Types of smoke alarms

Smoke alarms detect fires in different ways to give you early warning. Find out about the types of smoke alarms you should consider for your property.

There are lots of different smoke alarms on the hardware store shelf, so it is important to understand which option is best for your property, and why.

The two types of smoke alarms used in Western Australia use either ionisation or photoelectric smoke sensors. The difference is in the smoke sensing technology used, which affects how the device reacts to a fire.

We recommend you use photoelectric smoke alarms that are mains powered to keep your household safe.

Installing smoke alarms

Where smoke alarms are installed makes a big difference to how safe you’ll be if a fire starts. Find out the best places to install smoke alarms.

IMPORTANT: Mains powered smoke alarms must be installed by a certified electrician only.

Maintaining smoke alarms

Smoke alarms for people with disability

If hearing, vision or immobility may impact your reaction to smoke alarms, we recommend that your smoke alarms be interconnected. This means when one smoke alarm detects a fire, all alarms throughout the house will sound and alert all the occupants. You may also want to think about getting a smoke alarm that is connected to a monitoring centre.

The standard smoke alarm (designed to emit 85 dB at a distance of three metres) is suitable to wake most people who have mild to moderate hearing loss. However, if you're deaf or have severe hearing loss, you may have difficulty in hearing standard smoke alarms and evacuation systems.

Smoke alarms for the deaf and hard of hearing have strobe lights and/or vibrating pads that can be interconnected with standard audible alarms in different locations within the home. When the smoke alarm sounds, the strobe will flash and the vibrating pad will vibrate.

For more information you can contact:

‍Access Plus WA Deaf
‍Indigo
‍ Telethon Speech and Hearing
‍Smoke alarm manufacturers.

Landlords, rentals and short term lets

If you’re renting or hiring your property to others there are smoke alarm laws you need to know about. It is also important for you to understand what role you need to play in keeping the household safe.

Smoke alarms and the law

Local governments have the power under the Building Act 2011 and the Building Regulations 2012 to issue an infringement notice or prosecute an owner who fails to have compliant smoke alarms installed prior to selling, transferring, renting or hiring the dwelling.

From 1 July 1997 the installation of mains powered smoke alarms became mandatory for all new residential buildings (or residential building extensions) within Western Australia.

Since 1 October 2009 mains powered smoke alarms must also be fitted in all existing residential buildings prior to the transfer of ownership, rent or hire.

Smoke alarms must:

Be positioned according to the requirements of the Building Code of Australia
Comply with Australian Standards Mark AS 3786 (from 1 May 2017 all newly installed smoke alarms must comply with Australian Standards Mark AS 3786:2014)
Be permanently connected to consumer mains power where it is supplied to the building
Be interconnected, if your home was newly built after 1 May 2015.

Requirements for single level homes

In single level homes, smoke alarms must be installed on or near the ceiling:

In all hallways leading to bedrooms, or
Where there is no hallway, in an area near the bedrooms.

Requirements for multi-level homes

In multi-level homes smoke alarms must be installed:

On each level containing bedrooms (see instructions for a single level home)
On every other level not containing bedrooms, even if they consist only of bathrooms, laundries, carparking, etc. (The favoured location for smoke alarms is in the path of travel people will most likely take to evacuate the building, such as on a wall or ceiling in the stairway.)

Requirements for small guest houses and boarding houses

Small guest houses and boarding houses (with less than 12 occupants) are required to have smoke alarms installed on or near the ceiling:

In every bedroom
In every corridor or hallway associated with a bedroom, or if there is no corridor or hallway, in an area near the bedroom
On each level of the building.

A system of lighting must also be installed to assist evacuation of occupants in the event of a fire. The lighting must be activated by the smoke alarm and consist of: