Smoke Alarm Safety Tips

8/19/2019 (Permalink)

You can never be too careful when it comes to fire safety in your home, and smoke alarms are a great way to help alert your family to emergency situations, such as house fires.  There are some important guidelines to follow regarding smoke alarms that will help keep your family safe.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoke alarms should be installed on every level of your home, including the basement and installed inside of every bedroom and outside of each sleeping area.  For example, a home that is two stories and has three bedrooms should have five smoke alarms. Homes that have a set number of hardwired alarms can still place more battery-operated smoke alarms throughout the house. There is no such thing as having too many smoke alarms in your home! Just make sure they are properly placed within each room.

In order to benefit from smoke alarms in your home, they need to be properly installed in each room. In the kitchen, battery operated smoke detectors should be installed at least 10 feet away from cooking appliances to minimize the number of false alarms. Smoke rises, so smoke alarms should be placed high on walls or ceilings.  If you are installing your battery-operated smoke alarm on a wall, the top of the alarm should not be installed more than 12 inches from the ceiling. Keep in mind that alarms should not be placed too close to vents or windows in order for them to properly work.

We hope these smoke alarm tips are helpful and keep your home and family safe from harm.