In NH do fire alarms need to be interconnected between Apts?

Question

Do fire alarms need to be interconnected between all the apartments in a 3 unit building basically if apartment one sets the alarm off it rings in two and three? Or just interconnected alarms in each unit where if it goes off in apartment one it just rings all the alarms in apartment 1.

Ann Bellamy · Answer

The Fire inspector told me I had to have both smokes AND CO in all units, regardless of number of units in the building.

Since I had just bought 2 buildings with unknown age of detectors, and my other buildings had aging detectors, some more than 10 years, I think, I bit the bullet and bought all new smoke/CO combinations for all units.  Cost a bundle, bought them on Amazon, ebay, and 3-paks in Home Depot.

I don't like plug in or battery powered because the tenants will remove them.

It will cost me a bundle again in 10 years, but no doubt codes will have changed again.

Joseph Theriault · Answer

No existing wiring between the units. Fire department is insisting. But the code is not clear and was out buying stuff today.

Craig Macdonald · Answer

Is anybody insisting that you have them installed? Or are you just planning for later on down the road?   Is there any existing wiring between the units already?

Joseph Theriault · Answer

@Craig Macdonald  they are acceptable here in NH. I put them in another building but it was pretty expensive to do. I was hoping to use some of the existing hard wired detectors I have in each unit and hard wire the rest the Fire code is asking for. If not that is alot of wireless. The wireless still need to be hard wired here.

Craig Macdonald · Answer

Hi Joseph, I'm an electrician in MA, I'm 99% sure that the building code states (in NH) that each unit must be interconnected to one another, common practice would be to install a heat detector in each unit and also in any common hallways or basements. The problem is that they should be powered from the "house" panel instead of any one of the units. If this is an existing building, I would suggest looking into detectors that can be interconnected wirelessly (they are pretty new, I think first alert is a brand that has them) also you would have to check with the local building inspector to see if they are acceptable.