There is a real trend amongst properties of old, particularly those built before 1974: poor and old wiring, various retrofits with no logical reason, lack of earthing, lack of safety and electrical overloads. Often these potentially dangerous circumstances are not apparent to home owners. It is no wonder that a third of domestic fires in France originate from electrical problems and issues.
As a company with a mission to help keep homes electrically safe, we are delighted to read across the media and official sites that it will be a legal requirement by 8th March 2015 for ALL homes to be equipped with at least one smoke detector. Currently France has only 2% of homes fitted with smoke detectors, extremely low when compared to their European neighbours.
We would suggest that you do not wait until it becomes law and consider installing a smoke detector now if one is not present in your home or homes. Smoke inhalation kills more people than fires do. Early detection can prevent loss of possessions and lives.
Consider this: A family are lying asleep in their beds upstairs in the early hours of the morning. There is a velux, the rest of the windows are rather small. A fire is smouldering on the ground floor. Smoke is silently seeping it’s way up the stairs. There is no smoke detector.
As a company with a mission to help keep homes electrically safe, we are delighted to read across the media and official sites that it will be a legal requirement by 8th March 2015 for ALL homes to be equipped with at least one smoke detector. Currently France has only 2% of homes fitted with smoke detectors, extremely low when compared to their European neighbours.
We would suggest that you do not wait until it becomes law and consider installing a smoke detector now if one is not present in your home or homes. Smoke inhalation kills more people than fires do. Early detection can prevent loss of possessions and lives.
Consider this: A family are lying asleep in their beds upstairs in the early hours of the morning. There is a velux, the rest of the windows are rather small. A fire is smouldering on the ground floor. Smoke is silently seeping it’s way up the stairs. There is no smoke detector.
Who will be responsible?
· The smoke detector will be required to be installed by the accommodation’s occupier [home owner or tenant] and will be required to comply with the norms.
· If you are the owner of holiday rentals, seasonal accommodation and furnished rentals you will be responsible for installing a smoke detector.
· If you are the occupier of unfurnished accommodation you will be responsible for installing and maintaining the smoke detector.
Smoke detector requirements?
· You will be required to install a brand that meets French standard CE EN 14604 such as the one seen in the picture.
· Advise your Insurance Company that you have installed an alarm. Once the law is in place, the lack of a smoke detector could impact your insurance.
· Regularly test your smoke alarm! There is a tendency to disengage the detector when toast is burnt and then it gets forgotten.
· The smoke detector will be required to be installed by the accommodation’s occupier [home owner or tenant] and will be required to comply with the norms.
· If you are the owner of holiday rentals, seasonal accommodation and furnished rentals you will be responsible for installing a smoke detector.
· If you are the occupier of unfurnished accommodation you will be responsible for installing and maintaining the smoke detector.
Smoke detector requirements?
· You will be required to install a brand that meets French standard CE EN 14604 such as the one seen in the picture.
· Advise your Insurance Company that you have installed an alarm. Once the law is in place, the lack of a smoke detector could impact your insurance.
· Regularly test your smoke alarm! There is a tendency to disengage the detector when toast is burnt and then it gets forgotten.
Effective protection involves the correct installation and location of the smoke detector. There are a variety of products that meet French norms and standards and if your home is without smoke detection, we will be only too pleased to deal with any questions that you have and provide the relevant solution to ensure that your home is smoke detectable.
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