Where Should I Install My Detectors?

At a minimum, smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors should be installed on each level of your home and one inside each bedroom. If you have children under 14 years old sleeping in your home I encourage you to purchase a Child Awakening alarm for their bedrooms ($50). Studies have shown that children block out the tones because they sleep so much deeper than adults. Child Awakening alarms alternate between a loud 85 decibel tone and a prerecorded voice that warns of danger. This type of warning disrupts the child's deeper REM sleep pattern and wakes them up more effectively.

Knowing where you shouldn't install your smoke detectors is as important as knowing where to install them. The kitchen is obviously a common place for fires, however I don't advise putting a smoke detector directly inside your kitchen. If your detector is located less than 15 feet from a heat source you are likely to get continuous false alarms. If you get continuous false alarms then you are likely to remove the battery or the detector completely. Instead of placing it directly in the kitchen I advise placing one in the rooms just outside the kitchen to prevent continuous false alarms.

You also want to avoid placing the alarm in a dead space. Dead space is a triangular space located approximately 4 inches down from the ceiling and 4 inches away from the wall. Smoke rises and it often pushes and traps clean air into this space. If you place a detector too high on the wall then it may not detect the bad smoke when you need it to. The ceiling is a good location to place your smoke detector. Most will cover approximately 30 feet without obstructions. Avoid ceiling fans, vents and other drafty areas however. If you can't place one in the center of the room then near the entrance is the next best location.

A garage or an uninsulated attic may also cause problems for your detector due to the extreme temperatures in these areas. Like the kitchen, it is advised that you place the detector just outside the entrance to these locations to avoid false alarms or malfunctions.

While Carbon Monoxide is slightly lighter than air, many CO detectors are designed to plug into the wall outlets. These detectors are still adequate because the drafts and airflow of the home will keep the air circulating enough to pass over their sensors. The fact that Carbon Monoxide is odorless, invisible and deadly makes it an even greater threat while you are sleeping. A CO detector at breathing level is a good idea, bed height in bedrooms and standing height in the basement, if possible.