Hard-wired or radio-interlinked alarms?
Hard-wired interlink or radio interlink for smoke and heat alarms? Cost, disruption and reliability compared for Welsh homes and rentals.
Both systems achieve the same requirement: when one alarm detects, they all sound. The difference is how the signal travels between them, and therefore how much of your ceiling has to come down to install them.
In a property being rewired or built, hard-wired interlink is the obvious answer. In a finished, decorated house, radio interlink usually is.
- Hard-wired: interlink cable between alarms, best during rewire or build
- Radio: mains-powered alarms that interlink by signal, minimal disruption
- Both need mains power with backup for rented properties in Wales
- Radio units need periodic checking that the link is still paired
Disruption is the deciding factor
Running interlink cable between three ceilings in a finished house means lifting floors or chasing. Radio-interlinked mains alarms need only a supply at each position, which is far easier to reach, and produce the same functional outcome.
Reliability
Modern radio interlink is reliable within a normal domestic property. Very large houses or those with substantial stone walls can need a repeater; we check signal at install rather than assuming.
What both need
Mains power with battery backup, correct siting, and a test record. Battery-only alarms do not meet the expectation for rented properties in Wales.
Common questions
Can I mix hard-wired and radio alarms?
Within a single manufacturer's compatible range, often yes. Mixing brands is not reliable.
How long do the units last?
Most alarms have a stated replacement life of around ten years from manufacture.
Will radio alarms interfere with neighbours' units?
No — units are paired to each other during commissioning.
Get a fixed price
Rented property needing alarms? We can fit them in the same visit as your EICR and hand over one set of paperwork.