LD1 Fire Alarm System for St Ives Holiday Let
The job
Changes to regulations require holiday lets to have mains powered, interlinked fire alarms in most rooms, alerting holiday makers in the quickest time possible. It can seem overkill, but due to unfamiliar surroundings staying in a new place, every second is crucial in the event of an emergency. The owner of a holiday let near St Ives needed to comply with updated fire alarm regulations for short-term lets.
What I did
This property near St. Ives was not too complicated and there was no disruption to the surrounding ceiling or walls, as luckily there were permanent feeds from the lighting circuit which were utilized, and the upstairs and downstairs alarms linked together wirelessly with two wireless RF modules.
On the day
"Aico" is the well known, reliable brand used by default for all alarms, and I wouldn't recommend anything else. You know that in ten years when the alarms are due to expire, the brand will still be going, it is readily available at all wholesalers, and it is simple enough for the homeowner to swap the alarms for new ones without getting an electrician in to wire in new ones.
About this type of work
Why the regulations changed
Changes to fire safety regulations now require holiday lets to have mains-powered, interlinked alarms throughout most rooms - rather than the battery-operated smoke alarms that would have been acceptable in a private home. The reasoning is straightforward: guests staying somewhere unfamiliar may take longer to orient themselves and find a way out, so the earlier the warning the better. Interlinking means that a smoke detector in the kitchen will also trigger the alarm in the bedroom at the top of the house - giving the maximum possible response time.
It can feel like overkill in a small cottage, but the logic is sound. Every second matters when you’re somewhere you don’t know.
Why I use Aico
Aico is the brand I fit as standard for all fire alarm work, and I wouldn’t recommend anything else for a holiday let. It’s available at every wholesaler, it’s been around long enough that you know it will still be supported in ten years when the alarms reach end of life, and - importantly - the system is designed so that when the alarms are due for replacement the owner can swap them for new units themselves without needing an electrician to rewire anything. That’s a real cost saving over the lifetime of the installation.