1. Recommended Locations for Smoke Alarms
•Locate the first alarm in the immediate area of the sleeping rooms. Try to monitor the exit path as the sleeping rooms are usually farthest from the exit. If more than one sleeping area exists, locate additional alarms in each sleeping area (See figure 3).
•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 sleeping room.
•Locate an alarm in every room where elec- trical 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 mount- ing is preferred in ordinary residential con- struction.
•For mobile home installation, select loca- tions carefully to avoid thermal barriers that may form at the ceiling. For more details, see MOBILE HOME INSTALLATION below.
•When mounting an alarm on the ceiling, locate it at a minimum of 4” (10 cm) from the side wall (see figure 1).
•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 ceil- ing (see figure 1).
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3
ANYWHERE ALONG |
THIS BOLD SURFACE |
12” |
(300mm) |
FIGURE 4 |