Smoke Alarms

Dozens of brands and types of smoke alarms available, including battery and hard-wired types, and alarms that use an “ionization” sensor or “photoelectric” detection systems for smoke.

All approved smoke alarms, regardless of type, will offer adequate protection if they are installed and maintained properly.

Be sure the smoke alarm you buy bears the label of an independent testing laboratory, such as UL.

Smoke alarms should be installed outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. On floors without bedrooms, alarms should be installed in or near living areas such as dens, living rooms, or family rooms.

Ensure everyone sleeping in your home can hear your smoke alarm even with bedroom doors closed. If not, or if any residents are hearing-impaired, install additional detectors inside bedrooms.

For the hearing impaired, there are smoke alarms that flash a strobe light in addition to sounding an audible alarm.

For extra protection, additional detectors can be installed in dining rooms, furnace rooms, utility rooms, and hallways.

Smoke alarms are not recommended for kitchens, bathrooms, or garages where cooking fumes, steam, or exhaust could set off false alarms or for attics and other unheated spaces where humidity and temperature changes might affect a detectors’ operation.

Also, don’t install a smoke alarm too near a window, door or forced air register where drafts could interfere with the unit’s operation.

Where to install alarms:

• Because smoke rises, mount alarms high on a wall or on the ceiling. Wall-mounted units should be hung 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm) from the ceiling. A ceiling mounted detector should be attached at least 4 inches (10 cm) from the nearest wall.
• In rooms with pitched ceilings, mount the alarm at or near the ceiling’s highest point.
• In stairways with no doors at the top or bottom, position smoke alarms anywhere in the path of smoke moving up the stairs. But always position smoke alarms at the bottom of closed stairways, such as those leading to the basement, because dead air trapped near the door at the top of a stairway could prevent smoke from reaching the detector.

Most battery-powered smoke alarms, as well as units that plug into wall outlets, can be installed-following manufacturer’s instructions using only a drill and screwdriver. Plug-in detectors require restraining devices so they cannot be disconnected accidentally from their outlets.

Smoke alarms can also be hard-wired into a building’s electrical system. Never connect a smoke alarm to a circuit that can be turned off at a wall switch, unless it is provided with a rechargeable battery and it is specifically designed for such use.

Remember, only a working smoke alarm will protect you. Regular maintenance is required.

• Never disable an alarm by borrowing its batteries for another use.
• Following manufacturer’s instructions, test all smoke alarms at least twice a year when the clocks change.
• Install new batteries in battery-powered units at least once per year. Many of these units “chirp” or make some other noise when their batteries need to be replaced.
• Clean and vacuum your smoke alarms at least twice a year when the clocks change, as dust and cobwebs can reduce their sensitivity to smoke.
• Replace all alarms when they are 10 years old, regardless of condition.

Ensure your entire household can recognize the sound of the smoke alarm and knows what to do.