To ensure audibility in bedrooms, no smoke alarm device should be further away than 3 m
/ 10 ft from any bedroom door. It may be necessary to install more than one smoke alarm
device, particularly if the hallway is more than 15 m / 49 ft long.
In single-story homes with two separate sleeping areas, a minimum of two smoke alarm
devices are required, one outside each sleeping area.
In multilevel or split-level homes, as a minimum, a smoke alarm device should be installed
on the ground floor between the staircase and any room in which a fire might start and on
each story in circulation areas that form part of the escape route (normally hallways and
landings).
Additional alarms should be installed in bedrooms in anticipation of fires originating here,
caused by faulty wiring, lights, appliances, smokers, or other hazards.
For best protection, smoke alarm devices should be installed in every room in your home,
apart from those listed in the Locations to avoid section. Heat alarms should be used in
kitchens, boiler rooms, laundry rooms, garages, and such, where smoke alarm devices
would be unsuitable.
Install smoke alarm devices in circulation areas at a distance no greater than 7.5 m / 25 ft
from the farthest wall, no greater than 7.5 m / 25 ft from a door to any room in which a
fire might start, and no greater than 7.5 m / 25 ft from the next smoke alarm device.
As it is impossible to predict the source of a fire, the best location for an alarm is usually
the center of a room or hallway. If it is necessary to place a smoke alarm device on a wall,
always locate the detection element of the alarm 15 to 30 cm / 6 to 12 in below the
ceiling and the bottom of the alarm above the level of doors and other openings.
In rooms with simple sloped, peaked, or gabled ceilings, install smoke alarm devices on
the ceiling 90 cm / 3 ft from the highest point of the ceiling. “Dead-air” at the peak of a
ceiling may prevent the smoke from reaching the alarm in time to provide an early
warning.
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