Pyrexx PX-1 Smoke Alarm Black

Product Information

This could be critical if you’re out when there’s a fire. All of the smart smoke alarms we've tested are optical models. Different makes and models will be slower or faster to detect smoke coming through and have different alarms working at different volumes. Some even feature voice alarms or strobing lights. However, any alarms sold in the UK have to meet BS EN 14604:2005, which specifies the requirements, tests and performance criteria for smoke alarms using optical or ionisation sensors. Heat alarms are governed by the separate BS 5446-3:2003 standard.

So if you’re out of your home and not near your phone when the messages come through, you’ll have no way of knowing the alarm was sounding. The latter are pricier when you buy for the first time, but you won't have to factor in the expense of replacement battery costs. Pros: Can suit dustier areas, such as lofts, the area near your bathroom or rooms where people smoke.If you own a Nest smoke and CO alarm, you will be able to continue to use it but it will need to be in addition to interlinked smoke and heat alarms. Smart smoke alarms are designed to sound the alarm when they detect smoke, as a conventional smoke alarm would. But the unique selling point of a smart smoke alarm is the ability to send alerts to your phone when there’s a fire. Their distinguishing feature is the fact that they can be linked to other alarms, both heat and smoke alarms, so that when one senses danger they all sound. Heat (thermal) alarms detect heat (hot air) instead of smoke. The alarm is triggered when the temperature within the sensor chamber reaches over 58 degrees Celsius – generally when a fire is well established. As smoke enters, the infrared light is scattered onto the photodiode light receptor, triggering an alarm. They detect the larger smoke particles from slower smouldering fires.

We test smoke alarms using an aerosol tester, sprayed in the direction of the alarm for up to five seconds from a distance of 30cm. If the alarm doesn’t respond within four seconds, we don’t recommend it. Having completed this functional test, we take a careful look at any controls, screens, or indicators to see how clear and effective these are.Wireless devices communicate with each other and other devices without the use of connecting wires. This can be through interlinking by radio or through wi-fi. Batteries used to be the weakness of most household smoke alarms, requiring replacement every year or so and usually running out of charge, causing the low battery alarm to ring, in the middle of the night. As with carbon monoxide alarms, the trend is now towards alarms with a built-in, 10-year lithium battery, designed to work for the alarm’s effective lifespan. In Scotland, these are now a legal requirement. In England and Wales, however, you can still buy and use alarms with a replaceable 9V battery, and these often work out cheaper. We’d recommend paying extra for the convenience and peace of mind, but the choice is yours. Is there anything else worth looking out for? Of course, it is entirely possible to get connected smoke alarms that hook up directly to your home network via Wi-Fi, or through a proprietary connection or a Zigbee or Z-Wave hub. The advantage with these is that they can warn you of a fire through an alarm or alert on your smartphone, and also, with some systems, trigger smart lighting to come on. How we test smoke alarms