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Elro smoke alarm buying guide

Updated: 20 October 2026

If you are choosing an Elro smoke alarm for a hall or a landing, the Elro smoke alarm buying guide comes down to three families. The FS1801 asks you to change a 9 V cell about once a year and fixes with screws. The FS1805 states a longer replaceable cell and sticks up with magnets. The FS4610 seals a 10-year cell and wants screws, not pads. The [Elro smoke alarm comparison](/hub/fire-protection/elro-smoke-alarm) holds the price table. Peter F. checked the six amazon.co.uk listings on 19 October 2026. This is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

If you are choosing an Elro smoke alarm for a hall or a landing, the Elro smoke alarm buying guide comes down to three families. The FS1801 asks you to change a 9 V cell about once a year and fixes with screws.

Our top picks

ELRO ELRO FS1801 4-pack

Best overall

ELRO ELRO FS1801 4-pack
7.9/10about £31.15
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ELRO ELRO FS1805 2-pack

Best value

ELRO ELRO FS1805 2-pack
7.1/10about £16.99
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ELRO ELRO FS4610

Alternative

ELRO ELRO FS4610
6.2/10about £21.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Three Elro lines, not one alarm
  2. 2.What 10-year means on each listing
  3. 3.Screws, magnets and pack size
  4. 4.Questions before you order

Three Elro lines, not one alarm

Every kept listing claims a photoelectric sensor, which looks for smoke particles rather than a rise in heat. That is why a heat alarm, not one of these units, belongs in the kitchen. EN 14604 is the household smoke-alarm standard on the box. It does not, by itself, satisfy Scotland, a Welsh rented home, or a Northern Ireland private tenancy. None of the six is described as interlinked, and none is a carbon monoxide alarm. The FS1801 is the screw-in line with the yearly cell. The FS1805 is the magnetic line. The FS4610 is the sealed single, 11.5 cm across and 2.3 cm thick.

What 10-year means on each listing

On the FS1801 a bullet says 10-year protection, and the same list says the battery lasts one year and is replaceable. The ten-pack title says 10-year sensor. Buying the four-pack because you wanted a sealed alarm means you have the wrong line. On the FS1805, amazon.co.uk says 5 years and the cell is replaceable. The ELRO FS1805M page also says at least 3 years in one paragraph. Treat 5-year as the listing’s claim, not a life we measured. On the FS4610 the battery is built in and the listing says you do not replace it. When the cell is finished you replace the alarm. The manufacturer page says it is not connectable and that you should not use a magnet kit.
ELRO ELRO FS1801 4-pack

Testsieger

ELRO ELRO FS1801 4-pack
7.9/10about £31.15
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Screws, magnets and pack size

London Fire Brigade prefers screws to glue. The FS1801 includes screws and a twist-on base. The FS4610 includes mounting material, and reviews describe screws. The FS1805 includes magnetic sets, which work on a smooth ceiling and fail on a rough one. One two-pack review could not fix the pads to a popcorn finish, and another pack arrived without the discs. Do not move those pads onto an FS4610. A two-storey flat usually wants a hall and a landing. That is the pair at about £16.99 if magnets will hold, or two units from the four-pack at about £31.15 if you would rather screw them. Leave the FS1805 ten-pack when the written reviews are not from the United Kingdom.

Questions before you order

None of these listings is sold as interlinked. Scotland, a Welsh rented home and a Northern Ireland private tenancy ask for linked alarms. An English private rental can use a battery alarm, at least one on each living storey, and GOV.UK prefers a sealed cell if you choose battery. An extra FS1801 on a landing does not replace those duties. Do not fit these optical alarms in a kitchen or a bathroom. The conditioned picks are on the best Elro smoke alarm page, the battery wording on the Elro 10 year smoke alarm page, and the ceiling position on how to fit an Elro smoke alarm.

Common questions

Is the FS1801 a 10-year alarm?
The included battery is not a sealed 10-year cell. Both FS1801 packs say the battery lasts one year and is replaceable, while a bullet says 10-year protection and the ten-pack title says 10-year sensor. Trust the parts list for the cell. The only sealed 10-year battery in this set is the FS4610 at about £21.99.
When is the magnetic FS1805 the wrong mount?
When the ceiling is rough or like the popcorn finish one reviewer could not stick to. London Fire Brigade prefers screws to glue, so use magnets only after a tug holds. The pads are also wrong on an FS4610, whose manufacturer page says not to use a magnet kit. If the discs are missing, do not finish the job with tape.
Is the FS4610 worth about £21.99 against a multipack?
It is worth that when you want one slim alarm and you will not open it for a battery. You get a built-in cell, screws, and 4.2 from 987 reviews. It is a weak buy for a hall and a landing, because about £31.15 buys four FS1801 alarms and about £16.99 buys two magnetic ones, and the FS4610 does not link to either.
Do any of these link together?
No listing here describes an interlink. A UK review of the FS4610 says it is not wireless, and the FS1805 manufacturer page says that model is not connectable. A smartphone in the ten-pack specification is not an explained app. If the law where you live requires linked alarms, these six are extras at most.
What pack size matches a two-storey flat?
Two alarms is the usual pair: hall and landing. That is the FS1805 two-pack at about £16.99 if the ceilings hold magnets, or two units from the FS1801 four-pack if you want screws and will change 9 V cells. A spare is useful when one unit arrives dead. Ten alarms is a lot of maintenance unless you really have that many escape-route ceilings.

Related pages

Elro smoke alarm UK rules

Elro smoke alarm

Elro 10 year smoke alarm versus a yearly 9 V battery

Best Elro smoke alarm if you change the yearly cell

How to fit an Elro smoke alarm on the hall ceiling

Sources

Public UK sources listed below. Prices, stars and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.

  1. GOV.UK — smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, landlord booklet for England (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK — Approved Document B fire safety frequently asked questions (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Scottish Government — fire and smoke alarms in Scottish homes (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. GOV.WALES — fitness for human habitation, guidance for tenants and contract-holders (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Northern Ireland — The Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. London Fire Brigade — smoke alarms and heat alarms (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. BSI — BS EN 14604:2005 smoke alarm devices (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk listings B08FBDC458, B0B4XLFFFH, B07C8DB4QX, B08CBBY9N8, B0G498FSDY and B07ZRW6SV8 (retrieved 19 October 2026)