Have smoke alarms on every level of your home and in each bedroom and hallway. If you mount alarms on the ceiling, place them 4 inches from the wall. If your alarms are on the wall, they should be 4 to 12 inches from the ceiling. Don't install alarms near windows, vents, or drafty areas.
Avoid near fresh air vents, ceiling fans or very drafty areas (drafts can blow the smoke away from the detector/alarm). Avoid installing closer than 4 inches from the wall or corners. Avoid installing closer than 12 inches from fluorescent lights.
Home Smoke Detectors
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends installing at least one home smoke detector on every level of your home (including your basement and attic), inside every bedroom, and outside each sleeping area.
Yes, smoke alarms should generally be mounted on the ceiling, as smoke rises and will reach the alarm more quickly in this position. If ceiling mounting is not possible, they can be installed high on a wall, typically within 12 inches of the ceiling. Here are a few additional guidelines for proper installation:
For many years NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, has required as a minimum that smoke alarms be installed inside every sleep room (even for existing homes) in addition to requiring them outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. (Additional smoke alarms are required for larger homes.)
Smoke alarms should be installed on or near the ceiling with special care being taken to avoid dead air spaces. A dead air space is an area in which trapped hot air will prevent smoke from reaching the alarm.
Put smoke alarms inside and outside each bedroom and sleeping area. A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Put alarms on every level of the home. Smoke alarms should be interconnected.
Outside each sleeping room; and, Within 21 Feet of All Bedroom Doors; and, On every level of a dwelling unit, and.
Smoke alarms should always be mounted on the ceiling, near the middle of the room or hall, and at least 30cm (one foot) away from a wall or light.
According to the United States Department of Homeland Security, and the California Building Code, at least one smoke detector needs to be placed in each of the following areas of your home: On Every Floor Level. In Every Bedroom. In Every Hallway Outside of a Bedroom.
Avoid installing alarms near windows, doors, or air ducts where drafts are present. Don't place a smoke detector directly over the stove or range or next to a fireplace or furnace.
Don't install alarms where air movement can delay the alarm. This means they should be away from windows and at least 3 feet from warm or cold air ducts or return ducts. Also, don't install them between an air return and a bedroom door.
Installing alarms to meet LD1 in the Building Regulations would be as follows: Smoke alarms installed in all circulations spaces that form part of escape routes, and in all areas where a fire may start (excluding bathrooms) Areas where a fire may start include hallways, landings, living room, kitchen and bedrooms.
Press and hold the hush button on the front panel of the alarm for at least 10 seconds. It's usually the only visible button on the alarm, typically labeled 'test', 'hush', or 'silence'. Holding the hush button for different lengths of time has different functions, so try holding for 30 seconds if 10 doesn't stop it.
In the kitchen, smoke detectors should be installed at least 10 feet away from cooking appliances to minimize the number of false alarms. Smoke rises, so smoke alarms should be placed high on walls or ceilings.
According to the NFPA, smoke alarms should be placed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home. In addition, industry experts recommend having both photoelectric and ionization alarms for optimal protection against flaming and smoldering fires.
What smoke detectors do firemen recommend? The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) recommends photoelectric smoke detectors over ionization options.
Where do I install them? In addition to the minimum requirement of one smoke alarm per level, Fire and Rescue NSW research recommends installing smoke alarms in all bedrooms and living spaces (including hallways and stairways) and even the garage. Avoid fitting smoke alarms in or near your kitchen or bathroom.
The NFPA requires AC-powered, interconnected smoke alarms to be installed inside each bedroom, outside each bedroom area, and on every level of the home. They also require a minimum of two AC-powered, interconnected smoke alarms in any new construction home.
Smoke Detector placement and installation
Sleeping areas need the most protection. One detector in a short hallway outside the bedroom area is usually adequate. Hallways longer than 30 feet should have one detector every 30 feet. A smoke detector should be installed in every room that will be occupied.
Fit smoke alarms on a ceiling (or high up on a wall, if the instructions state it is suitable for wall mounting). Make sure you fit an appropriate alarm in every room where there's a fire risk. Follow the instructions that come with the alarm when it comes to installation– they all work in different ways.
I already put a box for a smoke/CO alarm in the hallway near the stairs. I thought I needed another one in the kitchen area because of the door there leading into the bedroom, but I see now that the requirement is within 21 feet, and the one in the hall will be within 21 feet of that door.
NFPA 72 requires that all points on the ceiling have a detector within a distance of 0.7 times the listed spacing of the detector. This ensures that when detection is used, the entire space on the ceiling is covered by detection. This requirement is commonly called the Point 7 (0.7) Rule.
5.6. 5.1 of NFPA 72-2010 says you need to have smoke detection within 5 feet of the door. If the wall section above the door (sometimes called a 'transom') is greater than 24 inches, then you need a smoke detector on both sides of the door.