House fires are more common than you may think. They can cause severe property damage, the loss of personal items, and injuries or even fatalities. The purpose of smoke detectors is to draw your attention to a potential hazard as soon as possible so that you can take action. Choosing the right locations for smoke detector installation in your home is an important part of fire safety.
Smart Strategy for Smoke Detector Installation and Placement
Hopefully, your home already has some smoke detectors installed, but now is a good time to review their placement and determine if additional detectors should be installed or if existing detectors should be relocated.
If you are preparing for smoke detector installation in a new home or a very old home that does not have detectors, their placement is critical. Smoke detectors should be placed strategically so that they can quickly detect smoke in all areas of the home.
1. In or Near the Kitchen
One of the more common areas of the home where fires break out is in the kitchen and because of cooking activities. To avoid false alarms, smart placement for smoke detector installation is roughly 10 feet away from the stove and oven.
2. On Each Level of Your Home
Make sure that all floors in the home have at least one or more functional smoke detectors. If you have a very large home, place smoke detectors strategically across each floor.
3. Close to the Bedrooms
Bedrooms are dangerous areas when a fire breaks out since most people sleep or watch TV behind closed doors. Because of this, they may not sense a fire blazing in another area of the home. If the door is closed, they may not notice the smell of smoke or heat from the fire until it is already out of control.
In some cases, fires break out inside bedrooms when occupants are sleeping, such as if they fell asleep while burning a candle. Therefore, smoke detector installation should include a unit in each bedroom and at least one unit in a common area hallway or outside of each bedroom door.
4. In or Near the Laundry Room
Fires can also break out in laundry rooms. This is most often caused by accumulated lint and other debris from the dryer catching fire when it is exposed to heat. Clean the lint out of the dryer trap regularly and be sure to install a smoke detector nearby.
Remember that smoke detector installation should always be high on the wall or on the ceiling since smoke rises. Carbon monoxide detectors should also be installed on each floor in the home and in bedrooms as an additional safety precaution.
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