Plastic smoke alarm, very very unlikely it will survive if a house is burnt to the ground.

As dabbler said the whole point of a smoke alarm is to alert occupants and give them enough time to exit a building if there is a fire. It is not supposed to be a means for insurance companies to get out of paying out. A smoke alarm will not put out a fire.

My only point is people shouldn't be scared or presurred into using one of these companies. It's not difficult to meet the requirements as a landlord.

 

My question appears not be answered. I have asked several companies that PM's use to avoid the responsibility two questions that not one of them has ever answered.

1. What are your qualifications
2. May I have a copy of your insurances and business certification

Anyone else have the same problem?

 

The mob that I recommend uses an electrician so he can replace smokies when needed. They provide copies of Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurances upon request.

I also use a sparky to test exit and emergency lighting, ewis etc and fire services company to test extinguishers, sprinklers, hydrants, hose reels etc. The owner or agent has to sign the annual fire safety Certificate - much toigher than residential.

 

Chilliblue I will answer #1. There are no qualifications required. As I said I did a 6 hour ride along with another 'technician'. That was it.

Most companies have one electrician to fix any hard wired alarms. The people servicing the battery operated ones have no qualifications - well the company I worked for didn't anyway.