Smoke Alarm Category question

[William Austin]

Hi,

I've a question regarding smoke alarm categories and which is best suited/required for my home.

House is a 2 storey 4 bed detached built in 2016 with a protected stairway fire strategy, fire doors to each of the rooms which exit into the hall/landing, the windows are not egress

I currently have a Category L3 system installed with a smoke alarm in the hallway and landing, however I'm wondering if it should be an L2 system with a smoke alarm in each of the bedrooms, living room and a heat detector in the kitchen.

I see that Approved Document B Volume 1 2013 states " new dwellinghouses should be provided with smoke alarms in accordance with the BS 5839-6 to at least a Grade D2 Category LD3 standard.", however it also states "It should also be noted that the guidance for a typical one or two storey dwellinghouse is limited to the provision of smoke alarms and to the provision of openable windows for emergency egress.", which I take to mean that the advice for an L3 system is based on the assumption that the house has egress windows as a means of escape.

Given the current L3 system installed, if a fire started in the kitchen for example smoke would need to pass through the close kitchen door and into the hallway before triggering the smoke alarm, which would mean smoke in the area defined as the escape route. 

Any advice on which category of smoke alarm system should be installed.

Thanks

[green-foam]

If it is your own private house that you live in, it is up to you to install/have installed any more smoke alarms as you see fit. Ideally as you said each bedroom should have its own smoke alarm as well as each habitable room (Lounge, dining room, study etc) also as you said the kitchen should have a heat alarm. It is also a good idea to have a carbon monoxide alarm in any room that has a fuel burning appliance. Alarms should be interlinked

[William Austin]

Thank you for the reply, I understand that I can install more smoke alarms, the question was rather should there be an L2 system in place, i.e should the builder have installed an L2 system for it to comply with the requirements.

[AnthonyB]

If you are in England you can have what you want if it's your own private dwelling. If your budget stretches to it the optimum cover is LD1 which is virtually everywhere (as you have described). LD2 (hallways/landings, kitchen & principle habitable room) is a good in-between and is quite commonly installed in new builds even where not legally obligated to. 

[William Austin]

13 hours ago, AnthonyB said:

If you are in England you can have what you want if it's your own private dwelling. If your budget stretches to it the optimum cover is LD1 which is virtually everywhere (as you have described). LD2 (hallways/landings, kitchen & principle habitable room) is a good in-between and is quite commonly installed in new builds even where not legally obligated to. 

Surely the requirement under the building regulations is a legal obligation, which states that the appropriate provision be installed at the time of construction.

[AnthonyB]

LD3 (hallways/landings) is still the minimum in England

[William Austin]

11 hours ago, AnthonyB said:

LD3 (hallways/landings) is still the minimum in England

For a 2 storey house with egress windows then yes, but the early detection system for an LD3 doesn't factor in a protected stairway, it assumes escape would be via a window.

[AnthonyB]

Building regs kicks in with a higher category for dwellings three or more stories only where the dwellinghouse is 'large' with at least one floor being over 200sq.m. in which case it jumps to LD2 as well as a Grade A system.

It does open the door to higher categories if there is a consideration of a special risk, referring then to BS5839-6 which would indicate LD2 - but they persist in only prescribing LD3 other than for large dwellings, using sprinklers instead for dwellings that reach 4+ stories