Smoke Alarm Installation Geelong
Hard-wired and interconnected smoke alarms for home owners across Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast, by CabledIN
Smoke alarm installation in Geelong by CabledIN Electrical Solutions covers new hard-wired alarms, replacing alarms that have reached ten years old, interconnecting alarms so they all sound together, and testing the alarms you already have.
Our licensed electricians (REC 30925), based in North Geelong, fit photoelectric alarms that comply with AS 3786 in homes across greater Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, the Surf Coast, Golden Plains and Werribee, and give you a Certificate of Electrical Safety for hard-wired work.
Most homes are finished in one visit. We price the job once we know the home.
- Replace every
- 10 years, hard-wired or battery
- Hard-wired alarms
- Must be installed by a licensed electrician
- Alarm checks
- Each alarm tested and its age checked, with a written record
- Who does it
- Licensed electricians, REC 30925
Smoke alarm installation in Geelong homes: what we do
Smoke alarms are steady work for us. Since our job records began in March 2026, CabledIN has completed more than 100 smoke alarm jobs, most often in Leopold and Lara, then Ocean Grove, Bannockburn and Armstrong Creek. More than 70 of them involved hard-wired or interconnected alarms. The jobs fall into a few groups:
- Replacing expired alarms. Every alarm should be replaced every ten years, even if it still beeps when you press the button. The date printed on the alarm is the easiest way to check its age.
- New hard-wired alarms. We run cable from a suitable circuit, fit the alarm base to the ceiling and connect a 240 V alarm with a backup battery.
- Interconnecting alarms. When one alarm senses smoke, every alarm in the house sounds. This can be done with cable or with wireless interconnect bases.
- Fixing alarms that chirp or go off for no reason. We find out whether it is the backup battery, dust, the position of the alarm or simply age.
- Checking the alarms you have. We test each alarm, check its age and give you a written record. Owners of rented homes book the same check.
Victorian smoke alarm rules in plain English
What your home needs depends on when it was built.
| Your home | What the rules require |
|---|---|
| Any Victorian home | Smoke alarms that comply with AS 3786 must be installed |
| Built before 1 August 1997 | Battery-powered alarms are the legal minimum |
| Built after 1 August 1997 | 240 V mains-powered alarms with a backup battery |
| Built or largely renovated after 1 May 2014, with more than one alarm | The alarms must be interconnected |
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) sets out the legal minimum for placement: an alarm between each sleeping area and the rest of the house, and at least one on every level. Victoria's fire services recommend going further, with an alarm in every bedroom, hallway and living area. Alarms are not needed in kitchens, bathrooms or laundries, where steam and cooking set them off.
Hard-wired 240 V alarms must be installed and replaced by a licensed electrician. Anyone can change a backup battery. Our guide explains why the wiring side is never a home job: is DIY electrical work legal in Victoria?
For the full detail, including how a renovation or extension can change which rule applies, read our guide to smoke alarm rules in Victoria.
Talk to a licensed Geelong electrician (REC 30925).
Smoke alarms in units and townhouses
The smoke alarm rules cover every kind of home. The Victorian Government says smoke alarms that comply with AS 3786 must be installed in all Victorian homes, and the Country Fire Authority (CFA) says they are required in all homes in Victoria, including caravans. In a unit or townhouse, the layout is what changes the answer:
- Townhouses on two or more levels. FRV says that by law at least one smoke alarm must be installed on each level. A townhouse with bedrooms upstairs and the living area downstairs needs an alarm on both floors, as well as one between the bedrooms and the rest of the home.
- Single-level units. The law requires an alarm between each sleeping area and the rest of the home. The CFA says this is normally the hallway outside the bedrooms.
- The build date still decides the type. A unit or townhouse built after 1 August 1997 must have 240 V hard-wired alarms with a backup battery. One built or largely renovated after 1 May 2014 that needs more than one alarm must have them interconnected, so that when one sounds, they all sound.
- Linking alarms across floors. Where running cable between floors is not practical, alarms can be linked wirelessly. FRV describes wireless interconnection, where one alarm sounding sets off the others.
Tell us the age and layout of the home when you book, and we will tell you what it needs before any work starts.
Which type of smoke alarm is right for your home?
Fire services recommend photoelectric alarms, and that is what we fit. Within that there are three common choices:
- 240 V alarm with a replaceable backup battery. The standard hard-wired alarm. The backup battery should be changed each year.
- 240 V alarm with a sealed ten-year lithium backup battery. No yearly battery change. The whole alarm is replaced at ten years.
- Stand-alone alarm with a sealed ten-year lithium battery. Suits older homes where battery alarms are the legal minimum, or rooms where running a cable is not practical.
If your home was built before 1 August 1997 you are not required to move to hard-wired alarms, but FRV says it is best to replace them with hard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms, and many owners do it when the alarms are due anyway. A mains-powered, interconnected set means a fire at one end of the house wakes people at the other end.
What happens on the day
- Walk through. We check how many alarms you have, where they are, how old they are and how they are powered.
- Agree the plan. We tell you what the rules require for your home, what the fire services recommend beyond that, and the price for each option before any work starts.
- Install. Old alarms come down, new bases go up and the alarms are connected. If we add alarms, we run the cable through the roof space where we can. Power to that circuit is off for a short time while we connect.
- Test. Each alarm is tested, and on an interconnected set we confirm that triggering one alarm sounds them all.
- Show you how it works. We show you the test and hush buttons and where the replace-by date is printed.
- Paperwork. Hard-wired work is electrical installation work, so you receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what is happening and we will talk it through.
