5 Best Mains Powered Smoke Alarms
The quick answer is that the Aico Ei141RC is the best one, in our opinion.
We have installed 12 15 sets of mains powered smoke alarms in the last 12 months, so we feel that we have the authority on telling you what works and what doesn’t!
Before we give our 5 best hard wired smoke alarm systems, we’re going to reveal an overall winner, a runner up and one that you should probably avoid! Check out the table below.
BUDGET WINNER
Our preferred mains smoke alarm is the Aico Ei141RC, due to the fact that is well priced, is easy to set up and install and has a 9V battery back up in case of the mains power going down.
If you’ve got more time to read, then we’re happy to tell you that we’re going to now reveal 5 of the best interlinked smoke alarms. We base our rankings on:
- Price
- Ease of install
- Quality
Now that you have our preferred option, what about the rest? Sometimes referred to as an interlinked smoke alarm system by those in the trade, we now give our opinion on the 5 best mains powered units available on the open market.
Please note, we also discuss portable smoke alarms and smoke alarms for deaf people on other pages.
Aico Ei141RC Mains Ionisation Smoke Alarm
- Manufacturer: Aico
- Weight: 349g
- Size: 18 x 15.4 x 6 cm
- Cost: £
- Quality: Excellent
- Installation: Easy
This one is our favourite. Easy to find, easy to install and very well priced. You can connect up to 20 of these smoke alarms, meaning they’re really good for very large properties. This can be done easily by hard wiring all the detectors or by using the wireless capability.
It comes with a 9V battery back up in case the mains power goes down.
We also made a mistake (or our electrician did) by putting an AICO heat detector in the bedroom instead of a smoke detector. Fortunately, you can keep use of the base and just change the head, so it was a five minute fix.
(Tip: Read our guide on maintenance to combat potential fires.)
Positives
- Excellent value for the price
- Available to buy from almost all hardware stores
- Can fit up to 20 of these together
Negatives
- Not a well recognised brand internationally
- A bit bulkier than other brands
Kidde Firex KF20 Interlinked Smoke Alarm
Installation with this Kidde Firex detector is very easy. As long as you position the baseplate mounting appropriately, it goes straight on.
In fact, if you have an older baseplate from Kidde, the baseplate screw positions are still the same, so you can do a like for like.
Simply attach it on and then it locks in to place with a quick twist.
It comes with the 9V replacement battery and the device won’t allow you to mount it unless you put the battery in. Very smart.
Positives
- Can be interconnected with up to 11 FireX alarms
- Unique “battery missing” lockout
- Green light signal indicates it's receiving AC power
Negatives
- Some have complained of a chirping noise
- It can be limiting if you have a bigger home
- Kidde should supply a conversion matrix
Nest Protect 2nd Generation Smoke (Wired)
We’ve talked about this one in our guide to the best carbon monoxide detectors and it deserves a place here too.
Yes, it is expensive and it can be costly once you start connecting several units, but it is the most advanced smart device for home safety.
A major plus point if you’re looking to upgrade is that the wired Nest system can be wired into the previous electrical wired system. The only difference is that the thermostat will need an additional wire installed.
All you need is the 120V hot (black) and neutral (white) wires in the electrical box connecting to the plug-in pigtail on the Nest.
Positives
- Very advanced, can be used with Alexa
- You can interconnect and unlimited number
- Constantly receives updates internally
Negatives
- Very expensive
- Traditional systems can do the same job mostly
- Will need a qualified person to install
First Alert SCO5 Smoke Alarm
This is a combined smoke and CO alarm which also includes a battery back up.
We used this model when we first started refurbishing houses. However, we were asked to supply the CO alarm separately, hence why we started using AICO ones instead.
It’s a really good one for homes and larger HMOs as you can hook up 18 compatible devices.
In addition to electrochemical sensors, the device can pick up on smouldering fires though its photoelectric sensor.
As a bonus, it comes with an ‘end-of-life’ battery signal meaning you can replace the entire unit with a brand new one.
Positives
- Can connect to other BRK or First Alert detectors
- 10-year limited warranty
- Can be heard by those with hearing issues
Negatives
- It's quite expensive compared to others
- Some users complain of false alarms
FireAngel WST-630Q Radio Interlinked
Very much like the ones above, these are easy to install.
The difference is that they are radio interlinked i.e. no need to be lifting up floorboards, connecting cables and so on.
Be careful that you don’t buy an older model. These tend to be the ones that people have been complaining about which gives off a false alarm.
The current model replaced the older model of the same smoke detectors.
You simply unscrew the old base plate, and install the new ones. After that, just connect them up wirelessly.
Check with your local fire risk assessor if they will accept radio interlinked alarms as not all local government housing departments do.
Positives
- Tamper locking pins
- Very light and easy to handle
- Can fit up to 50 of these wirelessly
Negatives
- Older model isn't reliable
- A few have complained of chirping alarms
Hardwired Smoke Detectors - Where to Place Them
As mentioned at the beginning of this page, we’ve done about 12 Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) this past year.
One of the main legal requirements when doing something like this is to install an interlinked smoke alarm system.
We always put smoke detectors in living rooms and bedrooms. Very rarely do we put a heat and smoke detector into a bedroom as we normally don’t offer cooking facilities in the bedroom i.e. we run our HMOs on a shared amenities basis.
This means that it is almost always in the kitchen that we have a heat detector instead of a smoke detector.
Naturally, as the wording suggests, these two types of detectors are interlinked, so if a fire starts in one room and sets of a detector, then the ones in every single other room will start beeping as well.
What’s important is to locate a suitably qualified electrician that can offer this service for you.
We’ve been paying between £1100 and £1800 including labour and materials for a full system installation. The larger the property, the more detectors are needed.
As per our suggestion at the very top, we bought some AICO Ei141RC ionisation smoke alarm from Screwfix.
Remember though, once you’ve bought some of these, it’s not the end of it. It’s important that know how to maintain smoke alarms, wired or otherwise.
Radio vs Wired
Which one is better and more acceptable to local authorities? Let’s compare the two.
In some cases, local councils do not like the wireless type, so you’ll have to opt for the wired ones. Speak to your local authority about this and the decision might be made for you.
Otherwise, both are acceptable, but to answer which is better depends on one principal question: Is it a complete refurbishment where you can rip up the carpets and floorboards or are you looking to fit them retrospectively?
- If it’s a refurbishment, opt for wired
- If you’re retrofitting, opt for wireless
In terms of cost, there isn’t going to be that much of a difference once you factor in the labour.
Radio Frequency Interlinked
Positives
- Wireless are useful for linking two areas where it’s difficult to get a wired connection
- no messing around and cutting out for wires and cables
- Less labour costs
Negatives
- Wireless ones can bridge to an adjoining property if theirs is wired. You don't want to be setting off other alarms.
- Some local authorities don't like wireless ones
Wired Interlinked
Positives
- Wired are less likely to suffer a ‘technical glitch’
- Cheaper to buy
- Wider range available
Negatives
- Will cost more in terms of labour
- Lots of messing around with lifting carpets and floorboards
To read more articles like this one, please visit our Home Alarms page.