Firex 110-1011E Proper Placement of Your Smoke Alarm, Existing Homes, New Construction Homes

Proper Placement of Your Smoke Alarm

Invensys Controls Americas recommends complete coverage protection achieved by installing a smoke alarm in every room of your home.

THIS EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION’S STANDARD 72 (National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269).

The NFPA standard identifies the minimum requirement for locating smoke alarms in family living units. It states:

”2-2.1.1.1 Smoke alarms shall be installed outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms and on each additional story of the family living unit including basements and excluding crawl spaces and unfinished attics. In new construction, a smoke alarm also shall be installed in each sleeping room.”

Further, section 2-2.2.1 states that:

“In new construction, where more than one smoke alarm is required by 2-2.1, they shall be so arranged that operation of any smoke alarm shall cause the alarm in all smoke alarms within the dwelling to sound.”

The NFPA, 1993 Edition, Appendix A, however, clearly points out that:

“The required number of smoke alarms (as defined in the paragraphs above) may not provide reliable early warning protection for those areas separated by a door from the areas protected by the required smoke alarms. For this reason, it is recommended that the householder consider the use of additional smoke alarms for those areas for increased protection. The additional areas include: basement, bedrooms, dining room, furnace room, utility room, and hallways not protected by the required smoke alarms.”

Further, the California State Fire Marshal states that the minimum number of required smoke alarms is not enough to give the earliest warning under all conditions. The California State Fire Marshal states that:

“Early warning fire detection is best achieved by the installation of fire detection equipment in all rooms and areas of the household as follows: A smoke alarm installed in each separate sleeping area (in the vicinity, but outside the bedrooms), and heat or smoke alarms in the living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, hallways, attics, furnace rooms, closets, utility and storage rooms, basements and attached garages.”

It is clear that the earliest warning of a developing fire is best achieved by the installation of smoke alarms in all rooms and areas of the residence. Accordingly, Invensys Controls Americas recommends that you install smoke alarms in every room of your residence—including basements and finished attics—even though this is not required by the typical code or standard.

In addition, we recommend that you interconnect all smoke alarms capable of being interconnected. (The smoke alarms referenced in this manual CANNOT be interconnected. Interconnectable Firex smoke alarms include models G, GC, AD, ADC, FADC, PAD and PG.)

Invensys Controls Americas recommends a minimum of two smoke alarms in every home, no matter how small the home (including efficiency apartments). Invensys Controls Americas also recommends maximum coverage by installing smoke alarms in both required and recommended locations as illustrated and described hereafter.

Existing Homes:

The NFPA requires a smoke alarm on every level and outside each sleeping area in existing construction. An existing household with one level and one sleeping area is required to have one smoke alarm.z

	EXISTING HOMES
DINING	KITCHEN	BEDROOM BEDROOM
ROOM
LIVING		BEDROOM
ROOM

FINISHED

ATTIC

		Key
BEDROOM HALL	BEDROOM	NFPA minimum REQUIRED smoke
		alarm locations
		Invensys Controls Americas recommend-
	KITCHEN	ed additional smoke alarm locations
LIVING
ROOM
BASEMENT	UTILITY
	ROOM

TWO STORY RESI-

DENCE

New Construction Homes:

The NFPA requires AC-powered, interconnected smoke alarms to be installed inside each bedroom, outside each bedroom area, and on every level of the home. They also require a minimum of two AC- powered, interconnected smoke alarms in any new construction home.

NEW CONSTRUCTION

DINING	KITCHEN	BEDROOM BEDROOM
ROOM
LIVING		BEDROOM
ROOM

SINGLE STORY RESIDENCE/ APARTMENT/MOBILE HOME

FINISHED

ATTIC

BEDROOM HALL BEDROOM		Key
		NFPA minimum REQUIRED smoke
		alarm locations
LIVING	KITCHEN	Invensys Controls Americas recommended
		additional smoke alarm locations
ROOM

---- Denotes interconnection

UTILITY

BASEMENTROOM

TWO STORY RESI-

DENCE

!WARNING

Model CB, CC, CEC, CPBC and CCPB smoke alarms DO NOT meet NFPA minimum requirements for new construction. Use these models only in recommended smoke alarm locations.

Mobile Home Installation

•For minimum protection, smoke alarms should be installed in compliance with H.U.D. Manufactured Home Construction Safety Standards Title 24 CFR, Section 3280.208 and Section 3282.

•For additional protection, see single-story residence smoke alarm requirements and recommendations for existing homes and new construction.

NOTE: For mobile homes built before 1978, install smoke alarms on inside walls between

4 and 12 inches from the ceiling (older mobile homes have little or no insulation in the ceiling). This is especially important if the ceiling is unusually hot or cold.

Additional Smoke Alarm Placement Information

•	4 IN.	•					ACCEPTABLE
	(O.1M)
CEILING							HERE
				•					•
						•
•
			4 IN.					3'0
ACCEPTABLE HERE	•		(O.1M)
			MINIMUM
NEVER HERE				•
					12 IN.
					(O.3M)
TOP OF DETECTOR				MAXIMUM
ACCEPTABLE HERE
			SIDE			•
			WALL

•SOFFIT

SUBWALL

•

24"

2