Here is a good list of the places in your home a smoke detector should be considered:
- Locate the smoke alarms in all sleeping areas. Try to monitor the exit path as the bedrooms are usually farthest from the exit. If more than one sleeping area exists, locate additional alarms in each sleeping area.
- Locate additional alarms to monitor any stairway as stairways act like chimneys for smoke and heat.
- Locate at least one alarm on every floor level.
- Locate an alarm in every bedroom.
- Locate an alarm in every room where electrical appliances are operated (i.e. portable heaters or humidifiers).
- Locate an alarm in every room where someone sleeps with the door closed. The closed door may prevent an alarm not located in that room from waking the sleeper.
- Smoke, heat, and combustion products rise to the ceiling and spread horizontally. Mounting the smoke alarm on the ceiling in the center of the room places it closest to all points in the room. Ceiling mounting is preferred in ordinary residential construction.
- For mobile home installation, select locations carefully to avoid thermal barriers that may form at the ceiling. For more details, see MOBILE HOME INSTALLATION section.
- When mounting an alarm on the ceiling, locate it at a minimum of 4” (10 cm) from the side wall.
- When mounting the alarm on the wall, use an inside wall with the top edge of the alarm at a minimum of 4” (10 cm) and a maximum of 12” (30.5 cm) below the ceiling.
- Put smoke alarms at both ends of a bedroom hallway or large room if the hallway or room is more than 30 feet (9.1 m) long.
- Install Smoke Alarms on sloped, peaked or cathedral ceilings at or within 3ft (0.9m) of the highest point (measured horizontally).
- Do not install a smoke detector in the kitchen area, as this will trigger false alarms when cooking.
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