 |
| Swansea fitted over 9,000 properties with Aico Multi-Sensor Fire alarms, Optical smoke alarms and CO alarms |
Following its specification of Aico as its sole supplier of Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms for its housing stock in 2010, Swansea City Council has now fitted more than 9,000 properties with Aico mains powered Multi-Sensor Fire alarms, Optical smoke alarms and CO alarms.
When completed, 14,000 homes will benefit from the Aico alarms.
The original decision to specify solely Aico alarms throughout Swansea City Council's housing stock was based on the quality of the alarms.
The Council remain pleased with their decision, benefitting from a reduction in false alarms from those properties fitted with Aico alarms and a minimal failure rate compared with the previous detectors used, resulting in cost savings on maintenance call outs.
Swansea City Council has also increased its specification of Aico products, through a wider adoption of Aico CO alarms. Where previously the Council fitted Aico CO alarms into properties with solid fuel heating, these same alarms are now being introduced to all properties on the rewire programme for 2012-13. Arnold Davies, Senior Electrical Surveyor at Swansea City Council explains: "The use of CO detectors linked to the Multi Sensor detectors has been introduced to all dwellings due to legislation introduced in Northern Ireland to form part of their Building Regulations; and after all, all forms of fuel used in homes risk emitting CO gas."
The changes to Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 now require a CO alarm to be fitted in the same room as any new or replacement combustion appliance that has been installed. A combustion appliance is any piece of equipment that is designed to burn gas, oil or solid-fuel, that isn't designed solely for cooking. Whilst these Regulations apply to Northern Ireland only, many social housing providers in England and Wales are now looking to this as Best Practice.
In addition, Swansea City Council is now also fitting Aico's wall-mounted Alarm Control Switch during rewires, integrated with the fire and CO alarms. The Aico Control Switch allows residents to quickly identify and locate the exact unit which has triggered, and simply test and silence all the alarms on the system from one, convenient location.
Aico is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ei Electronics. All Aico alarms are designed and built in Europe specifically to meet UK standards and regulations. For more information please go to www.aico.co.uk or contact Aico on 0870 758 4000 or enquiries@aico.co.uk.
