HOME DETECTORS: Where you SHOULD be placing smoke detectors in your home.

Let’s take a look at the graphic above. The smoke detectors are placed meticulously throughout the house. Why are they placed there..? Read the guidelines provided by the NFPA below:

1. There should be a smoke detector where you sleep, in every bedroom. It may be loud—but that’s the point! Smoke detectors are life-saving devices that will wake you up when detecting a fire.
2. There should be (at least) one smoke detector on every floor. This allows you time to get to safety at the first detection of smoke.
3. Detectors on every floor can best be placed at the top of stairs. This is so that as smoke rises, it will be more likely to reach the detectors and sound an alarm.
4. Smoke detectors should be placed up high. This is because smoke rises. Therefore, the best way to ensure your safety is to install your detector on the ceiling or high up on your wall. Wall-mounted detectors should be placed no more than 12 inches from the ceiling (measuring from the top of the alarm).
5. Smoke detectors in the kitchen should be installed at least 10 feet (3 meters) from a cooking appliance to avoid false alarms.
6. Smoke alarms in the basement should be installed on the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the next level.
7. If your ceilings are pitched, install detectors within 3 feet of the peak but not at the apex.
8. Do not install alarms near windows, doors, or ducts where drafts may interfere with detection.
9. Make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors in your home as well

Read More: What Are the Minimum Requirements of a Fire Alarm System?

We will write on that last one more later. For now, we’ll give you a little homework assignment: go around your house and see where your detectors are. Is your home similar to our model? How is it different? Are there any hazards? It may be time to reinstall!

Tell us where your detectors are in your home (through [email protected] or on our socials- see our story posts TODAY) to be featured in next week’s blog and newsletter!

Until next time,

– FireAlarm.com’s Social Media Editor

For more information, see: NFPA Installing and Maintaining Smoke Alarms in your Home