Home Security Tips Regarding Smoke Detectors

29 July, 2010

When considering where in your house to install smoke detectors, consider two things. One, where the highest risk of fire outbreak exists. Two, where family members spend the most time. Some of these will not share these two traits, like a furnace room and a bedroom, while other rooms in the house will meet both criteria, like the kitchen or living room with a fireplace.

When considering the high-risk areas in your home, they will include furnace rooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, and any room with a fireplace like a living room, family room, and even a master bedroom. When thinking about where the members in your household spend the bulk of their time, those areas will include bedrooms, family or living rooms, and the kitchen and dining rooms. These are your top priorities when deciding where to place the smoke detectors, and how many detectors you will need to install.

Other home security tips to keep in mind when it comes to smoke detectors deal with optimal performance. Placing a smoke detector on a ceiling is not necessarily the best placement. Smoke can dissipate substantially by the time it reaches the ceiling and a smoke detector might not sound the alarm. The best location is high on a wall. Smoke will travel up a wall, and this placement will result in the earliest notification possible of a fire in your house. Be certain to not install a smoke detector near a cold air return, an air conditioner, a ceiling fan, or an open window. These can serve to cause the smoke to never reach the detector, thereby delaying notification that the house is on fire and the family is in danger.

Finally, monthly and semi-annual maintenance will extend the life of each detector and will create the best conditions possible for effective functionality. On a monthly basis it's important to dust the fins that allow the smoke to enter into the detector. Keeping these free from debris will ensure peak performance. Every six months the batteries in each detector needs to be replaced. Setting an easy-to-remember day, like the first day of spring and the first day of fall, will ensure that your smoke detectors are operating at their highest capacity.

Make smoke detectors part of your monitored ADT monitored security system and protected your family against potentially deadly house fires and smoke inhalation.