• Install detectors on the ceiling as close to the center of the room as possible.
If this is not practical, install it on the ceiling no closer than 4 inches (10 cm)
from any wall or corner. (See Figure 4.)
•
If wall-mounting is permitted by local and state codes, and ceiling mounting
is not practical, install detectors on an inside wall between 4 and 6 inches (10
and 15 cm) from the ceiling. (See Figure 4.)
Figure 4: Recommended smoke detector mounting locations:
BEST LOCATION
ACCEPTABLE LOCATION
DEAD AIR
SPACE
BEST IN CENTER
OF CEILING
NO CLOSER THAN 4
"
(10 cm)
FROM SIDE WALL
MOUNT ON WALL
AT LEAST 4
"
(10 cm)
FROM CEILING
NO MORE
THAN 6
"
(15 cm)
FROM CEILING
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• Put detectors at both ends of a bedroom hallway if the hallway is more than
30 feet (9 meters) long. In addition, large rooms will require more than a single
detector if the room is over 900 square feet.
• Rooms or areas that do not have smooth ceilings, or which have short, tran-
som-type walls coming down from the ceiling require additional detectors.
• Install second-floor detectors on the ceiling at the top of the first-to-second
floor stairwell. Be sure no door or other obstruction blocks the path of smoke
to the detector.
• In rooms with sloped, peaked, or gabled ceilings, install detectors 3 feet (0.9
meter) measured down on the slant from the highest point of the ceiling. See
Figure 5.
Figure 5: Recommended smoke detector location in rooms with sloped, gabled
or peaked ceilings:
HORIZONTAL
DISTANCE
FROM PEAK
3 FEET
(.9M)
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Where Smoke Detectors Should NOT Be Installed
•
In or near areas where combustion particles are normally present such
as kitchens; in garages
where there are particles of combustion in vehicle
exhausts;
near furnaces, hot water heaters, or gas space heaters. Install
detectors at least 20 feet
(6 meters)
away from kitchens and other areas
where combustion particles are normally present.
• On the ceiling in rooms next to kitchens
where there is no transom
between the kitchen and these rooms. Instead, install the smoke detector on
an inside wall, furthest from the kitchen. Be sure not to install smoke detectors
within 4” of the ceiling or any corner or more than 6” from the ceiling.
•
In damp or very humid areas, or next to bathrooms with showers.
The
moisture in humid air can enter the sensing chamber as water vapor, then
cool and condense into droplets that cause a nuisance alarm.
Install detec-
tors at least 5 feet
(1.5 meters)
away from bathrooms.
• In very cold or very hot rooms or areas.
Operating temperature of the
smoke detector is 40°F to 100°F (4°C to 38°C).
•
In dusty, dirty, or insect-infested areas.
Dust and dirt can build up on the
detector’s sensing chamber and make it overly sensitive, or can block open-
ings to the sensing chamber and keep the detector from sensing smoke.
•
Near fresh air inlets or returns or excessively drafty areas.
Air condition-
ers, heaters, fans, and fresh air intakes and returns can drive smoke away
from smoke detectors, making the detectors less effective.
•
In dead air spaces
at the top of a peaked ceiling or wall/ceiling intersect.
Dead air may prevent smoke from reaching a detector.
• Near fluorescent light fixtures.
Install detectors at least 10 feet (3 meters)
away from such light fixtures.
•
To keep your equipment in excellent working order, ongoing maintenance is
required per the manufacturer’s recommendations and UL and NFPA stan-
dards. At a minimum, the requirements of Chapter 7 of NFPA 72, the National
Fire Alarm Code, shall be followed. A preventative maintenance agreement
should be arranged through the local manufacturer’s representative. Though
smoke detectors are designed for long life, they may fail at any time. Any
smoke detector, fire alarm equipment, or any component of that system which
fails shall be repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
Where to Install Smoke Detectors
Warning:
As a minimum requirement, smoke detectors must be installed in
accordance with the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) Standard 72,
Chapter 5, which defines the standards for the National Fire Alarm Code
(National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, MA 02269-9101). In
addition, observe all local and national building and electrical codes.
Proper Detector Location:
Figure 1: Recommended smoke detector protection for single-floor residence
with only one sleeping area
DINING ROOM
KITCHEN
BEDROOM BEDROOM
BEDROOM
LIVING ROOM
SMOKE DETECTORS FOR MINIMUM PROTECTION
SMOKE DETECTORS FOR MORE PROTECTION AND
REQUIRED IN NEW CONSTRUCTION
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Figure 2: Recommended smoke detector protection for single-floor residence
with more than one sleeping area:
BEDROOM
SMOKE DETECTORS FOR
MINIMUM PROTECTION
SMOKE DETECTORS FOR
MORE PROTECTION AND
REQUIRED IN NEW CONSTRUCTION
BEDROOM
BEDROOM
LIVING ROOM
DINING
ROOM
KITCHEN
FAMILY ROOM
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NFPA 72, Chapter 2, Section 2-2.1.1.1
states as follows: “Smoke detectors
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 detector also shall be installed in each sleeping room.”
The above NFPA standard is a minimum requirement for smoke detector
installation. For better protection, we also require the installation of a
smoke detector inside every bedroom in existing construction.
•
Install a minimum of two smoke detectors in any household, no matter
how small it is.
•
Put a smoke detector in the hallway outside of every separate bedroom
area.
(See Figure 1.) A minimum of two detectors are required in homes with
two bedroom areas. (See Figure 2.)
•
Put a smoke detector on every level of a multi-level residence.
(See
Figure 3.)
•
Install basement detectors on the ceiling at the bottom of the basement stair-
well. (See Figure 3.)
Figure 3: Recommended smoke detector protection for a multi-level resi-
dence:
BEDROOM
BEDROOM
BEDROOM
LIVING
ROOM
KITCHEN
BASEMENT
GARAGE
SMOKE DETECTORS FOR MINIMUM PROTECTION
SMOKE DETECTORS FOR MORE PROTECTION AND
REQUIRED IN NEW CONSTRUCTION
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