5 Places You Should Never Put a Smoke Detector
There are guidelines to ensure they work properly.
Reviewed by Dan DiClericoHome Improvement & Outdoor Director
Installing a smoke detector is a crucial first line of defense to safeguard your home from fire and potentially save lives. And it’s not only important that you have them installed, but that they’re in working order, says Nicole Sanders, public education manager for UL Research Institutes’ Fire Safety Research Institute.
“Today, people have as little as three minutes—or even less—to escape a home fire from the time the fire starts,” she warns. “Smoke alarms will give you and your loved ones the earliest warning of a fire, giving you time to escape. When every minute matters, smoke alarms can be the difference between survival and tragedy.”
Not sure where to place your home’s smoke alarms? Start with every sleeping room and outside each sleeping area (say, a shared hallway among several bedrooms), and install them on every level of the home, including the basement, says Susan McKelvey, communications manager at the National Fire Protection Association.
Just as important for proper functionality and safety is knowing where not to install them. Avoid placing a fire alarm in the following locations.
In some kitchens
“Smoke alarms should be installed at least 10 feet away from cooking appliances—which may mean not putting an alarm in the kitchen,” says Sanders.
Installing them too close to where you cook can lead to alarms mistakenly going off during everyday activities like burning toast. This nuisance could lead you to disable an alarm, putting you at risk when it is really needed.
“If nuisance alarms are a frequent problem, new technology can better differentiate between smoke from a fire and steam from cooking,” says Sanders. Consider updating your alarm.
In a bathroom or other humid area
Steam from showering or appliances like hairdryers or laundry machines can set off smoke alarms, says Sanders.
Ensuring proper spacing is essential to keep alarms from triggering accidentally. “Smoke alarms should be installed at least three feet from bathrooms with showers or tubs,” says McKelvey.
In a garage or unfinished attic
While smoke alarms should be installed in the basement, you can skip unfinished attics and garages, says Sanders.
“Temperatures in those spaces are more variable, and extreme temperatures and dust can make smoke alarms less reliable or cause nuisance alarms,” she explains.
As a rule of thumb, avoid placing smoke alarms where temperatures fall below 40°F (4.4°C) or rise above 100°F (38°C),” says McKelvey.
Near airflow areas
“Avoid installing smoke alarms in places where there is air movement or drafts such as near windows or near the air supply from an HVAC system,” says McKelvey.
This includes ceiling fans, vents, or air-conditioning registers—where drafts could interfere with their operation by keeping smoke away from sensors during a fire, says Sanders.
Around obstructed locations
Smoke alarms require unobstructed access to air to operate efficiently.
“Smoke alarms should be positioned where smoke can reach them quickly,” says Sanders. “Be mindful of anything, whether a heavy fabric, beam, door, or tall shelf, that can obstruct smoke alarms and make them less effective.”
Karla Pope is a longtime writer, editor and blogger with more than two decades of editorial experience. She’s written for a variety of outlets including Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Travel + Leisure, Tripadvisor, People, Parade and more. Her coverage includes travel, lifestyle, entertainment and wellness content. When she's not exploring the world with her family, you can find her curled up on the couch watching a documentary and eating gummy bears.
Having written thousands of product reviews and how-to articles on all aspects of home ownership, from routine maintenance to major renovations, Dan (he/him) brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his role as the director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. A one-time roofer and a serial remodeler, Dan can often be found keeping house at his restored Brooklyn brownstone, where he lives with his wife and kids.
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