The start of daylight saving is a reminder for all of us to check our smoke alarms and switchboard.

Do you know the exact laws regarding smoke alarms, who needs them and whether they should be hard-wired? Do you know smoke alarms have a use-by date? How old is yours?

Sharpe Services is here to help. We are offering a full home electrical safety service that includes the changeover of a smoke alarm for only $195.

The safety service involves our experienced and fully licensed techs undertaking visual inspection and electrical testing of circuits and how much load they are under from appliances and heating-cooling systems. The switchboard is also fully tested and its safety compliance confirmed.

As a smoke alarm has a use-by date, Sharpe Services will supply and changeover the latest version as required.

Remember, only a working smoke alarm saves lives.

Sharpe Services are available now to sort your electrics and smoke alarms. We recommend these checks are done by a certified electrician every few years. Call us today.

With health and government authorities stressing the importance of staying at home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus, domestic fire safety is more important than ever. It starts with your smoke detectors and alarms.

The alarms in our house are all 240-volt hard-wired. Do I need to test them?

They will have a nine-volt, long-life, back-up battery in case of a mains power failure. This means they need to be tested according to the manufacturers’ instructions. It’s a pretty easy process.

Am I legally required to have smoke alarms in my house?

Yes. All South Australian homeowners and residential landlords are responsible for ensuring a working smoke alarm is installed. Fines of up to $750 are applicable for any homeowner who hasn’t ensured a smoke detector is fitted (battery-operated in buildings built before 1995 and hard-wired after 1994).

I didn’t realise the rules were so strict. Why?

If a fire breaks out smoke alarms give you vital survival time. The Metropolitan Fire Service says: “Smoke obscures vision and causes intense irritation to the eyes. This, combined with the effects of the poisons in the smoke, can cause disorientation, impaired judgment and panic, reducing the victim’s ability to find an exit. Most fire-related deaths result from the inhalation of toxic fire gases rather than from direct contact with flame or exposure to heat.”

That’s sobering stuff. What’s the best upgrade option?

We supply and install quality but affordable, hard-wired photo-electric smoke alarms. Fire authorities say photoelectric smoke alarms are the preferred option for houses. They are less prone to false alarms from activities like cooking. We can also interconnect smoke alarms, which is a requirement for new dwellings and new additions or extensions to existing dwellings. While we are there we would also be more than happy to inspect and test your entire household electrics to make sure having everyone at home 24/7 isn’t overloading your circuits.