Where to put smoke alarms: inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area such as the hallway, and on every level of your home, including the basement. Mount them on the ceiling or high on a wall, at least 10 feet from the stove. Test them monthly and replace each alarm 10 years after its manufacture date.
That is the minimum the NFPA's National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code has required for years, and NFPA notes that homes built to earlier standards often fall short. Larger homes need more. Here is the detail, plus a testing schedule and options for people who can't hear a standard alarm.
Every bedroom. Put one inside each room where someone sleeps.
Outside each sleeping area. For example, in the hallway outside the bedrooms. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) says to put alarms inside and outside each bedroom and sleeping area, noting that a closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire.
Every level, including the basement. In the basement, NFPA says to put the alarm on the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs leading to the next level.
Levels without bedrooms. Put an alarm in the living room, den or family room, near the stairway to the upper level, or in both places.
Larger homes. NFPA notes that bigger homes need additional alarms.
Mount alarms high, on the ceiling or high on a wall, because smoke rises.
On a wall, the top of the alarm should be no more than 12 inches below the ceiling.
On a pitched ceiling, place it within 3 feet of the peak, but not in the apex itself, the top 4 inches of the peak.
Keep alarms away from windows, doors and ducts, where drafts can interfere.
Never paint an alarm or cover it with stickers or decorations.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions, and keep them for reference.
Cooking smoke and shower steam can set alarms off. To cut down on nuisance alarms:
Keep alarms at least 10 feet (3 meters) from the stove or other cooking appliance.
NFPA says photoelectric alarms are the best type to install near kitchens and bathrooms.
Newer multi-criteria alarms say "helps reduce cooking nuisance alarms" on the package. NFPA suggests considering them when it is time to replace old alarms.
If an alarm sounds while you cook, never take the battery out. USFA says to open a window or door, press the hush button and wave a towel to clear the air. If it keeps happening, move the alarm several feet farther from the kitchen or bathroom.
Sensor type. Ionization alarms generally respond faster to flaming fires, and photoelectric alarms to smoldering fires. USFA and NFPA recommend having both types, or dual-sensor alarms that combine them.
Interconnected. When one sounds, they all sound, so you can hear the alarm wherever in the home it starts. Interconnection can be wired or wireless. NFPA says to use alarms from the same manufacturer so they work together.
Tested. Choose alarms with the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
Power. Alarms run on a 9-volt battery, a sealed 10-year battery, or your home's wiring with a backup battery. Only a qualified electrician should install hardwired alarms.
Local rules. Your city, county or state may require a specific type, so check with your local fire marshal.
Interconnection makes a real difference. In a Consumer Product Safety Commission survey of household fires cited by NFPA, interconnected alarms sounded in 53% of fires. When alarms were on every floor, interconnected or not, they sounded in 37%. Some fire departments offer free or reduced-price alarms, and some will install battery alarms at no cost, so call their non-emergency number.
Every month. Press the test button and listen for the loud beep, beep, beep. Make sure everyone at home knows the sound and what to do.
Every year. Replace 9-volt batteries, and the backup battery in hardwired alarms.
When it chirps. A single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low. For a sealed 10-year alarm, replace the whole alarm right away.
After 10 years. Replace every alarm 10 years after its manufacture date. Chirping that continues after a new battery also means the alarm has reached the end of its life.
As directed. Clean alarms following the manufacturer's instructions.
Three loud beeps, repeating, mean smoke or fire. Get out, call 911 and stay out. USFA warns that you may have less than 2 minutes to get everyone outside.
USFA says people 65 and older have a higher risk of dying in a home fire. If someone in your home can't hear a standard alarm:
Consider an alarm with a different sound, or one that comes with a strobe light or a bed shaker. NFPA notes that pillow and bed shakers designed to work with your smoke alarm are sold online and in stores.
Choose devices listed by a qualified testing laboratory.
Keep a mobile phone and hearing aids or implants close to the bed at night, as NFPA suggests.
Interconnect alarms so a fire anywhere sets off the one by the bed.
If a parent can't test their own alarms, a caregiver should check them.
Talk through the escape plan together. If someone uses a walker or wheelchair, check that they can get through every exit doorway.
For the rest of the house, our home safety checklist for aging parents goes room by room.
Yes. NFPA's code calls for an alarm inside every sleeping room, plus one outside each sleeping area and one on every level. Local requirements vary, so check with your fire department.
Either is fine if it is high up. On a wall, keep the top of the alarm no more than 12 inches below the ceiling, and check your alarm's instructions.
At least 10 feet (3 meters) from the stove or other cooking appliance. NFPA says a photoelectric alarm is the best type near the kitchen.
Every 10 years from the manufacture date, or sooner if the alarm keeps chirping after you replace the battery.
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