For homeowners across the country, getting an interlinked smoke alarm system has become an important task, thanks to the new Scottish fire alarm legislation which came into force in February 2022.
But which company should you entrust to supply your new alarms?
To help you make your decision, our guide will look into the pros and cons of the providers mentioned above, as well as another option you may not have been aware of before now.
Linked up alarms are a Baillieston-based retailer of interlinked smoke and heat alarms.
Their product line-up consists of smoke alarms, heat detectors, a carbon monoxide detector, and a wireless remote is available to make setting up and testing the alarms easier.
All of their alarms are wireless and come fitted with sealed 10-year lithium batteries, avoiding the need for an electrician or wiring.
Their alarms are also supplied with sticky pads and screws to give the customer a choice over how the system is installed onto the ceiling.
Aesthetically the alarms are fine, but there are definitely sleeker options on the market, such as those supplied by Fireangel or Firelink Direct.
Quality-wise there don't appear to be many reports of false alarms or alarms failing due to a battery issue, therefore the devices appear to be of sound manufacture.
One potential snag is that the Scottish Government website states that the carbon monoxide alarm must comply with British Kitemark EN 50291-1 in order to comply with the new legislation, however, the carbon monoxide detectors supplied by this company are not Kitemarked.
We believe this is an oversight on the part of the Scottish Government, as the EN 50291-1 standard and British Kitemark are two separate certifications, and our opinion is that the alarms supplied by this company do comply with the new regulations. However, it's just something to bear in mind.
Setting the alarms up has a couple of quirks, and so it is strongly recommended that you read any supplied instructions thoroughly as well as watch the instruction video that the company has helpfully recorded.
Otherwise, you may find yourself having to make a few attempts at getting the alarms linked up successfully.
At the time of writing this guide, Linked up alarms have 173 Google reviews with a score of 4.6 and 103 reviews on Trustpilot with a rating of 4.3, putting them in Trustpilot's 'Excellent' band.
Linked up alarms are competitively priced, no doubt about it.
If you are looking for a company to provide your interlinked system to comply with the new legislation at the lowest cost possible, you should definitely consider them.
The fire alarms supplied by Linked Up Alarms are decent quality and not the worst-looking units.
Pairing up the alarms can be a bit tricky, but if you follow the instructions carefully you'll get them going eventually.
Price-wise these interlinked fire alarms are competitive, and so overall it has to be said that this company is a decent option for those looking to comply with the new Scottish legislation on a budget.
Fireguard Plus are a Glasgow-based retailer of smoke and heat alarms.
Their product range consists of smoke alarms, heat detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. There is also a wireless remote included with their interlinked systems.
The alarms are powered by a sealed 10-year lithium battery and a convenient fixing kit is provided with each alarm system. This allows homeowners to install their system without assistance from an electrician or having to contend with any wiring.
Fireguard Plus smoke alarms are a sleek, minimal design with a low profile, making them ideal for any type of home interior.
Quality-wise, their smoke alarms and heat alarms are independently tested and certified by TÜV, therefore they are assured to be of high quality.
At the time of writing this guide, we are not sure if the carbon monoxide detector that they supply is British Kitemarked, but it does appear to be compliant with EN 50291-1.
It has to be said that the process of pairing up the alarms supplied by Fireguard Plus is very simple.
A couple of taps on each alarm followed by a single press on the wireless remote and you're all linked up. It genuinely takes only a few seconds.
Fireguard currently has a 3.9 rating on Trustpilot which places them in the 'Great' category according to Trustpilot.
At the time of writing this guide, it is not possible to purchase alarms via the fireguard+ website.
Safelincs are a Lincolnshire-based retailer of fire safety products including alarms, fire extinguishers, and various other pieces of fire safety equipment.
Naturally, they sell interlinked smoke and heat alarms, as well as carbon monoxide alarms which meet the new Scottish fire alarm legislation.
The retailer sells alarms from manufacturers such as Kidde, Fireangel, Aico and others.
They stock both wireless and wired alarms, so you do have a bit of extra choice if you are planning to have an electrician carry out the installation.
As this retailer stocks several different brands, it is possible to pick a set of alarms which meet your requirements in terms of design.
Quality wise this retailer is ISO9001 certified, therefore although they don't manufacture their own alarms, they do have robust management procedures in place to make sure that the alarms they do sell are as high quality as possible.
The alarms sold by Safelincs have varying levels of difficulty in terms of setup. Some of their alarms appear to be aimed at the professional end user i.e. electrician, rather than a consumer, so it would pay to read up on the manufacturer's instructions for the alarms you are considering purchasing if possible.
Safelincs currently have a 4.8 rating with almost 5,000 reviews, so it is fair to say that they appear to provide excellent customer service.
Due to the range of alarms being sold by this retailer, it is difficult to compare them head to head with the others mentioned earlier in this guide, however, their alarms appear to be fairly competitively priced when compared to the likes of Screwfix or other large DIY retailers.
The only issue that might concern some potential customers is the amount of choice that they have. It could be difficult to narrow down the options and decide upon the best alarms without having expert knowledge, therefore it looks like this site is aimed slightly more at trade customers such as electricians.
It might not come as a surprise, but we think Firelink Direct are the best option for most consumers. Here's why:
Our alarms are ultra-slim and blend into any home without spoiling the decor, in fact, their minimal design means that they go practically unnoticed.
Our smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide detectors are independently tested to meet and exceed the minimum standards required by the new Scottish legislation.
Our carbon monoxide alarm is also Kitemarked, and whilst there may be some debate about whether this is required or not, we felt it was important that ours meets this British standard.
Our website is set up to help customers ensure that they get the right level of protection to meet the minimum standard according to the new Scottish legislation. By showing exactly what is required, rather than a package which contains too few or too many alarms, we believe it's possible for consumers to provide adequate protection for their house whilst keeping the cost down.
Of course, if the consumer wants to add an extra alarm or two in order to achieve the highest protection level possible, this takes just a couple of seconds to do on our website.
One of the main benefits of our interlinked smoke and heat alarm system is that the set-up of the devices is effortless.
In fact, interlinking our smoke alarm system takes less than 1 minute. This compares favourably with the other alarms available on the market.
Providing a quality service to our customers is of paramount importance to us, so even though our alarm system is easy to install, our customer service department is always available to provide assistance and advice to ensure that you are pleased with your decision to choose us.
