Frequently Asked Questions FAQ - SmokeSight by Redbusbar, Australia

You may find the following FAQ helpful:

Application FAQs

Why should I choose SmokeSight for my home?

SmokeSight provides peace of mind that, in the event of a fire, it will alarm. Smoke alarm testing is the best way to establish smoke detector integrity. So, the AutoTest* function automatically tests the sounding of the smoke alarm on a regular basis. In addition, EscapeLighting* provides visual indication of the alarm and illumination of the escape path.
Low maintenance. Backup battery life of up to 5 years on mains powered alarms and 10 years on Li battery powered alarms.
Less annoying. A false alarm can be silenced with a hand clap with ClapSilence*. A battery chirp can be silenced for 8 hours with a press of the Test / Hush button.

How do I know that my home’s SmokeSights are working?

The AutoTest* function tests your smoke alarm by sounding and listening to your alarm for approximately 5 seconds. It does this on a regular basis. So, if you are at home when the test occurs, you will hear the test and this will confirm that the smoke alarm is working. However, if you were not at home when the AutoTest function operated and the test failed, the alarm will alert with 4 white LED flashes and beeps every minute.

Why should I choose SmokeSight for my rental property?

Simple management. You may not need to attend the property as much to conduct smoke alarm testing and battery replacement.
Simple record keeping. The occupier may be willing to send you an email reporting that the smoke alarm remains functional. The occupier will be made aware, automatically, of the status of the smoke alarm through the AutoTest* feature.
Less chance of smoke alarm damage with AutoTest* and ClapSilence*. The resident does not need to touch the smoke alarm in order to activate a regular test or silence a false alarm. Occupier contact is further reduced by a backup battery life of up to 5 years on mains powered alarms and 10 years on Li battery powered alarms.
Less worry for you that the smoke alarms at the property are functional.

How do I know that my rental property’s SmokeSights are working?

At the start of a lease, perform an installer’s test. Refer below. Then you need to make the resident aware of the AutoTest* function when they move in. Doing this will avoid a phone call from a confused tenant at a later date.
During their lease the tenant will experience the same SmokeSight AutoTest* behaviour as a home owner. Refer above. You could ask them to contact you in the event of an issue or you could contact them to get an update. It would be wise to receive their advice in writing. In order to receive an update, a recurring email to the occupier might help you in this regard.

Why should I choose SmokeSight for my customers?

Installation flexibility. The SmokeSight family supports both new and retrofit installations through a combination of mains and 10 year lithium battery powered and hard wired and wireless interconnection.
Simple wireless interconnect configuration with NetworkNow*. Just power up the alarm and tap the Test+Hush button to join the alarm to the network. Network validation and testing is also simple.
Safer wireless network modification and querying with GroudSupport*. No ladder needed as all interactions can be performed at ground level through the Test+Hush button via a stick.
Simple hard wire connection via screw terminals within an integral junction box. Includes a loop terminal and each terminals accepts 2 x 2.5mmsq conductors.

How do I know that my customer’s SmokeSights are working?

Simply press the Test+Hush button on one alarm. This alarm and every other hard wired and wireless interconnected alarm will sound. Repeat this test for every other alarm. Using this approach you will test the capability of all alarms to send and receive an interconnected alarm.

Technical FAQs

Why do I need to test my smoke alarm?

Because if your smoke alarm stops working you probably won’t know that it has failed. Failed smoke alarms do not sound to warn of a fire. Therefore, this leaves you and your family at risk. Testing your smoke alarm confirms that it is functional. That is why most fire authorities recommend that you test all of your smoke alarms monthly.

Other smoke alarms can detect internal faults. So is SmokeSight different?

Yes. Some internal faults, but not all, maybe detected by competitor smoke alarms. That is one reason why they still want you to test their alarm manually. So that you can hear whether the alarm sounds correctly. So, SmokeSight remembers to test, initiates the test and listens for the alarm sound so that you don’t have to*. SmokeSight is different because it self tests all parts of the smoke alarm*.

Is interlink the same as interconnect?

Yes, in the context of SmokeSight smoke alarms. It refers to the transmission of an active alarm (smoke alarm has detected smoke) from one smoke alarm to one or more other smoke alarms.

Can I interconnect smoke alarms from different manufacturers?

No. Because all alarms need to be compatible so that your alarm wired or wireless interconnect operates correctly. There is no guarantee that the detectors from company “A” will interconnect to detectors from company “B”. In other words, the interconnect may not work or even worse you may damage both your existing and new smoke alarms.

When upgrading smoke alarms, should I replace my existing mains powered alarms with new mains powered alarms? Alternatively, should I just install new battery powered smoke alarms?

Where you are upgrading your system and have correctly positioned, mains powered alarms, it is recommended that these are replaced by mains powered alarms. Further, it is a requirement in the new Queensland laws.

This question comes up a lot. In particular, DIYers and some smoke alarm solution companies prefer to install a battery powered alarm near an existing mains powered alarm because it simplifies installation. In addition, installation can be performed by non-electricians. The existing mains powered alarm is left in place, operational but not interconnected. In essence, it is not part of the new system.

Mains powered vs 10 year lithium battery smoke alarms. What’s best?

Ignoring the subject of what’s easier to install, there are a couple of arguments:

Firstly, mains powered alarms may be more reliable as they have a primary and backup source of power supply. In contrast, battery powered alarms have only one battery power supply.
Secondly, mains powered alarms can be damaged by power system surges or lightning. On the other hand, battery powered alarms are much less likely to be affected.
Finally, mains powered alarms incorporate a wired interconnection which is more reliable than wireless interconnection. In other words, it is not susceptible to signal loss through building, wall and floor materials like wireless interconnect can be.

What is an escape route?

An escape route or evacuation path is the likely route that a person would take when exiting the dwelling, particularly from bedrooms. There may be more than one evacuation path per level. Examples of escape routes include hallways, stairs and living areas.

Commercial FAQs

Is it cheaper to install SmokeSight or use a smoke alarm service company to test the alarms?

SmokeSight is by far a lower cost option. In addition, it is more convenient in many ways.

Can I DIY install my smoke alarm system?

Yes DIY installation is OK. But it does mean that you could only install 10 year lithium battery, wireless interconnected smoke alarms. Because, any work on mains powered detectors would need to be performed by a licensed electrician.

Can I DIY maintain my smoke alarm system?

Yes DIY maintenance is OK. In fact, it is common place for owners to test and clean their own smoke alarms. However, there are rules surrounding tenants and landlords performing DIY maintenance. So long as you adhere to the requirements you are well within your rights to service your own smoke alarms and save some money.

*Available on SS10MAMA and SS10LNAN models
**5 year battery life using supplied backup batteries with SS10MANN and SS10MAMA mains powered models. SS10LNAN incorporates a 10 year Lithium primary battery. SS10MAMA and SS10LNAN Option card primary battery life is also 5 years.