Make sure you, and everyone in your home, know the fire plan for your building and where fire alarms and fire exits are. As with all buildings, you should plan and practise an escape route.

If you can’t open the window break the glass in the bottom corner. Make jagged edges safe with a towel or blanket. What to do if your clothes catch fire

Interlinked smoke alarms will use the same optical or ionisation technology mentioned above, so, they're not a type of alarm in their own right. The new law was introduced following the Grenfell fire in 2017, and its implementation has been delayed by a year because of the Covid pandemic.

An extension lead or adaptor will have a limit to how many amps it can take, so be careful not to overload them to reduce the risk of a fire. You’re around 8 times more likely to die in a fire if you do not have a working smoke alarm in your home. It is easy to get confused in smoke, so count how many doors you need to go through to reach the stairs. Smoke particles change the balance of the current. When this happens a signal is sent to the integrated circuit and the alarm sounds. Some smart models sound an alarm on your smartphone and through the alarm itself when triggered – this is the most helpful kind of smart alarm.Their distinguishing feature is the fact that they can be linked to other alarms, both heat and smoke alarms, so that when one senses danger they all sound. Wireless devices communicate with each other and other devices without the use of connecting wires. This can be through interlinking by radio or through wi-fi.

Interlinked smoke and heat alarms will need to be mains powered or come with a sealed battery rather than with replaceable batteries. Where should I place smoke alarms? Pros: Good for bedrooms, landings and hallways, and near to kitchens as they aren’t as prone to false alarms from cooking. For the minimum level of protection, you need at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home. But a smoke alarm in every room (apart from the bathroom) will provide the greatest level of protection. Interlinking when one alarm goes off, all the connected detectors are activated. This can be particularly useful in a larger house.Follow the manufacturer’s instructions – smoke alarms need very little maintenance. A few minutes of your time during the year will ensure that your alarm is working and could help save your life and the lives of your family. You should: We recommend you buy your smoke alarms from a reputable company such as Safelincs who are able to cater for all your fire safety needs with their extensive range of products. Remember: Homes that have a fuel burning appliance, such as a boiler, an open fire or a log burner will also need to have a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm installed in the room the appliance is in, but the CO alarm doesn’t need to be interlinked. If you own a Nest smoke and CO alarm, you will be able to continue to use it but it will need to be in addition to interlinked smoke and heat alarms. Installation takes less than five minutes and when you need to take your smoke alarm down to change the battery, simply peel it off.

For maximum protection an alarm should be fitted in every room (except bathrooms) You should choose the type most suited to the risk in each room. For minimum protection the number to be fitted will depend on the type of home you live in: As smoke enters, the infrared light is scattered onto the photodiode light receptor, triggering an alarm. They detect the larger smoke particles from slower smouldering fires. Now that the alarms law has changed in Scotland, you'll need to install interlinked heat and smoke alarms in your home.Write on the smoke alarm itself the day that it was installed, and the date that it, or the battery, should be replaced Buying a smoke alarm could help save your home and the lives of you and your family. What are smoke alarms? So now you know how to fit a smoke alarm without drilling, go ahead and make sure you've got one installed in your home. And if you know an older person who may have difficulty installing a fire alarm themselves, pop round and help them fit one.