Recommended Locations
• Locate the first alarm in the immediate area of the
bedrooms. Try to protect the exit path, as the
bedrooms are usually farthest from the exit. If more
than one sleeping area exists, locate additional alarms
in each sleeping area (Image 1A).
• Locate additional alarms to protect any stairway as
stairways act like chimneys for smoke and heat.
• Locate at least one alarm on every floor level (Image
1B).
• Locate an alarm in every bedroom.
• Locate an alarm in every room where electrical
appliances are operated (i.e. portable heaters or
humidifiers).
• Locate an alarm in every room where someone sleeps
with the door closed. The closed door may prevent the
alarm from waking the sleeper.
• Smoke, heat, and combustion products rise to the
ceiling and spread horizontally. Mounting the smoke
alarm on the ceiling in the center of the room places it
closest to all points in the room. Ceiling mounting is
preferred in ordinary residential construction.
• When mounting an alarm on the ceiling, locate it at a
minimum of 10 cm (4") from the side wall (Image 2A).
• When mounting the alarm on the wall, use an inside
wall with the top edge of the alarm at a minimum of
10 cm (4") and a maximum of 30.5 cm (12") below the
ceiling (Image 2A).
• Put smoke alarms at both ends of a bedroom hallway
or large room if the hallway or room is more than 9.1
m (30') long.
• For mobile home installation, select locations carefully
to avoid thermal barriers that may form at the ceiling.
For more details, see
Mobile Homes
.
Installation
2
