Where Should I Install Smoke Detectors and Fire Alarms?

When a small fire can overtake a home within a matter of minutes, it’s important to have multiple smoke alarms placed throughout your home. Having enough smoke alarms in your home can help you detect a fire as soon as possible.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an organization focused on fire safety and awareness, smoke alarms should be installed in several areas throughout the home. To ensure you have enough smoke alarms, follow this helpful checklist and install alarms in these locations.

• On every level of your home. This includes attics and basements. Depending on how large your attic or basement is, you may want to install an alarm in each corner.
• In every bedroom. Alarms should be installed in every sleep room, as well as outside of the rooms in hallways.
• At stairways. This includes at the bottom of staircases leading from your basement, and at the top of stairs leading from the first to the second floor.
• Main areas and large rooms. While you’ll want a smoke alarm in your living room or den, keep them at least ten feet away from the kitchen and cooking appliances, as this can trigger false alarms.

A basic rule of thumb is to make sure a person anywhere within the house can hear a smoke alarm when the detection system is triggered. If your home has large rooms and long hallways, you’ll want to install more alarms than you would if you lived in a small apartment.

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