Smoke Alarm Placement

[Joe Reilly]

In California, Smoke alarm are required to be in certain places. "install smoke alarms in every bedroom, in the hallways leading to the bedrooms, and on each level of your home, including the basement. Smoke alarms should be mounted on the ceiling 4" from the wall; wall mounts should be 4-12" from the ceiling. Do not install near draft areas (windows, vents.)."

My question is regarding Mobile homes and what others comment on, as most of my mobile home have 2 bedrooms on 1 end with a small hallway but it is still a hallway, so that is a given that they need both CO and Smoke alarm there, however on the other end of the home there is another bedroom which accesses directly from a family room with no hallway. I suggest placing a Smoke and CO alarm outside the door in the family room...what do you recommend ?

[tkaiser1]

I'm in Oregon and assume there may be differences between CA and OR codes. Here's a Q&A from a Portland OR code discussion on the Fire department's site about CO alarms. I use this as one source for guidance in my recommendations. If your laws are similar, the second CO detector would need to be in the hallway, or better yet, in the bedroom, at the other end of the building.

"Do current rules require carbon monoxide alarms in all bedrooms?

No, the law requires an alarm within 15 feet of each bedroom door (for example, a single alarm in a hallway may be within 15 feet of two or three bedrooms). However, it is a recommended best practice to have them in each bedroom because ductwork from sources often goes directly to bedrooms, bypassing hallways outside of sleeping areas.
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/fire/article/302604"



In California, Smoke alarm are required to be in certain places. "install smoke alarms in every bedroom, in the hallways leading to the bedrooms, and on each level of your home, including the basement. Smoke alarms should be mounted on the ceiling 4" from the wall; wall mounts should be 4-12" from the ceiling. Do not install near draft areas (windows, vents.)."

My question is regarding Mobile homes and what others comment on, as most of my mobile home have 2 bedrooms on 1 end with a small hallway but it is still a hallway, so that is a given that they need both CO and Smoke alarm there, however on the other end of the home there is another bedroom which accesses directly from a family room with no hallway. I suggest placing a Smoke and CO alarm outside the door in the family room...what do you recommend ?

[Joe Reilly]

I'm in Oregon and assume there may be differences between CA and OR codes. Here's a Q&A from a Portland OR code discussion on the Fire department's site about CO alarms. I use this as one source for guidance in my recommendations. If your laws are similar, the second CO detector would need to be in the hallway, or better yet, in the bedroom, at the other end of the building.

"Do current rules require carbon monoxide alarms in all bedrooms?

No, the law requires an alarm within 15 feet of each bedroom door (for example, a single alarm in a hallway may be within 15 feet of two or three bedrooms). However, it is a recommended best practice to have them in each bedroom because ductwork from sources often goes directly to bedrooms, bypassing hallways outside of sleeping areas.
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/fire/article/302604"



In CA, we only need CO in hallways, and Smoke in bedrooms and adjacent hallways, my question is a 'what-if' a hallway outside the bedroom does not exist.

I do Thank you for your reply and it only shows how different states are.

[Jerry Peck]

In California, Smoke alarm are required to be ... My question is regarding Mobile homes ...

Mobile homes are not built under the building code, mobile homes are built under the HUD code, so building or fire code would not apply to mobile homes.

And, I am not familiar with the HUD code, many others here are.

[Jim Port]

Agree.with Jerry. Since you are not a code inspector you can recommend whatever you feel enhances safety.

[Larry Morrison]

I would be a little leary on how you word your recommendation. As Home Inspectors we probably should not be designing "The Fix" especially when there are specific requirements that may very from state to state or even one local to another. (we do live in a litigious society). I'm not so precise when I'm recommending placement of Smoke and CO detectors. I will make some recommendations but stick in the wording "following the manufacturers recommendations and in accordance with State and local standards...blah...blah"

I will ad that Smoke and CO detector defects seem to be something written up on almost every report. So I have about four different canned statements ready for the situation. And most of those statements seem to also have BOLD and or Red lettering...Cuz I don't want any of my clients or their family members waking up in the morning Dead.

[Bruce Low]

Notwithstanding code, here in WI it's state law to have at least one of each (smoke & CO) alarm on each occupancy level. And since they were code required, smoke alarms are required in each bedroom and in the common area outside the bedrooms. It surprises me that CA would "pigeon-hole" the terminology to just "hallway." The common area might me a living room, dining room or whatever.

