Steve_Kent

No problem. I remember having quite the debate about this. This decision was down to building control and I know was specific to our house type and surprisingly the interpretation by the specific building control officer. I remember the installer said you can have two building control officers who sit next to each other from the same local authority and they can have a different opinion, especially if you house design is non standard. We ended up using Assent building control which is a private one as they were much quicker to respond then the local ones as we were in a rush. We checked the proposal with them before we started for peace of mind. The system was installed across the open plan living, all the areas of the house that connects to the stairwell. The rationale being any area connected to the escape route (stairs) can't have a fire. We also had to have a full alarm system, an escape window (large enough someone can go through) on the second floor and fire doors in some places too, as these are required for a Automist or a sprinkler to meet regs.

I have Automist installed in my house, after we did a loft conversion. No complaints, never had an activation, or any issue with it so far. I was originally going to go with sprinklers but once you add the cost of upgrading the water supply it was not viable for me. The servicing works out at about £100 per year. I think that fee is pretty similar for whatever system you go for.