A recent Home Inspection revealed what seems to be continuing confusion about Maryland’s new smoke alarm law. The law, passed in 2013, only took effect in January of this year. It strengthens the previous law and follows NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) 72 guidelines.
Since 1975 new home construction code required installation of hardwired smoke alarms and in 1990 this was amended to require battery back-up.
The current law requires ten year batteries for installations that only require batteries (pre-1975) but require hard wired alarms be replaced with the same for hardwired installations.
The photo above shows a hard wired location and the battery only alarm that was installed as a replacement. The new law requires replacement for ten year old alarms and the date indicates this alarm as current. Lack of an electrical connector and the wording “SINGLE STATION” indicates that this alarm is battery operated only and not intended for interconnection which makes it unsuitable for this location.
In short you can never replace a hard-wired interconnected smoke alarm in Maryland with a battery only device.
Realtors should be aware of this and caution their clients. It is an item that is checked on every Independent Home Inspection.
bobkenneyinspection 