Anooska Tucker-Evans

June 03, 2007 12:00am

Article from: FROM July 1, every domestic dwelling in Queensland will be required to have at least one battery-powered smoke alarm.

But just how much will it cost to ensure your home and family are protected in the event of a fire? The answer – not that much.

These days the life-saving devices start at a mere $8, with some top-notch varieties available for about $90.

John Arbery, of Bunnings Warehouse at Rocklea, said people can pick up a very good quality basic alarm for $20, with the new highly acclaimed photo-electric models available for about $31.95.

"A photo-electric alarm will pick up a slower-burning fire – things like electrical fires – and it's also less prone to going off through false alarm, which the old-fashioned alarms used to," he said.

While the new guidelines call for only one smoke alarm to be installed per floor of a residential building, the Queensland Fire Service recommends homes have a smoke detector in each bedroom and one in a hallway or living area.

This recommendation can still be achieved on a budget, costing homeowners less than $50 if they use a basic alarm.

Smoke detectors last on average three to five years, while the batteries should be replaced about every 12 months.

For those installing smoke detectors in a rental property, where changing the batteries isn't as easy, there are also long-life battery alarms available which last five to 10 years.

"They start costing a bit more money about $60-$70, but you don't have to worry about the alarm ever not working, and you just throw the alarm away after that," Mr Arbery said.

Queensland Fire Service inspector Tim Watkins said installing a smoke detector was the best money one could spend.

"A smoke alarm is basically the only thing you can have that will give you an early warning that there's a fire (so) when you think about what they do, they are really cheap," he said.

The Queensland Fire Service-preferred alarm is a photo-electric model, but for those who were building a new home or had a couple of hundred dollars to spare, Mr Watkins recommended an interconnected system.

"If price wasn't an option I'd be looking at something that was interconnected – having a number of alarms and having them interconnected so if one of those alarms goes off, they will all go off," he said.