Smoke Alarm Placement
Of course knowing how to get out of your house fast is equally important (see other articles by this author), it is absolutely essential you not only fit your home with smoke alarms but know how to place them for maximum effect.
Buying smoke alarms doesn’t seem to represent a problem for most but, once bought, people spend hours deliberating over where best to locate them. Well, this article should help you and, as you will see, it’s all about using your eyes and thinking through the potential consequences of locating alarms incorrectly in certain places.
The first place to consider are your bedrooms. whilst you will need to protect all other living areas it’s no good just focusing on the lounge where the fireplace is, if the fire ultimately starts in the rooms where you sleep. and, as you may well be asleep where fire calls, so you will want to be woken right away. and, when you’ve done in the bedrooms, you should also install an alarm in the ceilings of all hallways at 30 foot intervals.
Installing smoke alarms directly adjacent or nears windows and doors might make them ineffective and hence should be avoided. this is because the area is potentially subject to drafts which may cause smoke to be redirected away from your smoke alarms and hence go undetected (particularly in the first few vital moments when every second counts). by the way, smoke rises, so all smoke detectors should be fitted in the ceilings of each room where they are located.
You should also ensure that you locate your smoke alarms at least a few feet (3 feet to be precise) from any forced air units, as well as air registers, as these could also undermine their effectiveness.
Also make sure you place a smoke alarm right at the top of all stairwells all around your house. this is because enclosed stairways often act as chimneys that help in channelling smoke upstairs. if your house has a doomed cathedral type ceiling it is advisable to mount a detector at the highest point in the ceiling.
Never make the mistake of mounting your smoke alarms in a dusty area. this is because dust can obstruct the correct functioning of the smoke alarm thus preventing it from detecting smoke.
In some circumstances a smoke alarm might also detect dust as smoke resulting in a false alarm, which is not only a nuisance, but promote a false sense of security when the smoke is for real.
Bathrooms are full of moisture which is not the best ally for your smoke alarm. the alarm internals may start to rust and gradually malfunction. You need to have protection for the bathroom but locate an alarm just outside the bathroom, not inside it.
Living rooms are notorious for fires given the presence of people smoking, the use of fireplaces, space heating, etc. make sure you have the area covered with an alarm centrally located in the ceiling.
Then there’s also the kitchen. Install alarms nearby it (one at the entrance and one at the exit if it has two accesses). do not install an alarm inside it.
Like we said previously, although the kitchen is a likely place in which a fire could start it is important not to install a smoke detector directly inside it. this is because the kitchen is a place where smokey things happen regularly on a daily basis. and you want to avoid the temptation to turn your alarm off in the event you get fed up with repeated false alarms. Locate your alarms strategically just outside, but very close to the kitchen, instead. But make sure you locate one (or two).
The results of such absentmindedness can be catastrophic completely defeating the object of having any smoke alarm protection at all. it is far better to strategically locate an alarm at the entrance to, and exit from, the kitchen.
It’s vital that any hard wired alarms you install have a battery back-up system in each alarm in the event the mains power fails. Lightening and faulty house wiring are great ways to start a house fire and the power may fail as a result, rendering the Smoke Alarm completely useless if there is no battery to kick in.
The safety of your family is important. Be sure to click on the links below to get more information and some great solutions if you want them.
Douglas Barker is a life improvement professional. His brief, but complete, fact sheets are enjoyed by everyone, such as those at the First Alert Smoke Alarm site. You can also discover his invaluable, easy-to-read, free family fire protection guidance at the Firex Smoke Alarm page.
