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Safety & compliance
Smoke alarm installation in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs
Compliant interconnected alarms, hard-wired and positioned to NSW requirements.
- NSW licence 237173C
- Quoted before work starts
- 5.0 from 94 Google reviews
In short
Ambient Electrical does smoke alarm installation in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, including replacing hard-wired alarms, which have to be installed by a licensed electrician. NSW law requires at least one working smoke alarm on every level of a home where people sleep. Fire and Rescue NSW recommends going further: hard-wired, interconnected alarms in every bedroom and living space, replaced at least every 10 years.
- Who
- Peter Stafford, NSW contractor licence 237173C (Electrician class)
- Where
- Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, from Bronte
- Price
- Peter gives you a clear quote before any work starts.
- Paperwork
- NSW law requires a CCEW for this work, and the eCert portal sends you a copy (what a CCEW is)
Smoke alarms detect smoke with a sensor well before a sleeping person would, and give the people inside the time they need to get out. According to Fire and Rescue NSW, 56% of fatal home fires between 2000 and 2014 occurred in homes where no smoke alarms were present.
NSW law has required smoke alarms in all existing homes since 1 May 2006. As a minimum, every level of a home where people sleep must have at least one working smoke alarm that meets Australian Standard AS 3786. That includes rental properties, owner-occupied homes, relocatable homes, caravans and any other residential building where people sleep.
Replacing hard-wired smoke alarms
A hard-wired smoke alarm runs on the home's 240-volt supply with a battery back-up, and it must be installed by a licensed electrician. Fire and Rescue NSW recommends hard-wired, interconnected alarms wherever possible, so that when one alarm detects smoke they all sound. Where alarms cannot be hard-wired, it recommends alarms with a 10-year lithium battery. Every smoke alarm should be replaced at least every 10 years, because its sensitivity drops over time; the manufacture date or batch number is on the base.
Specialised alarms with a strobe light and a vibrating pad are available for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and some can be interconnected with ordinary alarms.
Where smoke alarms should go
The law requires alarms in hallways near the bedrooms, on every level. Fire and Rescue NSW recommends going further: alarms in every bedroom and living space, including hallways and stairways, and even the garage, positioned on the ceiling between sleeping and living areas and away from the kitchen and bathroom. The full rules, for owners and landlords, are in smoke alarm requirements in NSW.
| Topic | Legal minimum in NSW | Fire and Rescue NSW recommends |
|---|---|---|
| Where | At least one working smoke alarm on every level of a home where people sleep, in hallways near the bedrooms | Alarms in every bedroom and living space, including hallways and stairways, and even the garage |
| Type | Must meet Australian Standard AS 3786 | Hard-wired and interconnected wherever possible; otherwise alarms with 10-year lithium batteries |
| Testing | In rentals, the landlord checks the alarms every year | Press the test button every month, and vacuum the alarm every six months |
| Batteries | In rentals, removable batteries are replaced every year (lithium: as the maker specifies) | Replace a replaceable battery once a year |
| Replacing the alarm | In rentals, within 10 years of manufacture, or earlier if the maker specifies | Replace every smoke alarm at least every 10 years |
| Who installs | Hard-wired alarms must be installed by a licensed electrician | The same: a licensed electrician for hard-wired alarms |
Source: Fire and Rescue NSW: Smoke alarms, what is the law?; Fire and Rescue NSW: Smoke alarm buyers guide; Fire and Rescue NSW: Smoke alarm questions and answers; Fire and Rescue NSW: Smoke alarm installation guide; NSW Government: Smoke alarms in a rental property.
Looking after your smoke alarms
- Test each alarm every month by pressing its test button
- Vacuum the alarm every six months to clear dust and insects
- Replace a replaceable battery once a year
- Replace the whole alarm at least every 10 years
- Fit an electrical safety switch too: it protects against the electrical faults behind many house fires
What a customer says about this work
Peter was very professional, friendly and helpful in coming to fix a broken smoke alarm at short notice. Job was done in efficient manner and at a good price. Highly recommend and would use again. Thanks!
Sources
Where this work suits the local housing most: Coogee, Randwick, Kensington, Watsons Bay and Surry Hills. Ambient covers 25 areas in and around Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.
Smoke alarms: common questions
Where do smoke alarms need to go in a NSW home?
NSW law requires at least one working smoke alarm on every level of a home where people sleep, placed in the hallways near the bedrooms. Fire and Rescue NSW recommends going further, with interconnected alarms in every bedroom and living space, including hallways and stairways, and even the garage.
Should I get hard-wired or battery smoke alarms?
Fire and Rescue NSW recommends hard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms wherever possible; they run on mains power with a battery back-up. Where alarms cannot be hard-wired, it recommends alarms with a 10-year lithium battery. Hard-wired alarms must be fitted by a licensed electrician, and all alarms must comply with AS 3786.
Will I get a compliance certificate for hard-wired smoke alarms?
Installing or replacing a hard-wired smoke alarm is electrical work on the installation, so the electrician must lodge a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work and you receive a copy through the eCert portal.
What affects the cost of smoke alarm installation?
The cost of smoke alarm installation depends on how many alarms the home needs, whether they are hard-wired or battery-powered, whether cable has to be run to interconnect them, and how easy the ceiling space is to reach. Peter gives you a clear quote before any work starts.
Last updated
Guides on this
Smoke alarm requirements in NSW: homes, rentals and placement
In NSW every home where people sleep must have at least one working smoke alarm on each level, a law in force since 1 May 2006.Why is my smoke alarm beeping?
When a smoke alarm beeps or goes off with no smoke, check the four things Fire and Rescue NSW's maintenance advice covers: the battery, dust or insects inside it, where it is mounted, and its age.What is a CCEW, and when do you need an electrical certificate?
A CCEW, or Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work, is the certificate a licensed electrician in NSW must lodge for any work that installs, repairs, adds or alters electrical equipment, including like-for-like replacements.
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