Fire alarm equipment falls under different regulations and standards to intruder alarms, and getting the category wrong is a common and expensive mistake. We stock Fike, C-Tec and Kidde detection and warning equipment for both panel-based systems and standalone domestic detectors.

Panel-based or standalone?

• Panel-based systems — a control panel with wired or wireless detectors, sounders and call points, required for commercial premises, HMOs and any building covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. See fire alarm panels and kits.
• Standalone detectors — mains or battery powered smoke, heat and CO detectors for domestic use, interlinked where required by current Building Regulations. See standalone detectors.

Choosing detectors

Smoke detectors are not right for every location — a kitchen needs a heat detector rather than a smoke detector, since cooking triggers false alarms on optical smoke sensors. Escape routes and hallways typically need smoke or multi-sensor detectors, and any room with a solid fuel or gas appliance needs a carbon monoxide detector regardless of the fire system fitted.

What else the system needs

Panel-based systems need a matched power supply with standby battery backup, since a fire system must keep operating through a mains failure. See our fire alarm accessories for call points, sounders and beacons to complete a specification.