Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Jun 25, 2011 6:14 pm Re: Any firemen on here ??? 3Jun 26, 2011 10:20 pm As a fireman I can assure you we will go into any house regardless of structure. New construction methods have made homes (both timber and steel) perform poorly in fire, but we still go into buildings if people are reported. Same goes for houses with solar panels (don't believe radio shock jocks). Building an Eden Brae Saville 27 http://karry327.blogspot.com/ Building thread https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=44247 Re: Any firemen on here ??? 4Jun 26, 2011 11:19 pm Thank you both for replying , will be making sure we have lots of working fire alarms and a escape plan for everyone once we move in . After watching our neighbours house burn down last year its made us all a bit more nervous about these things Re: Any firemen on here ??? 5Jun 27, 2011 10:38 am Make sure you have WORKING smoke alarms. I believe there has not been any fatalities in house fires in NSW for at least 10 years in homes where there was a working smoke alarm. Also make sure your insurance will cover the cost of a new house, demolition of the old place and rent for 12 months. Building an Eden Brae Saville 27 http://karry327.blogspot.com/ Building thread https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=44247 Re: Any firemen on here ??? 6Jun 27, 2011 2:20 pm BuildingSA - am almost 100% certain that it is a legal requirement in SA to have appropriate no. of hard wired smoke alarms in new builds/extensions - has been so for several years, I believe. I guess it is a good idea to have battery back up as well- as there is the possibility a fire could occur when there is a power failure. Re: Any firemen on here ??? 7Jun 27, 2011 3:50 pm Helyn BuildingSA - am almost 100% certain that it is a legal requirement in SA to have appropriate no. of hard wired smoke alarms in new builds/extensions - has been so for several years, I believe. I guess it is a good idea to have battery back up as well- as there is the possibility a fire could occur when there is a power failure. Yes , and I think we even added a extra one in at our electrical selection Re: Any firemen on here ??? 8Jun 27, 2011 4:41 pm In most (all?) states it is a requirement to have hardwired smoke alarms in new constructions. They have to meet the specified Australian Standards and have a battery back-up. The battery back-up is a must as numerous house fires occur during black-outs from people using candles, different cooking and heating sources, etc. Building an Eden Brae Saville 27 http://karry327.blogspot.com/ Building thread https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=44247 Re: Any firemen on here ??? 9Jun 27, 2011 4:52 pm Karry, I know smoke detectors are a requirement in a new house and have no arguments about that, but nobody checks that they actually work!! The two in my new house weren't working when I moved in and nobody cares!!! I phoned the NSW Fire Brigade and was fobbed off, the Fair Trading inspector didn't know who checks them and the electrician (along with the builder) are totally useless...to say the least!! Council building inspector only checked they were in place, but didn't check to see if they were working. When I complained to the builder he argued that if the green light is illuminated, then the detector 'will' work...but when he reached up to press the 'test' button it took several attempts for it to make a sound, then it was garbled. Smoke from the toaster and oven don't give any results either so I've bought a battery detector from Bunnings and have it in the hall, jic!! Fortunately there are big windows in the bedroom and my fire plan has always been to get out quick. Seems ludicrous to have a law in place but nobody polices that law? Any constructive comments appreciated. Re: Any firemen on here ??? 10Jun 27, 2011 5:09 pm Happycamper you are completely correct, but it gets worse. Last year I went to a rental house that had caught fire, after extinguishing the blaze it appeared there was no smoke detector installed. It has been a requirement by law that smoke detectors be supplied by landlords for some years in NSW now, but when we followed it up it appeared the law was there but no agency (eg the Police, Fire Brigade, Council) had the power to enforce. I am not sure if the situation has been rectified yet. If you are concerned about your smoke detector replace it, otherwise you can buy a test spray can to test them. Depending on the type of detector you have will depend on how sensitive they are, not all detectors go off at the hint of burnt toast anymore. Building an Eden Brae Saville 27 http://karry327.blogspot.com/ Building thread https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=44247 Re: Any firemen on here ??? 11Jun 27, 2011 5:23 pm Thanks for a speedy and informative reply. As previously, I've bought another detector from Bunnings and plan to buy another couple to place near the other bedrooms for when visitors are here, and also in the garage because I feel this area is mostly overlooked. In my last house I had the freezer in the garage (and the laundry was off the garage) so it made sense to put detectors in there too. Didn't know about the spray or the fact they aren't sensitive to burnt toast...am used to the ones in my last house which were super sensitive and which I felt was a good thing. Better to have a false alarm than no warning. The one in the rental where I was while this house was being built wouldn't emit a sound when the test button was pressed, the RE said it had a new battery fitted before I moved in...wasn't very comforting though. Thanks again, will let you get back to what you were doing!! Re: Any firemen on here ??? 12Jun 30, 2011 1:38 pm also keep a record of when the battery operated ones are installed and check the back of the alarm for an expiry date. It wasn't until recently when I painted the hallway ceiling and took down the smoke alarm that it had a replace by date of 2008 The test button still worked but who knows if it would have been any good in a fire since it was three years out of date. we've just installed a new one which you activate when you install it and it lasts for 10 years so it's a good idea to write down the date you activate them on the back of the alarm for yourself and any future owners or tenants/landlords. Re: Any firemen on here ??? 13Jun 30, 2011 7:08 pm karry327 If you are concerned about your smoke detector replace it, otherwise you can buy a test spray can to test them. Depending on the type of detector you have will depend on how sensitive they are, not all detectors go off at the hint of burnt toast anymore. Wish they'd replace our ones at work, we get them set off constantly from the steam from showers. Doesn't help some moron put them right outside the bathroom Not fun dealing with a bunch of guests and the fire alarm suddenly going off! We only have a certain time to silence the alarm at the fire panel or else it goes to the brigade. I'm a fan of whoever (fire brigade, I suspect?) says that you should change your smoke detector batteries when it's daylight savings going forward and back. Easy to remember when you last did it. viewtopic.php?f=31&t=37229 - our Iris 4! A question. Im in Queensland and building a new home. We managed to reach practical completion 6 weeks ago but we haven't heard any date for handover yet. Who should we… 0 5733 i had the my concreters concrete right up to the fence. I have pits all along my path, so the water tends to drain away from the house and into the pits. There's only one… 7 12647 I am looking at building a house. Has anyone used Construkt Homes (based in Adelaide)? Does anyone have experience with this builder? 0 6398 |