FAQ

Yes. The standards are: 4 or 5 alarms (depending on the number of storeys), Heat & Smoke alarms Interlinked (CO can be stand-alone), 10-year non-replaceable battery. Alarms must be compliant to the following standards, which ours are:

• smoke alarms                       BS EN14604:2005
• heat alarms                           BS 5446-2:2003
• carbon monoxide detector    EN 50291-1

Is delivery free and how long will it take?

Yes, free, same-day despatch, so you'll get them in 3 days. 

Who and where are you?

We are a Smoke Alarm specialist in Bathgate. Since Oct we've sold over 7,000 kits!

Do you supply a completion certificate like I'd get from the Council Planning department?

Because we supply kits for self-installation, we can’t certify that they’ve “been installed”. So, on the delivery advice note, we include the statement that the kit complies with the above Alarm standards, and we include a printed copy of those certificates, for you to retain or copy and send off to your insurers. If you want two copies, just say-so in the order notes, please.

I already have a suitable battery carbon monoxide alarm

In that case, you should simply choose from our Smoke & Heat only kits, and we'll interlink them before despatch. ScotGov isn't stipulating that the CO alarm be interlinked, but it is stipulating that it must have a non-replaceable battery, which ours are - with a 10 year life.

How long will they last?

The batteries in all our Alarms last ten years.  All manufacturers offer similar terms. 

Why do they only last 10 years?

In accordance with ScotGov's mandate, they have non-replaceable batteries, so when the batteries expire they need replaced. Also, because the electrochemical materials inside deteriorate in time and dust gathers in the vents, ScotGov experts have set the 10-year-life rule. So, regardless of which brand, which model, who you buy them from and whether they're mains or battery powered, 10 years is the maximum lifespan.

Can't I just buy these from Amazon and link them myself?

Go right ahead. But make sure they meet the Scottish Standards. Amazon is selling many which don't - a 3-pack for £60, but that's excluding the heat alarm and CO alarm, doesn't come with a certificate, and you'll need to interlink them with the rest of your bundle. And we'll bet they dont last even a year, far less ten! We also see lots of "combined smoke/heat detectors" - which are no use, they dont meet the Scottish standards and they'll just give false alarms in the kitchen. 

Do other suppliers pre-link them?

We get lots of calls from customers of other suppliers saying they got them but they're not linked-up, so they returned them and want to buy from us instead!

If I buy extra Smoke and Heat alarms will you link them all up?

Yes, of course. Add them to your cart and check out.

Don't I need them in the bedrooms?

No. ScotGov mandate is clear. Not required in bedrooms.

Our kitchen and livingroom is open-plan

ScotGov guidelines say you need a HEAT alarm in the Kitchen and a SMOKE alarm in your livingroom. But if they're open-plan, you only need a Heat Alarm in that area.

How can I tell if my existing ones meet the regulations?

If they're interlinked ("one goes off they all do"), and they are mains powered or have a non-replaceable battery. The most common reasons for needing to upgrade are:

1) your kitchen is fitted with the same type of smoke alarm as the rest of your house. That's not compliant - the kitchen alarm needs to be a "heat" not "smoke" alarm; and,

2) your carbon monoxide alarm is powered by normal/replacable batteries. That's non-compliant. It must be powered by mains electricity or by a non-replaceable battery.

Can I add yours to my existing interlinked system?

If they're ANKA brand, YES, you can, otherwise no.

Should we remove or leave the old ones up?

There's no problem with leaving your old ones. You may notice that the ANKA alarms sound ONLY if they sense smoke for a continuous 5 seconds, whereas your old ones sound immediately, which can lead to false alarms.

The ANKA alarms flash red on first smoke detection then wait til they're sure there's still smoke (about 5 seconds) before sounding the whole lot - designed to prevent false alarms.

Don't I need a Tradesman to fit them?

You could contact one of the companies offering you a "FREE survey", but that's likely to cost you a healthy exposure to strong sales tactics, lots of hemming and hawing, a quotation for engineer installation/upgrade, etc. .... likely substantially more than the £150 we're charging. You should consider keeping your existing system, don't touch it... but add ours too. Double-cover never did anyone any harm.

Can I fit them myself?

