--- title: "Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: what UK homes need" canonical: https://smallgoodthings.org/reviews/home/best-smoke-and-co-alarms-2026/ datePublished: 2026-10-23 --- # Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: what UK homes need Fit at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home, a heat alarm rather than a smoke alarm in the kitchen, and an audible carbon monoxide alarm in each room with a gas, oil, coal or wood-burning appliance. Every home in Scotland must have interlinked smoke and heat alarms, and rented homes in England and Wales have their own minimum rules. Sealed 10-year alarms marked to BS EN 14604 (smoke), BS 5446-2 (heat) and EN 50291 (carbon monoxide) avoid battery changes. - **Aico Ei650iRF RadioLINK+ optical smoke alarm** (Featured option, For interlinked smoke alarms without wiring) — A battery optical smoke alarm with a sealed lithium cell for its 10-year life. It links wirelessly with other Aico RadioLINK, RadioLINK+ and SmartLINK alarms, and Aico states it is Kitemarked to BS EN 14604 and compliant with Scottish legislation. - **Aico Ei630iRF RadioLINK+ heat alarm** (Featured option, For the kitchen) — A heat alarm for kitchens, where smoke alarms are prone to nuisance alarms from cooking. It has a sealed 10-year lithium cell, links wirelessly with Aico RF smoke alarms and is Kitemarked to BS 5446-2. - **Aico Ei208 carbon monoxide alarm** (Featured option, For rooms with a boiler, fire or stove) — A standalone carbon monoxide alarm with an electrochemical sensor and a sealed 10-year lithium battery. Aico lists BS EN 50291-1 and BS EN 50291-2 approvals and Kitemark KM 86596. It can be screw-fixed or free-standing. - **FireAngel FP2620W2-R Pro Connected smart smoke alarm** (Featured option, For phone alerts) — A battery smoke alarm with a sealed lithium cell for its working life. It interlinks with up to 50 FireAngel Pro Connected or Wi-Safe 2 devices, and app alerts need the separately sold Pro Connected Gateway. FireAngel states BS EN 14604 certification. - **FireAngel FA6620-R optical smoke alarm** (Featured option, For a simple standalone alarm) — A standalone optical smoke alarm with a sealed 10-year lithium battery, an 85dB(A) sounder and a quiet test mode. Its page does not say it can be interlinked, so it does not meet rules that require interlinked alarms. - **Aico Ei3016 mains optical smoke alarm** (Featured option, For mains-wired installations) — A mains-powered optical smoke alarm with a rechargeable 10-year lithium back-up cell. It interconnects by hard wiring, by radio with the separate Ei3000MRF module, or both. Mains alarms must be fitted by a qualified electrician. ## What do the rules require? The rules depend on where you live and whether you rent. - **Scotland:** every home must have interlinked fire alarms, according to the Scottish Government. Smoke and heat alarms go on the ceiling and must be interlinked. A carbon monoxide (CO) detector is needed in any room with a carbon-fuelled appliance such as a boiler or fire, but it does not need to be linked to the other alarms. Gas cookers and hobs do not need one. - **England (private rented homes):** landlords must fit at least one smoke alarm on each storey and a CO alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers. The rules do not set the type of alarm. - **Wales (rented homes):** landlords must fit a working, mains-powered, interlinked smoke alarm on every storey, and a CO alarm in any room with a gas, oil or solid fuel appliance they installed. For every home, Home Office guidance says to fit at least one smoke alarm on every level and to test smoke alarms at least monthly. It says heat alarms suit kitchens, where smoke alarms should not be placed. The NHS advises an audible CO alarm in each room with an appliance that burns gas, oil, coal or wood. ## How to choose - Standard marking: smoke alarms to BS EN 14604, heat alarms to BS 5446-2, CO alarms to EN 50291 (Scottish Government list). Look for the Kitemark or LPCB symbol. - Right alarm for the room: optical smoke alarms for hallways, landings and living areas; a heat alarm in the kitchen; a CO alarm in each room with a fuel-burning appliance. - Power: sealed 10-year lithium battery (you can fit it yourself) or mains with battery back-up (must be fitted by a qualified electrician). Rented homes in Wales need mains-powered, interlinked smoke alarms. - Interlinking: required for all homes in Scotland. Radio interlink works within a manufacturer's own system, so check the alarm lists the smoke, heat and CO models you plan to link (for example Aico RadioLINK+ or FireAngel Wi-Safe 2). - CO alarms should be audible (the NHS advises one that makes a loud sound) and placed following the manufacturer's instructions for the specific model. - Check the replacement date: 10-year alarms are replaced as a whole unit, not re-batteried. - App alerts are optional extras. Some systems need a separately sold gateway for phone notifications. ## Before you buy anything If you rent, your landlord has to provide the alarms: in England, at least one smoke alarm on each storey and a CO alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance (gas cookers excluded); in Scotland, the property owner must meet the interlinked alarm standard; in Wales, mains-powered interlinked smoke alarms on every storey and CO alarms where the landlord installed a fuel-burning appliance. Ask your landlord before buying. Fire and rescue services also offer free home fire safety visits: the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service books visits on 0800 0731 999 and fits interlinked alarms for owner-occupiers assessed as high risk, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue offers free visits to vulnerable people, and Home Office guidance says local services 'will be happy to install them for you' if fitting alarms is difficult. If your existing alarms are within their stated life and pass the test button, you only need to keep testing them. ## Specifications at a glance Specifications are quoted from each manufacturer's page, checked on 23 October 2026. Follow the instructions for the exact model when fitting and placing an alarm. | Alarm | Type | Power | Interlinking | Standard stated by the maker | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Aico Ei650iRF RadioLINK+ optical smoke alarm](https://www.aico.co.uk/product/ei650irf-radiolink-battery-optical-alarm/) | Optical smoke | Sealed 10-year lithium battery | Wireless, Aico RadioLINK/SmartLINK | BS EN 14604 (Kitemark) | | [Aico Ei630iRF RadioLINK+ heat alarm](https://www.aico.co.uk/product/ei630irf-battery-heat-alarm/) | Heat | Sealed 10-year lithium cell | Wireless, Aico RadioLINK/SmartLINK | BS 5446-2 (Kitemark) | | [Aico Ei208 carbon monoxide alarm](https://www.aico.co.uk/product/ei208-battery-co-alarm/) | Carbon monoxide | Sealed 10-year lithium battery | Standalone | BS EN 50291-1 and -2 (Kitemark KM 86596) | | [FireAngel FP2620W2-R Pro Connected smart smoke alarm](https://www.fireangel.co.uk/products/fp2620w2-r-smart-smoke-alarm/) | Smoke (optical with thermal sensing) | Sealed lithium battery for its working life | Wireless, up to 50 FireAngel devices | BS EN 14604 | | [FireAngel FA6620-R optical smoke alarm](https://www.fireangel.co.uk/products/fa6620-r-optical-smoke-alarm/) | Optical smoke | Sealed 10-year lithium battery | Not stated on its page | EN 14604 | | [Aico Ei3016 mains optical smoke alarm](https://www.aico.co.uk/product/ei3016-optical-smoke-alarm/) | Optical smoke | Mains, with 10-year rechargeable back-up | Hard-wired, or radio with Ei3000MRF module | BS EN 14604 | Method: Manufacturer product pages and official guidance from the Scottish, UK and Welsh governments, fire and rescue services and the NHS checked on 23 October 2026. We compare documented specifications and legal requirements. We have not tested these alarms or verified current Amazon listings, sellers, stock or prices. Hands-on: no — research-based