Property Management in Auckland and Smoke Alarms that do not detect Smoke
Property Management in Auckland and Smoke Alarms that do not detect Smoke
As a Property Manager based in Auckland , Parkit pays particular attention to the duties of Property Managers and Landlords surrounding smoke alarms.
All rental properties must have working smoke alarms.
During regular inspections of our Auckland rental property portfolio we test that all smoke alarms are working.
On occasion we have the odd tenant who has failed to replace dead batteries , or has removed the smoke alarm due to “nuiscance alarms” , when the alarm triggers due to smoke from cooking or burning toast.
We issue a notice requesting the alarm be reinstalled immediately.
Consumer NZ has published a report on New Zealand smoke alarms, June 2018, written by
Dr Paul Smith, Consumer NZ head of testing .
Following this report some retailers have decided not to stock ionisation smoke alarms.
The report tested 2 types of smoke alarms , photo electric alarms and ionisation smoke alarms.
The report shows that ionisation alarms give much less warning of smouldering fires.
Consumer NZ asked retailers to pull ionisation alarms from their shelves.
Both major DIY stores Mitre 10 and Hammer Hardware deciding to cease selling them immediately.
Bunnings and PlaceMakers said they would no longer re-stock them after existing alarms were sold.
Ionisation alarms gave much less warning of smouldering fires, such as those caused by cigarette butts on furniture causing slow smouldering fires, or smouldering electric wiring, smouldering clothes left over a heater, or too close to open fires, hot embers igniting carpet & furniture.
The slow detection of smouldering fires made it less likely occupants could get out of their home safely.
” … ionisation alarms were fine and fast at responding to flaming fires, they were very slow at responding to the cooler, slower, smouldering type that generates a lot of smoke,” Dr Smith said.
“You can identify an ionisation alarm from a radioactive symbol somewhere on the alarm body – it may be underneath, so you might need to remove it to check.”
He advised people with ionisation alarms to add photoelectric models, at least in hallways and escape routes.
Another advantage of photoelectric models was that many had a built-in long-life battery.
Advice on smoke alarms:
Landlords have to ensure working smoke alarms are installed at the start of a tenancy. Existing ionisation alarms can stay where they are, but all new smoke alarms must be photoelectric models with a long-life battery
Tenants must not remove smoke alarms, and are responsible for replacing dead batteries.
Tenancy Services Smoke Alarms
