Photoelectric fire alarms required in vans & motorhomes registered and transferred in Qld from July 1, 2024
From July 1, 2024, all caravans and motorhomes undergoing a new registration or a transfer in Queensland must have a compliant photoelectric smoke alarm installed by law–with all registered caravans and motorhomes following suit by January 1, 2027.
All alarms to activate together
According to the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website, all fitted smoke alarms under the new laws must be (a) photoelectric and (b) comply with the Standard, which includes being marked AS3786-2014.
All smoke alarms installed within the van will also need to be ‘interconnected’, which means when one is triggered, all alarms will activate together–either wirelessly or by being hardwired together.
Power Requirements
Compliant smoke alarms may either be hardwired (e.g. 240V) to the mains power supply with a secondary power source (i.e. a non-removable 10-year battery), or be powered by 10-year non-removable battery.
Fire alarms fitted with ionisation sensors do not comply with the new legislation as photoelectric sensors are superior at detecting smouldering fire, the most common household fire.
Know the Difference
As such, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services advises against buying smoke alarms fitted with this symbol as they are not photoelectric and will not cover you under the law.
