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Original poster

Are your smoke alarms mains connected?

38 replies

Whatsmyusername85 · 04/02/2026 21:05

Jus that really, are your smoke alarms connected to the mains electricity or are they battery operated?

OP posts:
shellyleppard · 04/02/2026 21:06

Battery and checked every year by the housing provider

superking · 04/02/2026 21:07

Ours are mains connected, we had them redone last year during building work. Before that we had battery operated ones. Main advantage as I understand it is that you don't have to worry about the battery running out and, more importantly, if one goes off they all go off so if eg there is a fire in your kitchen overnight then the alarm on your landing will go off at the same time. I think you can get wireless linked battery ones that do the same thing though.

teambrief · 04/02/2026 21:08

We have interlinked mains alarms. A local guy who is a fireman did loads of them around here on his days off when interlinked became law.

WorkCleanRepeat · 04/02/2026 21:33

We had ours connected to the mains during some building work we had done recently. Before that they were battery operated.

Tulipvase · 04/02/2026 21:34

Ours are battery operated but interlinked. I think.

TheDandyLion · 04/02/2026 21:35

Mains, it's required in rental properties in Wales.

ThejustbrothersCarlenaNSoul · 04/02/2026 21:53

It's law in Scotland.

FuzzyWolf · 04/02/2026 21:56

Mine are both, just in case.

Ladybugheart · 04/02/2026 21:56

Interlinked mains alarms

BatchCookBabe · 04/02/2026 21:58

Yes, mains powered (with a battery back up if the power goes.)

BitOutOfPractice · 04/02/2026 21:58

Not just to the mains but a complete - and expensively maintained - fire safety system. I live on the 5th floor apartment. We all take fire safety very seriously here. Also have sprinklers and alarms and regularly checked fire doors.

JustsoyouknowImnotlying · 04/02/2026 21:59

Ours are mains powered with battery backup. When one goes off they all go off. We have one in every room in our house.

teraculum29 · 04/02/2026 22:00

Mains connected with battery backup

Chestnutmarenutjob · 04/02/2026 22:01

It’s law for them to be hardwired interlinked. It is in Scotland anyway.

Ihatemondays1962 · 04/02/2026 22:53

I am in scotland so have hardwired, interlinked. I had building work done so they were fitted as part of that.

DamsonGoldfinch · 04/02/2026 22:56

Both

NimbleMoose · 04/02/2026 22:57

Another Scot, my house is a new build so they had to be.

Mydonkeyisred · 04/02/2026 22:58

Mains connected. We also have a battery operated one too.
Housing check them when they do the gas safety checks and change them when needed.

caringcarer · 04/02/2026 22:59

Min at mains electricity with battery backup in case of power cuts.

Poshjock · 04/02/2026 23:11

Last house was a new build, mains and interlinked. Still need switched out every 10 years though! Just did them before I moved. Annoyingly the ones fitted by the builder had 9V battery back up and with 8 units in the house I was constantly changing the bleeding (bleeping?) battery. Wired does not necesarily mean battery free! I replaced them with AICO wired units with 10 year internal battery back up.

Current house has a bit of a mish mash as built before regs and the last householder stuck a couple of wireless interlinked up to meet the bare minimum for the home report (ie 3 alarms interlinked). I will supplement this by replacing the old style ones in the bedroom (that are way older than 10) with the same brand that will link with the 3 newer wireless ones (Sentinel brand).

FWIW the recommendation is to replace units every 10 years. Wireless interlinked will set off every alarm in your house without needing to be hardwired and the newer decent ones have a 10 year internal battery so I see no benefit in hardwiring and I will not be doing it here.

Poshjock · 04/02/2026 23:14

Chestnutmarenutjob · 04/02/2026 22:01

It’s law for them to be hardwired interlinked. It is in Scotland anyway.

It isn't actually law to have hardwired alarms in Scotland. You must have alarms that when one is activated ALL will sound this is known as interlinked and can be wireless. The bare minimum is one in each hallway/landing, one in the livingroom and a heat alarm in the kitchen so a house may only require 3 to meet the regulations.

7238SM · 04/02/2026 23:17

Mains- we only renovated our current home 3 yrs ago
Previous house was converted in 2000 from a pub and it too had mains alarms.

Pinemartin4 · 04/02/2026 23:19

"When interlinked became law"....😂

Ohpleeeease · 04/02/2026 23:21

New build house alarmed to the teeth. Mains connected and interlinked. I hate them.
One goes off and the whole house screams. Last week DH set the landing one off because he’d had a hot bath and it detected the sudden change in temperature when he opened the bathroom door.

I’m thinking of having them disconnected and putting individual battery ones up. Those did perfectly well in our old house.

ThatRosePanda · 04/02/2026 23:22

Mains with battery back up. Also have a second set connected to the security alarm in case there’s a fire when no one is home

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