Whether you own a house or are renting an apartment, it’s a good idea to ensure that the place you’re living has the correct number of smoke detectors.
However, just how many smoke detectors you should have, and where they should be placed, isn’t always a simple answer.
Learning where to place the detectors can help you ensure that your home is as safe as possible.
How Many Smoke Detectors to Use
How many smoke detectors you’ll need depends on how large your home is and how many bedrooms there are. You should install one smoke detector in each bedroom, and there should be a smoke detector outside of every sleeping area. Smoke detectors should also be installed in every hallway, and there should be at least one smoke detector on every floor of the house.
A good rule of thumb to follow is to have one smoke detector every 30 feet, with no smoke detectors more than 30 feet from another detector.
Smoke detectors should be installed on the ceiling, since both smoke and hot air rise. This ensures that they’ll detect smoke or a fire much more quickly.
If you can’t install the detectors on the ceiling, install them as high on the wall as possible. Never install smoke detectors near vents, windows, or other air sources, as these airways can blow the smoke away from the detector, which means it may not go off, even in the event of a fire.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Smoke detectors aren’t the only alarms that should be installed in the home. Carbon monoxide detectors are also crucial.
Like smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors should be placed on every level of the house. There should be a carbon monoxide detector outside of any sleeping areas.
It’s also a good idea to place a carbon monoxide detector near anything that can generate carbon monoxide, so install a detector in the kitchen, the laundry room, and the garage.
If you have a gas furnace, you’ll also want to place a carbon somewhere near it.
Unlike smoke, carbon monoxide doesn’t rise but instead mixes with the air. For this reason, it’s best to install carbon monoxide detectors on the wall. They can be installed anywhere between knee or chest height.
Connecting Your Alarms
When installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, it’s best to connect them whenever possible. This ensures that, if one alarm senses smoke or gas, it will turn on all of the other alarms, even if they’re at opposite ends of the house.
In a dangerous situation, this can give occupants more time to get to safety.
If you have a home alarm system, you can also connect your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to it. If everything is connected, not only will the alarms ring throughout the house but the police or fire station will also be alerted.
At least 1 smoke detector should be on each floor of your house including 1 in each bedroom.
Maintaining the Detectors
After installing your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, you’ll need to perform routine maintenance to make sure they’re always working properly.
The detectors should be cleaned periodically. Any dust that builds up can cause the alarms to give a false alarm, but dust can also inhibit the alarms’ smoke detecting abilities.
Make sure that the alarms have not been painted over or tampered with in any way. You may also need to replace the batteries from time to time.
The detectors should be tested once a month to make sure they’re working properly.
Smoke detectors usually last for between eight and 10 years, so you’ll need to keep track of how old your alarms are and change them out if they’re no longer functioning properly.
Carbon monoxide detectors have a slightly shorter lifespan and last for between five and seven years.
Types of Smoke Detectors
There are several different types of smoke detectors available, but most are either hardwired-type detectors or battery-powered detectors.
Hardwired detectors run on home electricity and don’t need any batteries, but some hardwired smoke detectors may use batteries as a backup during power outages.
These detectors can often be connected to other smoke or carbon monoxide detectors or to a home alarm system.
Battery-powered smoke detectors may not be as easy to connect to each other or to home alarm systems, but they’re also still effective during power outages.
Battery smoke detectors are also a good option if your home already has hardwired smoke detectors installed but doesn’t have as many as necessary.
It’s usually quite simple to install additional battery-powered smoke detectors to cover any gaps left by hardwired smoke detectors.
There are also several options available for smoke and carbon monoxide combination detectors. These detectors have sensors built-in for both smoke and gasses, so you won’t need to install separate detectors.
This is a bonus for anyone who wants to blend their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors more seamlessly into their home décor.