PLACEMENT OF SMOKE ALARMS
THIS EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION'S
STANDARD 72 (National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch
Park, Quincy, MA 02269).
For your information, the National Fire Protection Association's
Standard 72, reads as follows:
Smoke alarms shall be installed outside of each separate sleeping
area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms and on each
additional story of the family living unit including basements and
excluding crawl spaces and unfinished attics. In new construction, a
smoke alarm shall be installed in each sleeping room.
Where to
Locate the Required Smoke Alarms in Existing
Construction.
The major threat from fire in a family living unit is at
night when everyone is asleep. The principal threat to persons in
sleeping areas comes from fires in the remainder of the unit;
therefore, a smoke alarm(s) is best located between the bedroom
areas and the rest of the unit. In units with only one bedroom area
on one floor, the smoke alarms should be located as shown in
Figure 1.
required smoke alarms. For this reason, it is recommended that the
householder consider the use of additional smoke alarms for those
areas for increased protection. The additional areas include:
basement, bedrooms, dining room, near furnace room, utility room
and hallways not protected by the required smoke alarms. The
installation of smoke alarms in kitchens, attics (finished or
unfinished), or garages is not normally recommended, as these
locations occasionally experience conditions that can result in
improper operation.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION
We recommend replacing your alarm(s) every ten (10) years
;
why:
Dust, dirt, and other environmental contaminants can affect your
smoke alarm over a prolonged period.
Fast changing industry consensus standards and codes on all
smoke alarms make it advisable to periodically upgrade your
smoke alarm to maximize life safety.
Assurance that your smoke alarm needs are kept abreast with the
constantly improving electronic technology.
Smoke alarms are recognized as one of the lowest cost ways to
protect dwelling inhabitants against the danger of fire(s). It makes
good common sense to periodically replace and update your
smoke alarm that contributes so much to life safety.
MOUNTING LOCATION
Ceiling location - detector should be mounted as close as possible
to the center of a hallway or room. If this is not possible, the edge
of the detector should be at least 4 inches from any wall.
Figure 4: RECOMMENDED SMOKE ALARM MOUNTING
LOCATIONS.
Figure 5: RECOMMENDED SMOKE ALARM LOCATION IN
ROOMS WITH SLOPED, GABLED, OR PEAKED CEILINGS.
The placement of the smoke alarm is critical if maximum speed of
fire detection is desired. Thus, a logical location for a smoke alarm
is the center of the ceiling. At this location, the device is closest to
all areas of the room.
WHERE SMOKE ALARMS SHOULD
BE PUT IN MOBILE HOMES
In mobile homes built after about 1978 that were designed and
insulated to be energy-efficient, smoke alarms should be installed as
described in the section above. In older mobile homes that have little
or no insulation compared to today's standards, uninsulated metal
outside walls and roofs can transfer heat and cold from outdoors,
making the air right next to them hotter or colder than the rest of the
inside air. These layers of hotter or colder air can prevent smoke
from reaching a smoke alarm. Therefore, put smoke alarms in such
units only on inside walls, between 4 and 12 inches (10 and 30 cm)
from the ceiling. If you are not sure about the insulation level in your
mobile home, or if you notice that the walls or ceiling are unusually
hot or cold, put the alarm on an inside wall.
Minimum protection requires one alarm as close to the sleeping
area as possible. For better protection, put one unit in each room,
but first read the "Locations to Avoid."
Figure 1: A SMOKE ALARM SHOULD BE LOCATED BETWEEN
THE SLEEPING AREA AND THE REST OF THE FAMILY LIVING
UNIT.
In family living units with more than one bedroom area or with
bedrooms on more than one floor, more than one smoke alarm will
be needed, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: IN FAMILY LIVING UNITS WITH MORE THAN ONE
SLEEPING AREA, A SMOKE ALARM SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO
PROTECT EACH SLEEPING AREA (IN ADDITION, FIGURE 2
SHOWS REQUIRED SMOKE ALARMS IN EACH BEDROOM FOR
NEW CONSTRUCTION).
In addition to smoke alarms outside of the sleeping areas, NFPA 72
requires the installation of a smoke alarm on each additional story of
the family living unit, including the basement. These installations are
shown in Figure 3. The living area smoke alarms should be installed
in the living room or near the stairway to the upper level, or in both
locations. The basement smoke alarm should be installed in close
proximity to the stairway leading to the floor above. When installed
on an open joisted ceiling, the smoke alarm should be placed on the
bottom of the joists. The device should be positioned relative to the
stairway so as to intercept smoke coming from a fire in the basement
before the smoke enters the stairway.
Figure 3: A SMOKE ALARM SHOULD BE LOCATED ON EACH
STORY.
Where to Locate the Required Smoke Alarms in New
Construction.
All of the smoke alarms specified for existing
construction are required, and, in addition, a smoke alarm is required
in each bedroom.
Are More Smoke Alarms Desirable?
The required number of
smoke alarms may not provide reliable early warning protection for
those areas separated by a door from the areas protected by the
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