6
Where to Install
Minimum coverage for Smoke Alarms, as recommended by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA),
is one Smoke Alarm on every floor, in every sleeping area, and in every bedroom (See “Regulatory Information
For Smoke Alarms” for details on the NFPA recommendations). For CO Alarms, the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) recommends that a CO Alarm should be centrally located outside of each separate sleeping
area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms. For added protection, install additional CO Alarms in each
separate bedroom, and on every level of your home.
NOTE:
For added protection, install an additional Smoke/CO Alarm at least 15 feet (4.6 meters) away from the
furnace or fuel burning heat source where possible. In smaller homes or in manufactured homes where this
distance cannot be maintained, install the Alarm as far away as possible from the furnace or other fuel burning
source. Installing the Alarm closer than 15 feet (4.6 meters) will not harm the Alarm, but may increase the
frequency of unwanted alarms.
In general, install combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms:
•
On every level of your home, including finished attics and basements.
•
Inside every bedroom, especially if people sleep with the door partly or completely closed.
•
In the hall near every sleeping area. If your home has multiple sleeping areas, install a unit in each.
If a hall is more than 40 feet (12 meters) long, install a unit at each end.
•
At the top of first-to-second floor stairs.
•
At the bottom of the basement stairs.
•
For additional coverage, install Alarms in all rooms, halls, and storage areas, where temperatures normally
remain between 40˚ F and 100˚ F (4.4˚ C and 37.8˚ C).
Recommended Placement
•
When installing on the wall, the top edge of Smoke Alarms should be placed between
4 inches (102 mm) and 6 inches (153 mm) from the wall/ceiling line.
•
When installing on the ceiling, place the alarm as close to the center as possible.
•
In either case, install at least 4 inches (102 mm) from where the wall and ceiling meet.
•
See Avoiding “Dead Air” Spaces for more information.
NOTE:
For any location, make sure no door or other obstruction could keep carbon monoxide or smoke from
reaching the Alarm.
Installing Smoke/CO Alarms in Mobile Homes
For minimum security install one Smoke/CO Alarm as close to each sleeping area as possible. For more
security, put one unit in each room. Many older mobile homes (especially those built before 1978) have little
or no insulation. If your mobile home is not well insulated, or if you are unsure of the amount of insulation, it is
important to install units on inside walls only.
