Smoke alarms are not designed for garages and attics and are much more likely to fail than a heat detector.
Best place to put a smoke alarm in attic.
Install the first attic smoke detector on the wall near the stairs anywhere between the 4 inch and 12 inch marks.
You could also place ionisation smoke alarms in the loft and areas such as living and dining rooms.
Beyond our best overall pick one of the best dual sensor smoke detectors out there is the kidde hardwire smoke detector with ionization photoelectric dual sensors.
When smoke enters the optical chamber and interrupts the path of the light the light is scattered about by the smoke particles and causes a sensor to activate the alarm.
Carbon monoxide is a gas emitted in the combustion of carbon based fuels like wood coal and gasoline given the odorless and colorless nature of carbon monoxide it s known as the silent killer.
Photoelectric smoke alarms operate using a light source and a photoelectric sensor.
And because smoke in one area may not reach a smoke alarm in another the national fire protection association nfpa recommends placement of at least one smoke alarm on every level of the home including basements in every bedroom and outside each sleeping area.
Ask any firefighter if they have one in their attic and the answer is yes we found out the necessity for attic smoke alarms the hard way when our brand new completely built to code fully inspected home had an electrical fire in the attic right above an interior smoke alarm.
Interlinked smoke alarms could be a real advantage when there s a fire if one alarm detects smoke all the alarms sound.
An ionization smoke detector smoke enters a chamber and interrupts an electrical current which triggers the alarm should be installed no closer than 20 feet from a cooking appliance and no.
Keep the detector out of the way of pets and children.
Placement of smoke alarms.
Another location in a home where you should have a heat detector rather than a smoke alarm is the attic.
Do not place the detector right next to or over a fireplace or flame producing appliance.
Why smoke alarms are not mandatory in attics is beyond me.
5 measure and mark a distance of 4 inches on the ceiling from each wall.
Find out which models from brands including fireangel and ei electronics have earned our best buy smoke alarm recommendations.
If you are getting a single carbon monoxide detector place it near the sleeping area and make certain the alarm is loud enough to wake you up.
This hardwired alarm includes a 9v battery backup in case of a power outage and it can be used as a standalone unit or part of an interconnected system.
This type of alarm works best for slow smoldering fires.
The us fire administration fema recommends that you have a heat detector rather than a smoke alarm in your garage.