You have three minutes
to get out.

Yes — Ontario Building Code requires hardwired, interconnected smoke alarms in all new construction and major renovations. Existing homes built before 1991 may have battery-only alarms; insurance and resale increasingly require hardwired upgrades.

Hardwired alarms run on house power with battery backup, and all alarms in the home interconnect — when one detects smoke, every alarm sounds. Battery-only alarms run independently. Hardwired is safer (every floor knows immediately), required by code in new builds, and what insurance companies want to see.

In a fire in the basement at 3 a.m., a stand-alone basement alarm will not wake you upstairs in time. Interconnected alarms sound across the whole house simultaneously — every bedroom hears the alarm within a second. For carbon monoxide (odourless, often fatal during sleep), interconnection is critical.

The Voice alarm announces the threat type ("Fire — get out" vs "Carbon monoxide — move to fresh air") which speeds up the right response, especially for older adults or anyone unfamiliar with the home. The Strobe combo adds a visual flash, required when someone hearing-impaired sleeps in the house.

Yes — our electricians run new interconnected wiring through the existing wall and ceiling structure. Most retrofits are done in a single day with minimal drywall patching. ESA permit and inspection are included.