Smoke alarm checks for rented homes
Owners and property managers book us to check the smoke alarms in homes they rent out. We arrange a time with the household, test each alarm according to the manufacturer's instructions, check its age and position, and leave a written record of what we found. An alarm that fails its test or has reached ten years old is priced for replacement, and nothing is replaced until the owner approves the price.
Many owners book the alarm check together with an electrical safety inspection, so the property is visited once.
Testing and looking after your alarms
The CFA's smoke alarm maintenance advice is simple:
- Test each alarm every month by pressing the test button and waiting for it to beep.
- Dust and clean each alarm once a year. Dust and cobwebs can build up and stop an alarm working properly.
- Replace 9 V batteries every year.
- Replace every alarm at ten years.
Smoke alarm battery replacement
A smoke alarm runs on one of two kinds of battery. A replaceable 9 V battery, in a battery alarm or as the backup in a hard-wired alarm, should be changed every year, and anyone can change it. A 10-year long-life lithium battery is sealed inside the alarm and is never changed: the CFA says these batteries last 10 years and the whole alarm is replaced after 10 years. Fire Rescue Victoria notes that the yearly battery advice does not apply to a 10-year long-life battery alarm.
FRV says a single, occasional beep means the battery needs changing, or the alarm may be faulty and need replacing. If a hard-wired alarm keeps chirping after a new battery, or sounds for no reason, it needs an electrician. If smoke alarms are sounding out of hours and you cannot stop them, our 24/7 emergency electricians answer the phone around the clock.
Why choose CabledIN for your smoke alarms
- CabledIN Electrical Solutions: licensed Victorian Registered Electrical Contractor, REC 30925
- Family owned, more than 20 years in the trade, based in North Geelong
- Lifetime workmanship warranty
- 2,000+ five-star Google reviews
- A Certificate of Electrical Safety for hard-wired alarm work
- Open 24 hours, 7 days, with 24/7 emergency call-outs on 1300 025 555
Recent smoke alarm jobs around Geelong
Alarm replacements and new hard-wired installs from our own jobs.
What customers say
Angelo came to do a smoke alarm check, he was right on time and super efficient. He was super friendly and helpful, loved the service
James, Google review
Daniel did a fantastic job checking our smoke alarm. He was professional, friendly, punctual, and explained everything clearly. He checked the alarm thoroughly and made sure everything was working properly. Really happy with his service and would definitely recommend Daniel to anyone looking for a reliable electrician. Great work!
Syed, Google review
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an electrician to install or replace a smoke alarm?
For a hard-wired 240 V smoke alarm, yes. In Victoria, hard-wired smoke alarms must be installed and replaced by a licensed electrician, even when the new alarm goes in the same position, and you receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety for the work. Anyone can fit a stand-alone battery alarm or change a replaceable backup battery.
Where should smoke alarms be located in a Victorian home?
The legal minimum is between each sleeping area and the rest of the house, and on every storey. Fire services recommend an alarm in every bedroom, hallway and living area as well. They are not needed in kitchens, bathrooms or laundries.
How often should smoke alarms be replaced?
Every ten years, whether they are hard-wired or battery-powered. The CFA says smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years, and that hard-wired smoke alarms must be replaced by a licensed electrician. The manufacture or replace-by date is printed on the alarm, so check it when you test the alarm each month.
Do my smoke alarms have to be interconnected?
If your home was built or largely renovated after 1 May 2014 and needs more than one alarm, they must be interconnected. For older homes it is not required, but it is worth doing when the alarms are being replaced.
My house was built before 1997. Do I have to install hard-wired alarms?
No. Homes built before 1 August 1997 need only battery-powered smoke alarms that comply with AS 3786. Fire Rescue Victoria says it is best to replace old alarms with hard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms, or otherwise with alarms that have a tamper-proof 10-year long-life battery. Many owners choose mains-powered alarms because there is less to maintain.
Can you test the smoke alarms in my own home?
Yes. We test each alarm, check its age and position, and tell you which ones, if any, need replacing before any work is done. Between visits, the CFA says to test each alarm every month with the test button.
Can you check the smoke alarms in a home I rent out?
Yes. We arrange access with the household, test each alarm, check its age and position, and give the owner or property manager a written record. Any alarm that needs replacing is priced first, and the check can be done at the same visit as an electrical safety inspection.
Why does my smoke alarm keep chirping?
A single, occasional beep or chirp usually means the battery needs changing. Fire Rescue Victoria says it can also mean the smoke alarm is faulty and needs replacing. If a hard-wired alarm still chirps after a fresh backup battery, or the alarm is more than ten years old, have a licensed electrician check it and replace it.
Can I do smoke alarm battery replacement myself?
Yes. Changing a replaceable 9 V battery, including the backup battery in a hard-wired alarm, is not electrical work. Fire Rescue Victoria and the CFA say to replace 9 V smoke alarm batteries every year. An alarm with a sealed 10-year long-life lithium battery is different: that battery is never changed, and the whole alarm is replaced after 10 years.
Which areas do you cover for smoke alarm installation?
CabledIN Electrical Solutions covers homes across greater Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, the Surf Coast, Golden Plains and Werribee from our base in North Geelong. Since our job records began in March 2026, Leopold and Lara are where we have done the most smoke alarm jobs, followed by Ocean Grove, Bannockburn and Armstrong Creek.
How many smoke alarms does a two-storey townhouse need?
By law, at least one on each level, plus one between each sleeping area and the rest of the home. Fire services recommend alarms in every bedroom, hallway and living area as well, and we can tell you how many that means for your layout.
What do Fire Rescue Victoria and the CFA recommend beyond the law?
Both go further than the legal minimum. The CFA recommends alarms in every bedroom and living area, and Fire Rescue Victoria says that when alarms are replaced, it is best to replace them with hard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms.
Still have a question? Ask the CabledIN team.