Mains Powered Radio-Interlinked Optical Smoke Alarm with Alkaline Back-up Battery - Ei146RF

The table below shows all the units that can interconnect with the EI168RC/Ei146RC.

Technical Data

This is the technical data for the Mains Powered Radio-Interlinked Optical Smoke Alarm with Alkaline Back-up Battery - Ei146RF.

Q. For mains powered Aico smoke and heat alarms, when the electricity supply fails and the back up battery takes over, please can you tell me how long the battery will last in this situation?

A. For mains powered Aico alarms with a new, fully charged lithium back up battery, the battery would last approx. 3-6 months without a mains supply. For mains powered Aico alarms with a standard alkaline back up battery, the battery would last up to a year without mains supply. If the alarm has been installed with an Ei168RC radio frequency base, please note that the Ei168RC back up battery would last approx 2 months if the power fails.

Q. Please could you explain how the repeater function works on the Aico/Ei radio interlinked detectors.

A. Hello. The radioLINK repeater function allows the smoke alarm to "repeat" the radio frequency signal around obstructions. This stops the signal from becoming blocked and ensures that all interlinked alarms can be reached. This repeater function is built-in to the the Ei168RC radioLINK base (with Ei140, Ei160 or Ei2110 alarm), the Ei600 series of radio interlinked battery powered smoke and heat alarms as well as the Ei262 and Ei208WRF carbon monoxide alarms as standard. When house coded, the system works itself out which alarms are to act as repeaters - it's not something you set up yourself.

Q. I have added an Ei168RC164RC wireless linked heat detector to my garage some time after the installation of various other wireless Ei160 detectors in the house. What do I have to do to get the system to recognise the new detector please?

A. To get the Ei168RC164RC to communicate with the existing alarms, you would need to housecode all the units again. Press the housecode button on the new Ei168RC base and on each of the existing units.

Q. How do you wire in the Ei140/Ei160 series of smoke alarms?

A. To wire the units correctly you would use 2 core and earth cable to the first unit and 3 core and earth to the interconnected units. The alarms do not have to be earthed but a brass screw connector is provided so that the earth can be safety terminated.

Q. Do the Ei168RC/146 optical Smoke alarms conform to UK building regulations for a loft installation?

A. The Ei140 series mains powered radio-interlinked smoke detectors conform to BS5839 part 6 Grade D standard. Grade D refers to a system incorporating mains powered detectors that are interconnected by wire or radio-signal. For a loft conversion, it is common that you have to conform to a Grade D standard. It is always advisable to check which grade alarm your Building Inspector has specified.