When my clients ask where to mount the devices (wall, ceiling, low, high????), I go with the KISS principle...... I tell them to "Mount the alarm where the manufacturer says to mount it because that is the location for which it is UL Listed."

[Roy Lewis]

From HUD...

? 3280.208 Smoke alarm requirements.
(a) Labeling. Each smoke alarm required
under paragraph (b) of this section
must conform with the requirements
of UL 217, Single and Multiple
Station Smoke Alarms, dated January
4, 1999 (incorporated by reference, see
? 3280.4), or UL 268, Smoke Detectors
for Fire Protective Signaling Systems,
dated January 4, 1999 (incorporated by
reference, see ? 3280.4), and must bear a
label to evidence conformance.
(b) Required smoke alarm locations. (1)
At least one smoke alarm must be installed
in each of the following locations:
(i) To protect both the living area
and kitchen space. Manufacturers are
encouraged to locate the alarm in the
living area remote from the kitchen
and cooking appliances. A smoke
alarm located within 20 feet horizontally
of a cooking appliance must
incorporate a temporary silencing feature
or be of a photoelectric type.
(ii) In each room designed for sleeping.
(iii) On the ceiling of the upper level
near the top or above each stairway,
other than a basement stairway, in any
multistory home completed in accordance
with this part or part 3282 of this
chapter. The alarm must be located so
that smoke rising in the stairway cannot
be prevented from reaching the
alarm by an intervening door or obstruction.
(2) For each home designed to be
placed over a basement, the manufacturer
must provide a smoke alarm for
the basement and must install at the
factory an electrical junction box for
the installation of this smoke alarm
and for its interconnection to other
smoke alarms required by this section.
The instructions for installers and information
for homeowners required in
paragraph (f) of this section must
clearly indicate that a smoke alarm
should be installed and is to be located
on the basement ceiling near the stairway.
(3) A smoke alarm required under
this section must not be placed in a location
that impairs its effectiveness or
in any of the following locations:
(i) Within 3 feet horizontally from
any discharge grille when a home is
equipped or designed for future installation
of a roof-mounted evaporative
cooler or other equipment discharging
conditioned air through a ceiling grille
into the living space; and
(ii) In any location or environment
that is prohibited by the terms of its
listing, except as permitted by this section.
(c) Mounting requirements. (1) Except
in rooms with peaked sloping or shed
sloping ceilings with a slope of more
than 1.5/12 or as permitted pursuant to
paragraph (e) of this section, smoke
alarms must be mounted either:
(i) On the ceiling at least 4 inches
from each wall; or
(ii) On a wall with the top of the
alarm not less than 4 inches below the
ceiling, and not farther from the ceiling
than 12 inches or the distance from
the ceiling specified in the smoke
alarm manufacturer?s listing and instructions,
whichever is less.
(2) Except as permitted pursuant to
paragraph (e) of this section, in rooms
with peaked sloping ceilings with a
slope of more than 1.5/12, smoke alarms
must be mounted on the ceiling within
3 feet, measured horizontally, from the
peak of the ceiling; at least 4 inches,
measured vertically, below the peak of
the ceiling; and at least 4 inches from
any projecting structural element.
(3) Except as permitted pursuant to
paragraph (e) of this section, in rooms
with shed sloping ceilings with a slope
of more than 1.5/12, smoke alarms must
be mounted on the ceiling within 3
feet, measured horizontally, of the high
side of the ceiling, and not closer than
4 inches from any adjoining wall surface
and from any projecting structural
element.
(d) Connection to power source. (1)
Each smoke alarm must be powered
from:
(i) The electrical system of the home
as the primary power source and a battery
as a secondary power source; or
(ii) A battery rated for a 10-year life,
provided the smoke alarm is listed for
use with a 10-year battery.
(2) Each smoke alarm whose primary
power source is the home electrical
system must be mounted on an electrical
outlet box and connected by a
permanent wiring method to a general
electrical circuit. More than one
smoke alarm is permitted to be placed
on the same electrical circuit. The wiring
circuit for the alarm must not include
any switches between the overcurrent
protective device and the
alarm, and must not be protected by a
ground fault circuit interrupter.
(3) Smoke alarms required under this
section must be interconnected such
that the activation of any one smoke
alarm causes the alarm to be triggered
in all required smoke alarms in the
home.
(e) Visible and tactile notification appliances.
(1) In addition to the smoke
alarms required pursuant to this section,
the manufacturer must provide
visible and listed tactile notification
appliances if these appliances are ordered
by the purchaser or retailer before
the home enters the first stage of
production. These appliances are required
to operate from the primary
power source, but are not required to
operate from a secondary power source.
(2) A visible notification appliance in
a room designed for sleeping must have
a minimum rating of 177 candela, except
that when the visible notification
appliance is wall-mounted or suspended
more than 24 inches below the ceiling,
a minimum rating of 110 candela is permitted.
(3) A visible notification appliance in
an area other than a room designed for
sleeping must have a minimum rating
of 15 candela.
(f) Testing and maintenance.
(1) Each required smoke alarm installed at the
factory must be operationally tested,
after conducting the dielectric test
specified in ? 3280.810(a), in accordance
with the alarm manufacturer?s instructions.
A smoke alarm that does not
function as designed during the test
and is not fixed so that it functions
properly in the next retest must be replaced.
Any replacement smoke alarm
must be successfully tested in accordance
with this paragraph.
(2) Home manufacturers must provide
specific written instructions for installers
on how to inspect and test the operation of smoke alarms during installation
of the home. These instructions
must indicate that any smoke
alarm that does not meet the inspection
or testing requirements needs to
be replaced and retested.
the homeowner with the alarm manufacturer?s
information describing the
operation, method and frequency of
testing, and proper maintenance of the
smoke alarm. This information must
be provided in same manner and location
as the consumer manual required
by ? 3282.207 of this chapter, but does
not have to be incorporated into the
consumer manual. No dealer, distributor,
construction contractor, or
other person shall interfere with the
distribution of this information.

