Where Should The Fire Alarms And Smoke Detectors Be Positioned?

About 60% of deaths, on average due to residential home fires take place because the houses are having malfunctioning smoke alarms and fire alarms, or the houses do not have alarm systems at all. As a rational homeowner, it is necessary for you to be extremely attentive to fire safety by clearly understanding the mechanics of the fire and smoke alarm systems, placing them and appropriately installing them from preventing the mammoth tragedy from being a reality.

The fire alarms and smoke detector systems must be ideally installed in the centre of it and should be at least 30 centimetres away from the walls and light fittings. Decorative elements and light fittings are likely to obstruct the heat and smoke from entering the sensor chamber. If it is not possible to install the smoke detectors on the ceiling, then they should be mounted till 57cms below it. 

For the sloped ceilings, the smoke alarm’s position must be vertically measured from the peak. The fire and smoke alarms should be installed within 60cms of the peak. The alarms must be placed as central as possible to the ceiling.

You should have at least one smoke alarm, ready for working on each floor, basement and attic. In the basement, the smoke alarms must be placed on the ceiling, at the stairs’ bottom leading to the next floor.

A fire alarm must be installed inside and outside every bedroom as well as in the hallways. Hence, these alarms will be waking you up, once the fire starts when everyone in your family is sleeping. Remember keeping the fire escape ladders in the bedrooms on the top floor. 

Each stair must be having a fire detector, as well as the stair leading to the attic or basement. The smoke detectors and fire alarms placed on the staircase will be sending alerts to your family members downstairs and upstairs during fires.

Fire safety should be ensured at every place where the family members and friends are gathering, like in the kitchen and living rooms, especially if there is a fireplace. 

Moreover, the kitchen is highly vulnerable because of heat, flammable materials like curtains and towels, and leftover cooking grease. The detectors must be positioned at least 3 meters away from the cooking appliances for avoiding false alarms at the time of cooking. 

If by chance, a fire alarm or smoke detectors are mounted in the wrong place, then it is likely to lead to disastrous effects on home safety. Installing a fire alarm and smoke detectors in all the rooms, garage, attic and basement, marks the safety of the entire property. Make sure to avoid painting and decorating these security devices. At the same time, the fire alarm safety devices must not be obstructed. The heat and smoke alarms need a different positioning strategy, and hence, then the professionals must be hired for safe and proper installation. 

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