Homeowner guide · Updated November 2026
Interconnected smoke alarms in QLD: wired or wireless, and which suits your home.
Interconnected smoke alarms are linked together, so when one picks up smoke, every alarm in the house goes off. In Queensland, every home needs them by 1 January 2027. You can link them with cable through the roof (wired), with radio modules (wireless), or with a mix of both. This guide compares wired and wireless interconnection in plain English, using real installs we’ve done across Brisbane’s southside, so you can pick the right setup the first time.
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- Licensed, QLD licence 90386
- Wired and wireless installs
- Price agreed before we start
An interconnected photoelectric smoke alarm on a living area ceiling in Carindale. It’s linked by radio to every other alarm in the house.
“
Had these guys come round to sort some new lighting and power points. Super easy to deal with, showed up on time, no fuss, and cleaned up after. Proper quality job, would 100% get them back again.
★★★★★ Mark J., Google review
Licensed and insured
QLD electrical contractor licence 90386.
Price agreed first
You get the full price in the quote before we start.
Wired, wireless or mixed
We fit all three, so we'll recommend what suits your roof.
The basics
How interconnected smoke alarms work
Picture a fire starting in a back bedroom at 2am while everyone’s asleep at the other end of the house. With stand-alone alarms, only the one in that room goes off, and you might not hear it through closed doors. With interconnected smoke alarms, every alarm sounds at once. That’s the whole point, and it’s why Queensland made interconnection part of the law. Here’s what you need to know before you choose a setup.
What "interconnected" means
Every alarm in the home is linked, so when one detects smoke, they all sound. It doesn't matter how they're linked, as long as they all go off together.
Wired interconnection
A thin extra cable runs between each alarm through the roof space. Older hardwired 240-volt systems often have this link already. There's no pairing, and no radio signal to drop out.
Wireless interconnection
Each alarm has a radio module, either built in or clipped into it, and they talk to each other by radio. There's no cable between alarms, so there's far less roof work.
Mixed systems
Hardwired alarms in the hallways and 10-year battery alarms in the bedrooms, all linked by radio. It's the setup we fit most, because it meets the rules without rewiring the whole roof.
Same brand, same system
Wireless alarms generally only talk to their own system, so you usually can't mix brands. If you're adding alarms to an existing linked setup, check the make on the label first.
Test one, hear them all
Press the test button on any alarm and every alarm should sound. If one stays quiet, it isn't linked properly, and the house isn't compliant.
Hardwired alarms? Keep them hardwired
If your home already has 240-volt smoke alarms, the replacements must be hardwired too. You can't swap them for battery alarms, but you can link them wirelessly. Hardwired work needs a licensed electrician.
Wired vs wireless
Wired vs wireless interconnected smoke alarms: which is better?
Written and reviewed by MJ, licensed electrician at M-Tech, QLD electrical contractor licence 90386. Rules checked against the Queensland Fire Department smoke alarm FAQ, last updated 28 October 2026. Updated November 2026.
Neither one wins in every home. It comes down to what’s already on your ceiling, how easy your roof is to get into, and how many alarms you need. Here’s how we decide on a typical southside job. Either way, you get one fixed price before we start.
1
Easy roof access, existing 240-volt alarms
Wired interconnection makes sense here. If the old alarms already have an interconnect cable, new hardwired photoelectric alarms go straight onto it. Where a bedroom needs a new alarm and there’s room to run cable, we wire that one in too.
2
Low roof or raked ceilings
Wireless is the practical choice. Plenty of southside Queenslanders and post-war homes have tight roof spaces or raked ceilings, where running cable to every alarm means hours of crawling. Radio modules link them without the cable.
3
Two storeys, slabs or units
Running cable between floors, or through the concrete in a unit block, is slow work and often not possible. A wireless or mixed setup covers every level and every bedroom without it. For a unit in West End, we replaced the two hardwired alarms and added two 10-year battery alarms for the bedrooms, with no new cable runs.
Do interconnected smoke alarms need to be hardwired in Queensland?
No, not in every home. According to the Queensland Fire Department, each alarm can be hardwired or run on a 10-year non-removable battery, and the link between them can be wired, wireless or both. There are two catches. If your home already has hardwired alarms, they must be replaced with hardwired ones. And new homes and major renovations need hardwired alarms.
