Smoke and heat alarms

The easiest way to protect your home and family from fire is with working smoke alarms. We fit smoke and heat alarms in all our tenants’ homes.

• Test them regularly.
• Please let us in when we need to update them or fit new ones.
• Always keep your annual home safety check appointment.

Working smoke alarms could save your life.

You’re around eight times more likely to die in a fire if you do not have a working smoke alarm in your home. You can find more information on this by following this link.

If your alarm sounds

• Keep calm and act quickly.
• Make sure everyone leaves the property safely, closing the front door behind you.
• Call 999 and give an exact address.

 Video: How to test your alarms 

Your questions answered

How do I test my alarms?

Press and hold the test button on the alarm until you hear a loud sound. Do this on all alarms. If your alarms are linked together, all the others should sound, usually a few moments later. If any alarm doesn’t sound, report it to us.

I can’t test my alarms safely. Can you help?

If you can’t reach an alarm safely and you don’t have a someone else who can do this for you, please tell us. We may be able to provide you with a separate controller you can use to test your alarms remotely.

My alarm is beeping or flashing. What does that mean?

An alarm that beeps or flashes occasionally has a fault and may not work when you need it most. It may have lost mains power, have a low battery or a faulty sensor. Please tell us and we’ll investigate.

My alarm is wired into the mains – why do I still need to test it?

Mains-powered alarms have a backup battery so they’ll still work if there’s no mains power getting to the alarm. Testing your alarms will check this battery as well as the sensor which can be degraded by dust and dirt.

What’s the difference between a smoke alarm or heat alarm?

Smoke alarms detect particles of smoke and provide the earliest possible warning of a fire. Example below:

Heat alarms detect high temperatures.  We usually fit these in smoky or steamy rooms like kitchens. Example below:

Combined alarms detect both heat and smoke. Example below:

What about carbon monoxide alarms?

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas which you can't see, taste or smell, but it can kill quickly and with no warning. Your CO alarm will detect this deadly gas. It's important that you test this regularly. Just press the test button - if you don't hear a loud beep, it may be faulty. If you don’t have mains gas, oil or solid fuel appliances you won’t have a CO alarm.

My alarm goes off whenever I cook – can I disable it temporarily?

Never disable or cover an alarm. When cooking, it’s always a good idea to close the kitchen door, open a window and use an extractor fan. This will reduce false alarms and help to prevent other problems like condensation and mould. Check your oven, grill or toaster are clear or grease or crumbs and aren’t producing smoke.

Why do alarms need to be replaced?

The sensors and batteries in alarms degrade over time. After 10 years alarms need to be replaced to be sure they’ll work properly when you need them.

What if I can’t hear my alarm?

Please tell us if you or anyone you know might not be able to hear an alarm or get out safely in an emergency. We can fit specialist alarms like strobe light alarms or vibrating pad alarms.

I live in Curo sheltered housing – is my alarm system the same?

Your smoke and heat alarms will be linked to our 24-hour call centre and they will be automatically alerted if your alarm sounds. You might also have a separate controller to test your alarms remotely (example below).

Please test your alarms in the usual way, or by using your controller if you have one. Tell us if you can’t do this safely by clicking this link to contact us.

I’m a homeowner, not a tenant, do I need to install my own alarms?

We don’t usually fit alarms inside homeowners’ properties unless they are part of a linked system within a block of flats. We strongly advise that you get smoke and heat alarms fitted. If you’re in doubt or need help, please get in touch by clicking this link.