You may have wondered, “how many smoke detectors do I need?” or even where you should place them. We prepared a guide to answer these questions and more.
Smoke detectors have become a mandatory element in residences nationwide to avoid tragedies caused by fires. Keep reading to learn the necessary recommendations regarding smoke detectors for residential and commercial.
Why Do You Need Smoke Detectors In The First Place?
Smoke detectors are vital systems designed for fire protection. In short, this alarm protects your home, family, or belongings from smoke and fire.
As sometimes fires start silently, this system can let us know when there is an abnormal amount of smoke in the environment. This action gives us time to escape the place and call the fire department in case of a fire threat at your home or business.
Smoke detectors will undoubtedly give you peace of mind by knowing you are secure. Therefore, you should have smoke detectors across your home to ensure your and your family’s safety.
We are all conscious of the primary benefit of smoke detectors, protecting people from fire. However, there still might be some confusion about how many to install and the exact location.
Types of Smoke Alarms
There are two types of smoke detectors: ionization and photoelectric alarms. The main difference between these two is how they react to different kinds of fire.
For example, ionization generally responds quicker to flaming fires, while photoelectric ones are more responsive to smoldering fires. Thanks to advances in the industry, a combination of both types also exists.
How Many Smoke Detectors Do I Need? | Where Should I Place Them?
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends getting a smoke detector certified by a recognized testing laboratory.
Moreover, it suggests there must be a smoke detector on every level of the home and inside each room, including the basement. Furthermore, the NFPA advises installing them also the following locations:
- Outside of sleeping areas, such as a hallway.
- If there are no bedrooms on one of the levels, install alarms in the living room or on the stairway near the lower or upper level.
- For the basement area, you should place it on the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs leading to the next level.
- Install one at least 10 feet (3 meters) away from a cooking appliance to avoid false alarms.
- Because smoke rises, you should mount the alarms high on walls or ceilings.
Given the above recommendations, you must know that the appropriate number of smoke detectors in your house or business depends on the number of rooms and the general size of your entire home. In short, every house needs at least three smoke detectors on each level.
As a complementary security system, you should also install carbon monoxide detectors. It may not be necessary to install as many carbon monoxide alarms as smoke detectors, but any alarm is better than no alarm.
If you still have doubts, you can consult a company that offers fire protection services in Brooklyn, NY.
Get Assistance from Our Professionals
If you are looking to install smoke detectors in your house, or perhaps you are worried about not having the proper amount of smoke alarms at home, count on us!
Solution Fire Prevention can assist in installing the best quality and most efficient smoke detectors. After knowing your property, we will know precisely what type of smoke alarms will work best for you, how many you need, and where to place them.
Protect your home or business with our help. Call our professionals for an estimate!