The two kinds
| Battery-only, sealed 10-year | 240-volt with 10-year lithium backup | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | The sealed lithium battery runs everything | Mains power, with the lithium battery taking over in a blackout |
| Battery changes | None for the life of the alarm | None for the life of the alarm |
| Linking | Wireless models link by radio | Wired, or wireless on models built for it |
| Who fits it | You can, for wireless models in Queensland and Victoria | A licensed electrician |
| Examples | Clipsal 755LPSMA4, Red R10RF, Quell Q5000, Brooks EIB650iRF, CAVIUS CAV10WF | Clipsal 755PSMA5L, Red RSDUALP, Brooks EIB3016, Legrand 643088 |
Where the rules accept them
It depends on your state. Queensland accepts a built-in, non-removable battery designed to last at least 10 years as an alternative to hardwiring, but hardwired alarms there must be replaced with hardwired ones. The Northern Territory treats a sealed 10-year lithium unit as an approved alarm, provided it's photoelectric and complies with AS 3786.
Tasmania accepts a 10-year non-removable battery in rentals as the alternative to mains power. Western Australia is stricter: battery-only alarms are allowed only where mains wiring can't be run, such as under a concrete ceiling. In Victoria, homes built after 1 August 1997 need 240-volt alarms, so a battery-only one doesn't replace those. Smoke alarm laws by state has the detail.
Why fire services like them
ACT Fire and Rescue says that if a battery alarm is used, a photoelectric alarm powered by a 10-year lithium battery is the best option, and Tasmania Fire Service recommends the same pairing. Victoria's fire services point to the practical win: replaceable batteries need changing every year, while 10-year batteries last the life of the alarm.
There's also less to go wrong. Victoria's fire services warn that removed batteries are a main reason alarms fail in a real fire, and a sealed battery can't be pulled out to stop a nuisance alarm.
What to check before you buy
- Photoelectric sensing, and AS 3786 on the label.
- A sealed or non-removable battery, if your state's rule depends on it.
- Wireless interconnection, if the alarms need to sound together. Stand-alone models, like the CAVIUS Nano or Quell's P3010B bedroom alarm, don't link.
- The manufacture date. Queensland counts the 10 years from the day an alarm was made, so a box that's sat on a shelf has already used some of them.
When the 10 years are up
A sealed alarm tells you when it's done. Quell's P3010B, for example, chirps twice every 30 seconds at end of life. There's no battery to swap, so the whole alarm comes down and a new one goes up.
What you can do, and what's licensed work
You can
- Put up battery-only wireless 10-year alarms where your state allows them.
- Test them once a month and vacuum off the dust every six months.
- Put the replacement date in your calendar the day they go up.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Installing any 240-volt alarm, including those with a 10-year lithium backup.
- Replacing hardwired alarms, which must stay hardwired in Queensland and the ACT.
- Linking mains alarms with wireless ones.
If we were buying today
If your home has no hardwired alarms and your state accepts sealed batteries, we'd buy photoelectric 10-year lithium alarms with wireless interconnection and put one in every spot the rules ask for. If you've got hardwired alarms, stick with 240-volt models that have a 10-year lithium backup, and book a licensed electrician who does smoke alarm upgrades to fit them.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.