Smoke and heat alarms for dwellinghouses

A dwellinghouse should be provided with either – (a) smoke alarms complying with BS EN 14604 and a heat alarm or alarms complying with BS 5446-2 installed in accordance with paragraphs 2.25 to 2.33; or (b) an automatic fire detection and fire alarm system complying with BS 5839-6 of at least Grade D2 Category LD2 standard including a smoke alarm or alarms in every habitable room and a heat alarm or alarms in every kitchen. Note 1 – A higher standard of protection should be considered where occupants of a proposed dwelling would be at special risk from fire. Further advice on this is also given in BS 5839-6. Note 2 – BS EN 14604 covers smoke alarms based on ionization chamber smoke detectors and optical smoke detectors. These different types of detector respond differently to smouldering and fast-flaming fires. Either type of detector is generally suitable. However, the choice of detector type should, if possible take into account the type of fire that might be expected and the need to avoid false alarms. Optical detectors tend to be less affected by low levels of 'invisible' particles, such as fumes from kitchens, that often cause false alarms. Accordingly, they are generally more suitable than ionization chamber detectors for installation in circulation spaces adjacent to kitchens.