Interconnecting Alarms

[Guest Dan]

Hi there

I hope someone can help me.

I purchased 4 alarms for my property recently via Safelinc's website. My electrician has installed them over the weekend.

However we have the following issue:

When you press the test button on the Carbon monoxide alarm the carbon monxide alarm goes off (but no alarm sound is heard on the other 3 connected smoke alarms).

This seems starnge given that when you test any of the 3 smoke alarms, an alarm sound can be heard on the carbon monoxide alarm.

Is this meant to be like this?

The alarm models are:

1. Carbon Monoxide Firex 4985

2. Firex Ioisation 4881

3. Firex Ionisation 4870

4. Firex Optical 4985

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Dan :rolleyes:

[Safelincs]

Hi Dan

The reason is the relevant British Standard which requires a different alarm sound for CO alarms in comparison to smoke alarms.

To achieve this, the CO alarm in question has a dual sound capability, meaning that

- if a smoke alarm is triggered or tested, the CO alarm detects that a smoke alarm has gone off and will activate one of its two internal sounders (sounding like a smoke alarm).

- if the CO alarm is tested or triggered, only the CO alarm sounds (sounding like a CO alarm). The smoke alarms are in this case not allowed to sound. As I said above, this is a stipulation from BSI

I hope this answers your question

Harry

[Guest Caroline]

Hi

I'm looking for the same thing, I need the CO linking to the smoke alarms, but the whole point of doing this was to get a strong audible signal thru the whole house in the event of either alarm, what other point is there for linking a CO? DO all CO alarms operate in this fashion?

Thanks

Caroline

[Safelincs]

Hi Caroline

It's all about the British Standard and separating the signals between smoke alarms and CO alarms, because the message between the alarms is so different: a) in case of fire you close windows and leave B) in case of CO you open windows and leave.

However, we offer some systems where this problem can be overcome in compliance with BS standards by using a locator switch. The Ei Electronics series of CO alarms do fully work together with the Ei smoke alarms, meaning they all go off at the same time (exactly as you would like it). However, to satisfy BSI they offer locator switches to identify the real source of the alarm (CO or a fire).

Here a few system solutions (there are more, if you have any questions, please ask):

1) If you have a hard wired smoke alarm system with Ei140 smoke alarms: use locator Ei159 and the CO alarm Ei261ENRC

2) If you have a hard wired smoke alarm system with Ei160 smoke alarms: use locator Ei1529RC and the CO alarm Ei261

3) If you have a battery operated radio-interlinked system with Ei600RF smoke alarms: use locator Ei412 and CO alarm Ei208WRF

4) If you have a mains powered, radio-interlinked system based on Ei160 smoke alarms: use locator Ei412 and radio-frequency CO alarm Ei208WRF (6 year lithium battery) or Ei262 (mains powered)

I hope this helps

Harry