Where to install smoke detectors?

One of the most important ways you can protect you and your loved ones in the event of a fire is having well placed smoke detectors. The question is where is the best place to install your smoke detector so your family would be able to be alerted as soon as smoke is detected in your home. I have stated in my earlier post you must have an evacuation plan in place in the event of a fire or any other emergency which may impact your home. The most important part of your plan is preventative a measure such as smoke detectors.

You should know the different types of smoke detectors. There are two types one is Ionization and the other is the Photoelectric. The main difference between them is how they detect smoke. The Ionization detector uses radioactive material to detect smoke when the flow between the plates is interrupted by smoke the alarm is activated. The photoelectric smoke alarm uses a beam of light. When the beam is blocked by smoke the smoke alarm will activate my research indicated one is not better than the other so either one will be good for detecting smoke. They do sell a combination of ionization and photoelectric smoke detectors as well but it is slightly more costly.  The cost of a smoke detector begins at about $15.00. 

The recommendation on where a smoke detector should be installed is one inside each bedroom and just outside sleeping area of the home. The reason is you want much possible warning when smoke is detected inside the dwelling. You should have one smoke detector on each level of the home including the basement. When installing a smoke alarm in the basement area it should be at the bottom of the stairs leading to the next level of the dwelling. They should be installed high on the ceiling as smoke rises if you choose to mount one on a wall it should be less than a foot away from the ceiling. Do not install a smoke detector near a window or doors as a draft would render the detector useless.

Finally, you should test your smoke detector once a month. You can do this by pushing the test button to ensure the alarm is still working be sure everyone in the house know what that alarm sound like.  You should change the battery when you change time on your clocks every year. If the alarm omits an occasional beep or alarm this means it’s time to change the battery.

I hope this post was helpful please leave a comment below.

Mark Carvajal