Interconnected smoke alarm installs from our job records
Every one of these homes ended up with all its alarms linked, but they didn’t all use the same setup. We keep the street and the customer private.
Wired, wireless and mixed installs, in photos
How it works
How we install interconnected smoke alarms
01
Tell us what's up now
Send us how many bedrooms and storeys you have, plus a photo of one alarm and its label. That tells us if it’s hardwired and what make it is.
02
We pick the right link
Wired, wireless or mixed, based on your roof, your current alarms and the layout. Then you get one fixed price.
03
Install and pair
We fit each alarm in a compliant spot, connect the hardwired ones, and pair the wireless ones into one system.
04
Test every link
We set off each alarm in turn to prove the rest respond, then send you a certificate for your records.
Choosing
What to check before you choose interconnected smoke alarms
Four things decide which interconnected setup suits your home. Check these and you’ll have a fair idea of what you need before anyone quotes.
What's on the ceiling now
Look at your current alarms. If they’re wired into the ceiling on a plug-in base, they’re 240-volt, and the new ones must be hardwired too. The label on the back shows the make and the date.
Check for
- A date more than 10 years ago
- “Ionisation” or a radiation symbol on the label
- An alarm that stays quiet when another is tested
Your roof space
Wired links need someone to reach the top of every alarm. A high roof with a good manhole makes that easy. A low roof, raked ceilings or a second storey make wireless the better option.
Check for
- Where the manhole is
- Raked or sloped ceilings
- A second storey, or concrete between floors
How many alarms you need
One in every bedroom, one in the hallways that connect bedrooms to the rest of the home, and at least one on every storey. Count those up and you have your rough number. It’s usually more than people expect.
Check for
- A bedroom with no alarm inside
- A hallway outside each group of bedrooms
- A downstairs level with no alarm
Battery life
Battery alarms in a linked system usually run on a sealed 10-year lithium battery. It can’t be changed, so the whole alarm gets replaced at the end of its life. Hardwired alarms run on mains power, with a backup battery for blackouts.
Check for
- The expiry date on each battery alarm
- A chirp every minute or so (often end of life)
- Alarms fitted at different times
Good to know
Can I link my existing smoke alarms together?
Sometimes. If they’re photoelectric, under 10 years old and part of a system that supports interconnection, matching radio modules or alarms can link them. If they’re ionisation, older than 10 years, or a mix of brands, replacing them as one system is simpler and often costs less.
Can I install wireless interconnected alarms myself?
Yes, if they’re 10-year battery alarms, because those don’t need an electrician. Pair them by following the maker’s instructions, then check that every alarm sounds. Anything that connects to 240 volts is a job for a licensed electrician.
Does Bluetooth mean interconnected?
Not on its own. Some alarms use Bluetooth to talk to a phone app for testing and alerts, which is handy, but that’s a different thing to the alarms being linked to each other. Check the alarms interconnect, then test them after install.
At a glance
- Required: every alarm interconnected by 1 January 2027.
- Wired: cable between alarms, no pairing.
- Wireless: radio modules, little or no roof work.
- Mixed: hardwired and 10-year battery alarms linked by radio.
- Rule: hardwired alarms are replaced with hardwired.
- Installer: a licensed electrician for 240-volt work. Ours is QLD licence 90386.
Speed up your quote
- How many bedrooms and storeys you have
- A photo of one alarm and its label
- Whether you have raked ceilings or a second storey
Related services
Often done on the same visit.
Lighting installation
New lights, switches and dimmers, fitted while we’re there.
Safety switch installation
Safety switches on every circuit, then trip-time tested before we leave.
Downlight installation
LED downlights and bathroom fans, fitted while we’re already in the roof.
Switchboard upgrades
When the old board has no room left for new circuits, or still runs on ceramic fuses.
Smoke alarm service and install
Same visit, same electrician. Hardwired, interconnected smoke alarms, done while we’re there.
Electrical fault finding
Power point dead or sparking? We find the fault before anything is replaced.
Renovation electrical
Kitchen or bathroom reno? We work to your builder’s rough-in and fit-off timing.