With a set of steps to help you reach the ceiling, someone to hold you, to save losing your balance, put the base up, poke a couple of 5mm holes in the ceiling with a philips screwdriver, insert the rawlplugs and then screw the base firmly to the ceiling. In the box, you'll also find a double-sided sticky pad, but we recommend screws if at all possible, because they're going to be up there for  10years. If your ceiling is rough, e.g. "artex", you'll need to use the screws and rawlplugs. If you can't fit them yourself, maybe a family member or friend can help.

What's about the CO Alarm, where do I put that?

Near/above your gas boiler. CO is lighter than air, so rises up the way. If your boiler is producing CO, it will likely emanate from the flue, or if the flue if blocked, anywhere above the flame (approx 1/3 of the way up), so it needs mounted as high as possible. ScotGov says it should be more than 15cm from the ceiling but above any door or window in the room. 

Dont stick it to the front or side of the boiler - that gets hot, and the sticky pad will fall off. Sit it down on a flat surface inside the boiler cupboard. Best using small screws supplied, but if you must use the sticky back pad, clean both surfaces thoroughly and stick it up like this:

 

Will you fit them for me?

No.

How small are they?

They're small, compared to old-fashioned ones. The SMOKE Alarm is 10cm across:

And the HEAT Alarm's a little bit bigger, about 14cm across

I need extra Alarms, where's the link?

You'll see "Extra Alarms" on the main menu at the top. We'll link them all together before shipping.

I need to interlink extra Alarms, how do I link them?

Here's how to link "Extras" into your existing ANKA system: 

What's the difference between Smoke & Heat Alarms?

Smoke alarms detect particles in the air - smoke or steam. Heat alarms detect a rapid increase in temperature. Both should be ceiling mounted. Smoke alarms in the kitchen can be set-off by steam or smoke from cooking, resulting in false alarms whenever anyone cooks something steamy or smoky. Heat alarms are set-off by the temperature at ceiling level getting hot very quickly. That means that heat alarms are best for the kitchen, and smoke alarms are best suited to elsewhere in the house or flat.

I just bought a normal Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarm from Argos/Currys, do I need yours?

The Scottish Government has decided that the Carbon Monoxide Alarm can be a basic stand-alone one, not interlinked. But if you already have one, it must have a sealed non-replaceable battery. You can't use one powered by AA batteries or such like.

If I don't install these, will that affect my Home insurance?

Different home insurance policies will have different terms and conditions in the small-print. One thing's for sure - if your house burns to the ground, your insurer will look for any way-out of paying you the rebuild value, of, say £300k, so, it's possible that "non-compliance with legislation" would be an open-door for them.

What does "Interlinked" mean?

Simply, that whenever one goes off, they all go off. That's the new law. One added benefit of our interlinked Alarms is that when they go off, you can reset them by touching the button on any of them - so the boiler cupboard CO alarm is likely to be easier to reach than trying to poke the smoke alarm button with a brush-shaft.

Is "Interlinked" the same as "WiFi"?

No. Our ANKA Alarms operate on a lower frequency than WiFi, which means the signals won't interfere.

Whats the range?

20 metres between alarms. They are daisy-chain linked, which means they can cover a huge area - even if you have an enormous mansion - all you need to do is ensure there's one Alarm every 20 metres.

Is there a risk of my system interfering with my neighbour's or vice-versa?

Highly unlikely. We interlink (like bluetooth "pairing") the alarms before we despatch them to you. The chances of your system interfering with your neighbour's system are very low, and if that happens (when you test it), either of you can simply re-pair your system and it will randomly choose a new pairing code.

We have a log/gas/other fire in the Livingroom

ScotGov says "If you have a carbon-fuelled appliance – like a boiler, fire, heater or flue – in any room, you must also have a carbon monoxide detector in that room"

Can I add extra Alarms to your system?

Yes, of course. If you buy them at the time, they'll come interlinked. If later, you easily interlink them yourself.

I have a NEST system, is that good enough?

We're afraid, not. The Nest Protect System will not meet the standard. This is because they do not meet the requirements for a heat alarm under the relevant British Standard. British Standard (BS 5839-6:2019) states that only heat alarms should be installed in kitchens.