4
Bedroom
Bedroom
Bedroom
Living Room
Kitchen
Family Room
Bedroom
Living
Room
Dining
Room
Kitchen
Bedroom
Bedroom
Bedroom
Bedroom
Basement
Living
Room
Dining
Room
NEVER
HERE
Acceptable
here
Top of detector
acceptable here
12"
(0.3m)
Max.
4"
(0.1m)
Max.
4"
(0.1m)
Ceiling
Wall
NOTE: Measurements shown are to
the closest edge of the detector.
Experience has shown that all hostile fires in family
living units generate smoke to a greater or lesser
extent. Experiments using typical fires in family living
units indicate that detectable quantities of smoke
precede detectable levels of heat in most cases. For
these reasons, smoke detectors should be installed
outside of each sleeping area and on each additional
story of the family unit.
The following information is for general guidance only
and it is recommended that the smoke detector
manufacturer's literature be used for detailed
installation instructions.
It is recommended that additional smoke detectors
beyond those required be installed for increased
protection. The added areas include: basement,
bedrooms, dining rooms, furnace room, utility room
and hallways not protected by the required detectors.
GUIDELINES FOR LOCATING SMOKE DETECTORS
Figure 1: A smoke detector should be located between
the sleeping area and the rest of the family unit.
Figure 2: In family living units with more than one
sleeping area, a smoke detector should be located to
protect each sleeping area.
Figure 4: Smoke Detector mounting and “Dead” Air
Space. The smoke from a fire generally rises to the
ceiling, spreads out across the ceiling surface and
begins to bank down from the ceiling. The corner
where the ceiling and wall meet is an air space into
which the smoke may have difficulty penetrating. In
most fires, this “dead” air space measures about 4 in.
(0.1m) along the ceiling from the corner and about 4 in.
(0.1m) down the wall as shown in Figure 4. Detectors
should not be placed in the “dead” air space.
Figure 3: A smoke detector should be located on
each story of the living unit.