Residential electrician
One licensed team for every electrical job in your home, so you only make one call.
Why M-Tech
Why Brisbane homeowners book M-Tech.
We’re a small Brisbane team, so the electrician who turns up actually cares how the job ends. No call centre, no jargon, no upsell.
- Southside local. We install smoke alarms across Brisbane’s southside, from Carindale to Tarragindi.
- Price first. You approve one clear price before we start, with no add-ons on the day.
- Careful in older homes. We protect floors and furniture, then clean up before we go.
- Tested every time. We test every repair and install before we leave.
- Licensed and insured. We hold QLD electrical contractor licence 90386.
Google reviews
Rated 5.0 by 52 Brisbane customers
Where we work
Interconnected smoke alarms across Brisbane's southside
We fit interconnected smoke alarms in homes across Brisbane’s southside and inner east, including Mount Gravatt, Camp Hill, Carindale, Holland Park and Annerley. For the full rules, read our 2027 smoke alarm guide. Further afield? See all our service areas, or give us a call.
Inner east and riverside
Most days start in the inner east, around Norman Park, Bulimba and Cannon Hill.
Inner south
Coorparoo, Camp Hill and Carindale are regular stops between jobs, and so are Holland Park and Annerley.
South and south-east
We also head south through Mount Gravatt and Rochedale to Springwood.
Good to know
Interconnected smoke alarm FAQs
Something specific? Call 1800 549 545 and ask an electrician.
Do smoke alarms have to be interconnected in Queensland?
Yes. By 1 January 2027, every Queensland home needs interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms, so when one sounds, they all sound. Homes being sold or leased already need them.
Are wireless interconnected smoke alarms allowed in QLD?
Yes. The QFD allows alarms to be linked by cable, by wireless, or by a mix of both. What matters is that every alarm sounds when one is triggered.
Which is better, wired or wireless interconnected smoke alarms?
Wired links don’t need pairing and can’t lose signal, but they need cable through the roof. Wireless is quicker and suits low roofs, raked ceilings and two-storey homes. Most homes we do end up with a mix.
Can I mix hardwired and battery smoke alarms?
Yes, as long as they’re all linked. A common setup is hardwired alarms with radio modules in the hallways, plus 10-year battery alarms in the bedrooms. They usually need to be the same brand and system to talk to each other.
Do I have to replace hardwired alarms with hardwired ones?
Yes. If your home already has 240-volt smoke alarms, the replacements must be hardwired too. You can still link them wirelessly.
Can different brands of wireless smoke alarms talk to each other?
Generally no. Each brand uses its own radio system, so a different brand usually won’t link. If you’re adding to an existing system, check the make on the label first, or send us a photo.
How do I test interconnected smoke alarms?
Press and hold the test button on one alarm. Every alarm in the house should sound within a few seconds. Start from a different alarm each time. If one stays quiet, it needs re-pairing or checking.
Why are all my smoke alarms going off at once?
Because they’re interconnected, one alarm sensing smoke or steam sets off the rest. Most brands show which alarm started it with a different light. Our guide to a smoke alarm beeping or chirping covers the usual causes.
Who can install hardwired interconnected smoke alarms?
Only a licensed electrician, because they connect to 240-volt mains power. M-Tech holds QLD electrical contractor licence 90386.
Do I get a certificate after the install?
Yes. We test every alarm and every link, then send you a certificate for your records. The QFD says a certificate isn’t a legal requirement, but it’s handy to have if you sell or lease later.
Book your upgrade
Get every alarm linked before 1 January 2027.
Leave a few quick details, and we’ll call to talk through wired or wireless and book a time. A photo of one of your alarms helps. Monday to Friday.
Or email admin@mtechelectricalqld.com.au
What happens next
- We call you back, usually the same working day
- Then we confirm what’s needed and book a time
- You approve the price before we start
“Excellent service from M-Tech Electrical Solutions! MJ attended and quickly diagnosed the issue with our safety switch.” ★★★★★ Michael B., Google review
Get a free quote
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5.0★★★★★ from 52 Google reviews
Licensed and insured, QLD electrical contractor licence 90386