Knowing the best place in your home to install smoke detectors could save your family’s life one day. So where should you put smoke detectors in your house?
Fires where a smoke alarm was not present accounted for 30% of all dwelling fires in 2014/15
This means that an estimated 9,390 house fires could have been caught and put out much earlier if the homeowners had installed a fire alarm somewhere in the property.
We don’t need to calculate the number of lives this could have saved to remind you how important it is to have functioning smoke alarms in your home.
When set up and maintained properly, a smoke alarm can also save hundreds of thousands in property damage, never mind unimaginable stress and anxiety. But where should you install them?
Where should I put smoke detectors in my house?
There are two basic guidelines you should follow when asking yourself where in your home to place your smoke detectors.
One for every floor. A fire can start anywhere. Having one smoke detector for each floor gives you a better chance of detecting a fire sooner — and escaping safely.
One outside each bedroom. Smoke is the biggest killer in dwelling fire cases. If your family is sleeping, smoke could well get to them without them ever waking up. A smoke detector outside each room will instantly alert sleepers so the danger, before it is too late.
There is a third advantage to having multiple smoke detectors
If one smoke detector breaks, runs out of battery, or fails to perform as it should in the event of a fire, having multiple systems installed around the house means you will always have one or more backups to alert your family to the danger.
Smoke detectors aren’t expensive and they aren’t difficult to install. It can sometimes seem like a chore to purchase and install one but the safety payoff is invaluable.