Hikvision AX PRO Wireless Photoelectric Smoke Detector, 10-Year Battery DS-PDSMK-S-WE

Overview

Most fires give off smoke before anyone sees flame, and a smoke alarm exists to buy time to get out. This Hikvision unit does that job from a ceiling, with no mains supply to run.

It also reports by radio, and it enrols on an AX PRO intruder panel. That makes it a neat fit where an AX PRO alarm is already planned.

How it works

• Photoelectric sensing: a light source and sensor sit inside a dark chamber. Smoke scatters the light onto the sensor, which is why this type is often called an optical detector.
• Chamber check: the detector monitors its smoke chamber and gives a short beep and a red flash if the chamber stops working normally. Try vacuuming the dust away, and replace the detector if the fault stays.
• Two jobs at once: the unit sounds its own buzzer, and it reports by radio.

Where to use it

It is an indoor, ceiling-mounted detector. Keep it inside its operating range of -10 °C to 60 °C and 10% to 90% humidity, so check lofts and outbuildings first.

Smoke detectors can false alarm from steam and cooking. Kitchens usually suit heat alarms better, and rules on where alarms must go vary by building and tenure, so check current guidance.

What the figures mean in practice

• 800 m in free space: that is an open-air figure. Walls and floors shorten radio range, so check signal strength at the real position.
• ≥ 85 dB @ 3 m: sound falls with distance and closed doors, so one unit may not be heard across a whole building. That is one reason to link several.
• Non-replaceable battery: when the low battery warning starts, it repeats for at least 30 days. Plan to fit a new detector within that time, not a new battery.

Installing it

• Check signal first: check signal strength before fixing, and the detector has its own indicator for this.
• Enrolling: move the power switch to enrol. You can also add it through Hik-ProConnect by scanning a QR code.
• Testing: hold the Test/Hush button to sound the alarm, and use hearing protection, because the signal is loud close up.

Planning your system

For reporting, plan around an AX PRO panel. Do not assume it reports to other brands of alarm.

For several rooms, up to 12 detectors can be linked, and all sound when one detects smoke. Only the unit that detected flashes its red light, which helps find where the smoke started. Read more on interlinked smoke alarms before planning a home layout.

Standards explained

• EN14604: this is the European product standard for smoke alarm devices. It covers the alarm itself, not whether a whole building's fire safety is adequate.
• Not a fire alarm system: a commercial premises may need a designed fire alarm system instead. Ask whoever holds the fire risk assessment.