 | Milions at risk from faulty smoke detectors
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| 02 Feb 2010
Millions of UK homes are at risk of having no warning when a fire breaks out after smoke detectors fitted free by the local authority have developed faults, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has warned.
Thousands of people have complained that the alarms, made by Dicon, are beeping for no reason. The detectors have sealed batteries that are supposed to last 10 years, but the alarms have been beeping as if they need a replacement battery after only a few years of use.
The FBU fears that householders, annoyed by the alarms constantly beeping, are deliberately disabling them, putting themselves at risk if a fire was to start.
"It is of major concern that fire services have been fitting smoke alarms with problems that may lead people to remove the batteries," said Matt Wrack, the union's general secretary. "That clearly puts lives at risk."
Many of the devices were fitted more than five years ago, leading to speculation that they may have become contaminated.
"If an alarm is not cleaned regularly, it will gradually become contaminated by household dust and nicotine," said a Dicon spokesman. "Contamination may lead to an increase in false alarms and shorten the nominal service life of the battery and the alarm itself."
Greater Manchester fire service, which has fitted more than 150,000 Dicon alarms, said it was aware of alarms beeping for no apparent reason, but insisted the devices retained the capacity to detect smoke.
About 200 people a month had been contacting it to report problems, while Lancashire fire service has had 500 calls a month from people complaining that alarms it had fitted had developed problems.
Dicon has launched its own investigation, but has no plans to issue a product recall. A company spokesman declined to say how many of its detectors had been fitted in the UK, although the total over the past five years is believed to run into millions.
The Dicon spokesman said, "We treat any such matters with the utmost care, diligence and attention. Should a user have a beeping alarm or any concerns relating to their alarm, they should contact their local fire service immediately. They will be able to provide advice and, if appropriate, a replacement smoke alarm. In no circumstances should the user disable or remove their smoke alarm."
But the FBU wants more effective action. "It is not good enough to replace alarms only when the public make contact and raise concerns," said Wrack.
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