Smoke / co2 alarms

[charlesdobson]

After much research I have been advised that your smoke / co2 alarms have to meet certain regulations, EN 50291-2, EN 14604.after having two fail in the caravan, anyone recommend alarms that actually last and don’t quit and 6 months ?

 

[otherclive]

After much research I have been advised that your smoke / co2 alarms have to meet certain regulations, EN 50291-2, EN 14604.after having two fail in the caravan, anyone recommend alarms that actually last and don’t quit and 6 months ?

I’ve always used Fire Angel or Kidde smoke or CO alarms in the caravan and house. Not had any unreasonable failures. What make(s) did you use?

 

[charlesdobson]

I used kidde but they didn’t last a year before going faulty

 

[Hutch]

I replaced a Fire angel 50291-2 which lasted about 6 years, with another FA. But with a replaceable battery. First one had a non replaceable battery, and non rechargeable.

 

[JTQ]

I am having more success with the current Kidde CO unit with a "for life battery" than I had with either their and Fire Angel's units with replaceable batteries. This has a "replace unit after 10 years from installation" label and I installed it on 27/02/2018. [just been and checked label pre posting]
The vans smoke alarms like your have exhibited short lives, but I basically accept replacing these low cost items. These have all used a 9 volt alkaline battery.
I have not used, nor would I the dual function units.

 

[toad a caravan]

Toolstation have a selection of alarms

 

[charlesdobson]

I am having more success with the current Kidde CO unit with a "for life battery" than I had with either their and Fire Angel's units with replaceable batteries. This has a "replace unit after 10 years from installation" label and I installed it on 27/02/2018. [just been and checked label pre posting]
The vans smoke alarms like your have exhibited short lives, but I basically accept replacing these low cost items. These have all used a 9 volt alkaline battery.
I have not used, nor would I the dual function units.

Thinking of going that way myself, getting a co2 stand alone unit and a smoke alarm on its own, only thing about the fire angel smoke alarm from reading reviews is that it has a flashing light on it , which wouldn’t be good in a caravan, would be like lighting every time it cycles through it’s course lol

 

[otherclive]

Toolstation have a selection of alarms

So do Screwfix and Safelincs too, but that doesn’t answer the OP’s question of who can recommend an alarm(s).

Safelincs - Fire Safety Products

Are you selecting new extinguishers, fire alarms or other fire safety equipment? Let us help you with friendly, professional advice. Call us on 0800 612 6537.

www.safelincs.co.uk

 

[charlesdobson]

So do Screwfix and Safelincs too, but that doesn’t answer the OP’s question of who can recommend an alarm(s).

Safelincs are a joke , was them I had a warranty problem with, they said because I used a non regulated unit in a caravan, my warranty was null and void, was them that quoted regulations to me , you can’t use house smoke detectors in a caravan because of the vibration!

 

[charlesdobson]

So do Screwfix and Safelincs too, but that doesn’t answer the OP’s question of who can recommend an alarm(s).

Safelincs - Fire Safety Products

Are you selecting new extinguishers, fire alarms or other fire safety equipment? Let us help you with friendly, professional advice. Call us on 0800 612 6537.

www.safelincs.co.uk

Also the smoke alarms you get in screwfix , tool station and the likes are house smoke detectors, not regulated alarms for caravans

 

[Woodentop]

I used Fire Angel BUT make sure to buy the one that the burning toast will not set off. I suspect it is heat sensitive only - which means fitting them to a vertical panel as most manufacturers do is a waste of time. On the ceiling and horizontal is best.
Carbon monoxide is lighter than air (slightly) so will naturally rise, so the CO detector is also better located high rather than low.

 

[charlesdobson]

I used Fire Angel BUT make sure to buy the one that the burning toast will not set off. I suspect it is heat sensitive only - which means fitting them to a vertical panel as most manufacturers do is a waste of time. On the ceiling and horizontal is best.
Carbon monoxide is lighter than air (slightly) so will naturally rise, so the CO detector is also better located high rather than low.

This is were the regulation smoke alarm comes in , you fit a house smoke alarm and your heart will be broke will constantly be going off everytime you cook something , be it fire angel or kidde , it will have to be regulated for a caravan to detect heat more than smoke as you say

 

[otherclive]

Safelincs are a joke , was them I had a warranty problem with, they said because I used a non regulated unit in a caravan, my warranty was null and void, was them that quoted regulations to me , you can’t use house smoke detectors in a caravan because of the vibration!

Why are they a joke if you purchased the wrong type of alarm for your caravan. They have no obligation to honour any warranty. It was your responsibility.

 

[charlesdobson]

Why are they a joke if you purchased the wrong type of alarm for your caravan. They have no obligation to honour any warranty. It was your responsibility.

