Purchased a smoke alarm from Electrical Embassy?

Smoke Alarm
Maintenance Guide

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What to do when your alarm sounds

What to do when your alarm sounds

1
Stay calm and check for visible smoke near the alarming unit.
2
Check your wall controller display to identify which alarm triggered the alert.
3
If smoke or fire is confirmed, evacuate immediately and call 000.
4
If it is a nuisance alarm (cooking, steam, dust), press Hush on the wall controller to silence the system. Then immediately vacuum the alarm vents and apply surface insect spray around the unit. An insect in the sensing chamber may be the cause.
5
Once the air clears, the system will automatically re-arm and return to monitoring.
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Smoke alarms are essential life-safety devices in every home.

In South East Queensland, insects and dust are the primary causes of nuisance alarms and sensor failure.

The following maintenance schedule is not optional — it is the minimum required to keep your system operating as intended and to maintain your manufacturer's warranty.

Your Maintenance Obligations

Every 3 months

Vacuum alarm vents

Use a soft brush attachment. Remove dust and debris from all vent openings.

Every 3 months

Apply surface insect spray

Spray around the perimeter of each alarm unit. Insects entering the sensing chamber are a leading cause of false alarms.

Monthly

Test via wall controller

Press the Test button on your wall controller to confirm all alarms sound and the wireless network is functioning.

10 years

Full unit replacement

Smoke alarm sensors degrade over time. All units must be replaced at the 10-year mark regardless of apparent condition.

⚠️ Important: Insects entering the sensing chamber are the single most common cause of nuisance alarms in South East Queensland. A vacuum and perimeter insect spray every three months is your most effective defence. If you experience a nuisance alarm, vacuum and spray immediately — do not wait for your next scheduled maintenance.

Manufacturer Warranty & Support

Your Red Smoke Alarm units carry a 10-year manufacturer's warranty. If you have maintained your system as outlined on this page — regular vacuuming, insect spray, and monthly testing — and an alarm continues to cause persistent problems, contact Red Smoke Alarms directly for warranty support. Please retain your installation documentation as proof of purchase.

If an alarm is activating without an obvious cause, Red Smoke Alarms provide a dedicated troubleshooting guide to assist you.

Do not contact Electrical Embassy for alarm troubleshooting — Red Smoke Alarms are the manufacturer and your warranty support contact.

Troubleshooting Guide →

CALL RED SMOKE ALARMS: 1300 316 552

A white smoke alarm controller with a red label at the top, icons for fire and alert, and buttons labeled 'TEST/SILENCE' and 'LOCATE'.
wall controller new

Your Wall Controller

Silence / Hush

Press once to silence a nuisance alarm (e.g. cooking smoke). The system will automatically re-arm within a few minutes.

Test

Hold to trigger a full system test. All interconnected alarms will sound to confirm correct operation.

Locate

Identifies which individual alarm initiated the alert — useful when an alarm sounds in a large or multi-level home.

Please be patient after pressing any button. Your alarms communicate via a radio frequency polling signal.

After pressing an action on the controller, allow up to 60 seconds for the command to be received and carried out across all units. Do not press the button repeatedly — the signal has been sent.

About your system

Electrical Embassy installs one smoke alarm model across all jobs: the Red Smoke Alarms Professional Series photoelectric alarm.

We do not use consumer-grade or builder-supplied units. Understanding what you have helps you maintain it correctly.

red smoke alarms maintenance

240V Hardwired

Powered directly from your home's electrical circuit with a sealed 10-year battery backup built in. In the event of a power outage, your system continues to protect you without interruption.

10-Year Sealed Battery

The built-in battery is sealed, warranted, and rated for the full 10-year life of the unit. There is no battery maintenance or replacement required for the life of your alarm.

RF Wireless Interconnect

Each unit has a built-in radio frequency module — not hardwired cable. This eliminates electrical interference and ensures reliable communication across the system.

A man with short gray hair, wearing an orange work shirt, is standing beside an open door and smiling at the camera while holding a white device in his right hand. There is a table with various tools and electronic items in front of him, and the interior of a house is visible in the background.
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  • ✓ Professional range only. We exclusively specify the Red Smoke Alarms Professional Series — not consumer-grade or builder-supplied units.
  • ✓ RF wireless interconnection. Each unit contains a dedicated radio frequency module. Alarms are not linked by hardwired cable, which eliminates electrical interference as a cause of nuisance alarms.
  • ✓ Wall controller on every job. Every system includes a wall-mounted controller so you can test, silence, and locate alarms without reaching ceiling units.
  • ✓ No battery maintenance required. The sealed 10-year battery is warranted for the full life of the unit. Battery replacement is not your responsibility.
This page has been provided to you as the property owner or occupant because you are responsible for the ongoing maintenance of your smoke alarm system. A smoke alarm that is not regularly maintained will not perform reliably — and may not perform at all when it matters most. Please read this page carefully and save it for reference.