Where To Install Smoke Detectors

Smoke detector (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Where to Install Smoke Detectors in Your Home

Author: Toby
Smoke detectors are an important tool to have in the home. This is because you will be able to detect any smoke or small fires in the home, thereby allowing you to put out the fire early or to find out the cause for the alarm to go off. Many people believe that the only place to place smoke detectors is in the kitchen because it is the one place that people use fire and electricity the most. While this may be true, there are a number of places and strategic spots in one\'s residence where a smoke detector may come in handy.
As earlier mentioned, the first place to install smoke detectors in your home is the kitchen. This is the room in the home with the stove, gas cooker, oven, grill, electrical appliances and even heaters which are used for cooking and other tasks. There is a debate on which smoke detector is the most effective because there are some brands that give off false alarms, something that could prove dangerous in the long run.
The next place that one must consider placing smoke detectors in the home is the bedrooms or sleeping area. This is because electrical faults, cigarette smoke or even candle smoke may cause an alarm to go off. If you do not have detectors in the bedrooms to detect any possible fire trouble, then tragic accidents while people are asleep may occur. You can choose to have detectors close to the bedrooms if they are along the same corridor. However, if the rooms are spread out, then you may need to get individual gadgets for the rooms.
The sitting/living room or lounge is another place in the home where people spend a lot of time. People may choose to smoke in the lounge and there are also a lot of electrical equipment like the home theatre system and many others. You will need a smoke detector in this room because you will prevent other inhabitants of the home or even guests from suffering fire related injuries.
If your home has an office, this is also a place worth considering when choosing places in the home to place detectors. This is because paper catches fire quickly and that is what is mostly found in an office space. There may also be electrical equipment like printers, scanners and computers which can cause a fire in case of a power surge.
Corridors and the stairway are also excellent places to have smoke detectors. This is because you need an advance warning if there is a fire in the home in order to clear the corridor on time. It is said that smoke travels upwards and in order to avoid fire in a home with more than 2 storeys, then a stairway smoke detector is a must have.
Other places you can have smoke detectors include a garage to avoid gas explosions. Also indoor pet shelter areas are a good place to have detectors in order to save your pet from a fire situation. Smoke detectors, as evident, are an absolute necessity in the home.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-security-articles/where-to-install-smoke-detectors-in-your-home-3528188.html
About the Author
Toby is the webmaster for Galesburg Electric/Industrial Supply, Inc. A large selection of  smoke alarms can be found at our website www.GalesburgElectric.com