Smoke Alarm Compliance — What Wide Bay Homeowners Need to Know

What the Law Requires

Since 1 January 2022, all Queensland dwellings must have photoelectric smoke alarms that:

• Are less than 10 years old (alarms have a stamped manufacture date — if it's past 10 years, it must be replaced)
• Are interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound
• Are installed on every storey — in each bedroom, in hallways connecting bedrooms, and at the bottom of stairwells
• Are either hardwired to 240V mains power or powered by a non-removable 10-year lithium battery

If your home was built before 2017, you may still have ionisation alarms installed. These are no longer compliant and should be replaced with photoelectric alarms.

Why Photoelectric?

Ionisation alarms were the old standard. They are more sensitive to fast-flaming fires but less sensitive to smouldering fires — the kind that fill a home with smoke while you sleep. Photoelectric alarms detect smouldering fires much earlier, which is why every Australian state and territory is moving to this standard.

Interconnection is equally important. If a fire starts in the garage while the family is asleep in bedrooms at the other end of the house, a single alarm in the garage might not wake them. With interconnected alarms, every alarm in the house sounds at once.

Common Compliance Issues We See in the Wide Bay

We attend plenty of homes across Hervey Bay, Maryborough, and surrounding areas where the homeowner assumes their smoke alarms are fine. The most common issues:

• Age. An alarm that looks fine on the ceiling could be 12 or 15 years old. Check the manufacture date stamped on the side.
• Missing alarms. Bedrooms are often missed — the law requires a smoke alarm in every bedroom, not just the hallway.
• Old battery types. Alarms with removable 9V batteries are not compliant for new installations. The 10-year sealed lithium battery is the standard.
• No interconnection. Standalone alarms in a multi-bedroom home don't meet current requirements.
• Wrong type. Ionisation alarms still found in older homes must be replaced.

What About When You Sell or Lease?

If you are selling your home, a smoke alarm compliance certificate is required as part of the contract. The same applies to leased properties — landlords must ensure all smoke alarms are compliant at the start of every tenancy.

Real estate agents and conveyancers regularly request compliance forms. If your alarms don't meet the standard, it can delay settlement or put a lease at risk.

What We Recommend

For Wide Bay homeowners, the simplest path to compliance is:

1. 1Audit every alarm in your home — check the type, age, and location against the requirements above.
2. 2Replace any ionisation alarms with photoelectric units.
3. 3Interconnect all alarms on every level. Hardwired interconnection is the most reliable, but wireless-linked alarms with 10-year batteries are also an option for homes without existing wiring.
4. 4Replace any alarm over 10 years old — even if it still beeps when you test it.
5. 5Keep a record of installation dates and compliance for when you sell.

We carry out smoke alarm compliance upgrades across the Wide Bay every week — from single alarm replacements to full-home interconnected systems. It is a straightforward job for a licensed electrician, and getting it done properly means peace of mind and no surprises at settlement time.

Core Services Electrical & Air provides smoke alarm compliance inspections and upgrades for homes across the Wide Bay, from Hervey Bay to Maryborough. Call Jason for a quote — 0435 032 399.

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