I was looking to replace old Eterna and Garvan brand ionisation smoke alarms that kept going off at night (they were 7 years past their expiry date).
I was specifically looking to get the same functionality as my old alarms; mains operation with batteries as a backup only, so the 3-5 quid alarms from dealz were out of question.
Given I had the interconnect wire running in the ceiling already, I figured I would need a brand that offers heat alarms also so that interconnect will work for all of them.
Hence my choice, this was the only manufacturer in Ireland meeting all the criteria.
The packaging is OK, the boxes are all packed neatly with everything neccessary.
The printing on the boxes is a bit weird, the sometimes varying font styles and sizes, as well as missing spaces have an aliexpress feel to it but it's not that bad.
The manual however is written in proper English, though more instructions on installation could've been included.
For example, it would be useful to know that the two largest holes on the mounting bracket must fully be cut from the ceiling or wall in order for the connectors to have sufficient space when twisting them on - you only realize this when trying to mount them and everything's connected already.
Coming with each alarm are two drywall (?) screws, M3 or so thread diameter along with their corresponding red plug.
To some people, the manual may also be of help if it mentioned which of the numerous of holes it is intending to **** the supplied screws into.
Given the amount of force needed to disengage the pin from the notch then twist the smoke alarm off its mounts, the two screws of this size felt and were proven to be inadequate.
On top of the supplied screws I used my old M4x32mm drywall screws also. For 4 of my 5 alarms (1 heat 4 smoke), this setup held up somewhat well, though the new alarms required somewhat smaller holes, so I've still got some patching to do.
Included in the box are TCbest brand batteries. 9V batteries usually expire 4-5 years after the mfg date, these expire 2025, meaning they've been sitting in a warehouse for about 2-3 years.
Not a huge deal but I ended up using new, brand batteries instead.
The connectors were quite similar to my old alarms from ~2005, but they weren't compatible as the new alarms mains connector was separate from the battery cover.
Speaking of, the battery cover doesn't feel very secure snapping into place. Even though the cover has no chance of opening once mounted, a misaligned battery cover will prevent installation, while pressing hard on the alarm BODY when trying to align it WILL test your alarm.
Be prepared with ear plugs.
The bare end of the supplied connectors has an about 7mm long exposed part, twisted and tinned. A few mils short for WAGO 222 and 221s which need 10 and 11 mms respectively.
Good to have adjustable crimping pliers, too to remove insulation from cables without damaging them.
I tested the 4 heat alarms on battery prior to installation using the SDT spray from RS-online, and using an incandescent lamp for the heat alarms.
All worked fine within the first two sprays (they need to alert within three tries to meet the spec.), which is good, given I've heard of other alarms not working out of the box.
One of the four smoke alarms makes a different sound when alerting, as well as when testing using the button.
I'm not sure why.
Finally, there is a nice little reusable cover over the alarms out of the box to prevent contamination while painting, etc. This is extremely useful when you for instance solder inside and want to "deactivate" the alarm momentarily.
The model number is GTA-269. It would be useful to mention this in the title or product description to clarify this is indeed the same alarm others are selling with a 5-10 euro markup each.
I bought here as this is where I could find both the smoke and heat alarms in one shop for the cheapest, including shipping.
The courier delivered my package to the wrong address initially but the shop hasn't got much to do with that. Eventually I got my package from a neighbour.