Because in the advert on Amazon ( kidde 10SCO) does it mention anywhere that you can’t use this in a caravan, as I’m sure does it for any normal smoke alarm, it isn’t till you dail down through the users that have bought one on Amazon that there is a string of people that give off about the item going off without cause , there should be more warnings on the packaging as to there use and were , I’m sure most people here are totally unaware of the regulations pertaining to smoke alarms and there use ?

 

[birdman101]

With the Fire Angels I push the clip back in,when not using the caravan, which immobilises the Alarm and saves Battery making them last longer,

 

[otherclive]

Because in the advert on Amazon ( kidde 10SCO) does it mention anywhere that you can’t use this in a caravan, as I’m sure does it for any normal smoke alarm, it isn’t till you dail down through the users that have bought one on Amazon that there is a string of people that give off about the item going off without cause , there should be more warnings on the packaging as to there use and were , I’m sure most people here are totally unaware of the regulations pertaining to smoke alarms and there use ?

The topic of Smoke and CO alarms has come up regularly on the Forum, so I’d be surprised if regular viewers aren’t aware of the need for a specific type suitable for use in leisure vehickes especially as the new regs were introduced in 2019.

Page 1 of the Kidde manual (Introduction) says the CO detector hasn’t been tested specifically for use in caravans or boats, and gives the requirements for alarms that do meet the requirements for caravans and boats. Had I read that I would have returned it via Amazon.

 

[otherclive]

With the Fire Angels I push the clip back in,when not using the caravan, which immobilises the Alarm and saves Battery making them last longer,

My caravan smoke alarm near the door was a regular beeper when grilling or making toast, but it had a mute facility that shut it up for a short period of time., around 5-10 minutes I think. The home ones have that too, but because of their positioning don’t tend to be sensitive unless MrsOC opens the oven door when doing a roast whilst having the door to the hall open 😂

 

[birdman101]

My caravan smoke alarm near the door was a regular beeper when grilling or making toast, but it had a mute facility that shut it up for a short period of time., around 5-10 minutes I think. The home ones have that too, but because of their positioning don’t tend to be sensitive unless MrsOC opens the oven door when doing a roast whilst having the door to the hall open 😂

The mute only stops it sounding, not isolating the Battery. Putting the clip back in, which you have to remove when new, isolates the Battery completely. Therefore I only remove the clip when using the Caravan, and when returning home re insert it until next time going away again,

 

[Hutch]

When my fire Angel failed, I replaced it with a another almost identical Fire Angel one , it was only when I had my caravan serviced that the service tech told me that the alarm didn't conform to 50291-2. I didn't understand the difference that's when I replaced it again with a 50291-2.

 

[charlesdobson]

When my fire Angel failed, I replaced it with a another almost identical Fire Angel one , it was only when I had my caravan serviced that the service tech told me that the alarm didn't conform to 50291-2. I didn't understand the difference that's when I replaced it again with a 50291-2.

I doubt anyone notices the difference or even knows that there is a difference

 

[otherclive]

The mute only stops it sounding, not isolating the Battery. Putting the clip back in, which you have to remove when new, isolates the Battery completely. Therefore I only remove the clip when using the Caravan, and when returning home re insert it until next time going away again,

My two detectors in the caravan were both replaceable batteries and the batteries were removed at the end of a trip.. The mute function is only a facility to shut it up when something obvious like the grill etc sets it off. For such a function it’s far more convenient just to press a button. Under certain ambient conditions the smoke alarm adjacent to the door would sound off if the door was open and the breeze was in a certain direction. In which case it was just unhooked and repositioned in the caravan.

 

[charlesdobson]

The topic of Smoke and CO alarms has come up regularly on the Forum, so I’d be surprised if regular viewers aren’t aware of the need for a specific type suitable for use in leisure vehickes especially as the new regs were introduced in 2019.

Well from what I’m hearing here I doesn’t seem so , hear of people going to screwfix and tool station for a smoke alarm which would be a normal smoke alarm, if your looking a regulation one , I would say it would have to be something you would have research on line and purchase?

 

[charlesdobson]

When my fire Angel failed, I replaced it with a another almost identical Fire Angel one , it was only when I had my caravan serviced that the service tech told me that the alarm didn't conform to 50291-2. I didn't understand the difference that's when I replaced it again with a 50291-2.

Also from looking online , there doesn’t seem to be an awful lot of alarms that met the requirements for a caravan except the fire angel ones

 

[otherclive]

Well from what I’m hearing here I doesn’t seem so , hear of people going to screwfix and tool station for a smoke alarm which would be a normal smoke alarm, if your looking a regulation one , I would say it would have to be something you would have research on line and purchase?

Page 1 of the Kidde 10 SCO manual (Introduction) says the CO detector hasn’t been tested specifically for use in caravans or boats, and gives the requirements for alarms that do meet the requirements for caravans and boats. Had I read that I would have returned it via Amazon.