[William Kading]

In California, Smoke alarm are required to be in certain places. "install smoke alarms in every bedroom, in the hallways leading to the bedrooms, and on each level of your home, including the basement. Smoke alarms should be mounted on the ceiling 4" from the wall; wall mounts should be 4-12" from the ceiling. Do not install near draft areas (windows, vents.)."

My question is regarding Mobile homes and what others comment on, as most of my mobile home have 2 bedrooms on 1 end with a small hallway but it is still a hallway, so that is a given that they need both CO and Smoke alarm there, however on the other end of the home there is another bedroom which accesses directly from a family room with no hallway. I suggest placing a Smoke and CO alarm outside the door in the family room...what do you recommend ?

Very Simple; since 2011 all Mobile homes require smoke alarms in all bedrooms. Just do it.

[Fred Comb]

Mobile homes are not built under the building code, mobile homes are built under the HUD code, so building or fire code would not apply to mobile homes.

And, I am not familiar with the HUD code, many others here are.

Here in MN we have a few state laws that are in addition to whatever building codes may or may not require. These laws use the term "All dwellings shall..." or something similar. A mobile home is defined as a dwelling here in MN and all dwellings shall have both smoke and CO alarms.

[William Kading]

Here in MN we have a few state laws that are in addition to whatever building codes may or may not require. These laws use the term "All dwellings shall..." or something similar. A mobile home is defined as a dwelling here in MN and all dwellings shall have both smoke and CO alarms.

Your In Minnesota, we are talking California. The question was for smoke detectors, nothing mentioned about CO. CO is always required as well as Smoke detectors here. If I am understanding correctly the question was pertaining to California, but sounds like everywhere. Thanks

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Your In Minnesota, we are talking California. The question was for smoke detectors, nothing mentioned about CO. CO is always required as well as Smoke detectors here. If I am understanding correctly the question was pertaining to California, but sounds like everywhere. Thanks

With Stick built, everywhere basically they are required. No doubt. But Mobile homes were the topic and they were the first to have the smoke and co requirements then stick built followed.

[Fred Comb]

Your In Minnesota, we are talking California. The question was for smoke detectors, nothing mentioned about CO. CO is always required as well as Smoke detectors here. If I am understanding correctly the question was pertaining to California, but sounds like everywhere. Thanks

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With Stick built, everywhere basically they are required. No doubt. But Mobile homes were the topic and they were the first to have the smoke and co requirements then stick built followed.

Understood - however the OP did indeed mention CO alarms. I was mostly responding to the inferred notion that just cuz the codes may not require something doesn't necessarily me it isn't required.