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In houses with more than one sleeping area, Smoke Alarms
should be placed between each sleeping area and the living
area.
Multi Storey Dwellings
If the dwelling has more than one storey it must have an
interconnected alarm on each level for minimum protection.
Maximum Protection
For maximum protection you should put individual Smoke
Alarms in all the rooms where fire is most likely to break out
(apart from the locations to avoid, mentioned below).
Ensure that they are all interconnected. The living room is
the most likely place for a fire to start at night, followed by
the kitchen and then the dining room. You should also
consider putting Smoke Alarms in any bedrooms where
fires might occur, for instance, where there is an electrical
appliance such as an electric blanket or heater, or where
the occupant is a smoker. You could also consider putting
Smoke Alarms in any rooms where the occupant is unable
to respond very well to a fire starting in the room, such as
an elderly or sick person or a very young child.
Fire Authorities (including the Home Office, UK) recommend
that both Optical and Ionisation Smoke Alarms should be
fitted for the fastest response to all types of fires. An Optical
Alarm should be located downstairs to detect slow
smouldering fires (e.g. from a cigarette burning in a couch
or bedding, overheated PVC wiring etc). An Ionisation
Alarm should be located upstairs to detect fast flaming fires
(e.g. paper burning in a container or a grease fire in the
kitchen) which could rapidly block the main escape route.
Checking you can hear the Smoke & Heat Alarms
With the Alarm sounding in its intended location, check you
are able to hear it in each bedroom with the door closed,
above the sound of the radio. The radio should be set to a
reasonably loud conversation level. If you can't hear it over
your radio the chances are that it wouldn't wake a person.
If a Smoke Alarm is too far away for it to wake a person, it
is best to interconnect to another Smoke Alarm or Heat
Alarm near the bedroom, so when one alarm senses fire, all
interconnected alarms respond (see below for further
details).
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