• Do install smoke alarms in both rooms (areas) that are divided by a par-
tial wail extending 24 or more inches down from the ceiling. See smoke
alarms located in rooms B and C in Figure 4.
SPECIAL DIRECTIONS FOR INSTALLING YOUR
SMOKE ALARM IN MANUFACTURED AND
MOBILE HOMES
WARNING:
S
MOKE ALARMS MAY BE INSTALLED ON THE CEILINGS OF MANUFACTURED
AND MOBILE HOMES IF THERE IS ADEQUATE
INSULATION IN THE CEILING
.
Install smoke alarms on walls only between 4 and 12 inches from the ceiling.
Install smoke alarms on inside walls in older homes or in homes where you
are not sure of the insulation level. In older homes (manufactured in 1976 or
earlier) that have little or no insulation compared to today’s standards, unin-
sulated metal outside walls and roofs can transfer eat and cold from the out-
doors, making the air right next to the wall or root hot or cold, compared to
the rest of the air inside the room. These layers of hot or cold air can prevent
smoke from reaching a smoke alarm. If your mobile home has this condition,
put your smoke alarm on an inside wall only, between 4 and 12 inches from
the ceiling. If you are not sure about the insulation in your mobile home or if
you notice the outside walls or ceiling are unusually hot or cold, put the
smoke alarm on an inside wall.
FIGURE 5: EFFICIENCY APARTMENT AND MOBILE HOME INSTALLATION
WHERE YOU SHOULD NOT INSTALL
SMOKE ALARMS
• Do not install a smoke alarm within close proximity of heating and
cooling supply vents or within close proximity of return or fresh air
vents. Smoke may be blown away from the smoke alarm by the supply
vents, or could be diffused or reduced by being diverted into the return
air vent. The NFPA states in Standard 72E, Section 4-4.1: “In rooms,
buildings, where forced ventilation is present, detectors shall not be
located where air from supply diffusers (vents) could dilute smoke
before it reaches the detector.”
• Do not install your smoke alarm in an area where the temperature may
fall below 40˚F, or rise above 100˚F. Smoke alarms are designed to
work safely only within these temperature ranges, and failure to alarm,
improper alarms or nuisance alarms may result from operation outside
these temperature limits.
• Do not install a smoke alarm in damp or very humid areas such as
bathrooms with showers, where the normal humidity may rise above
93% relative humidity. Above this level, moisture may condense inside
the smoke chamber and cause false alarms.
• Do not install a smoke alarm in an area where particles of combustion
are normally present, such as kitchens or automobile garages, unless
the smoke alarm has a False Alarm Control feature.
Continued on page 6
5
MOBILE HOME
BEDROOM
BATH
KITCHEN
LIVING ROOM
EFFICIENCY APARTMENT
SLEEPING
AREA
KITCHEN
LIVING
AREA
110-657D 12/9/05 2:39 PM Page 5
