Code for smoke alarms?


  #1  
Old 11-23-13, 06:18 PM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 327
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Code for smoke alarms?

What does the national code say about required smoke alarms in a house. Living Room? Bedrooms? Hallway?

And something else I am confused about. I have heard that many people choose not to install a smoke alarm near a bathroom because the steam from a shower can trigger the smoke alarm and it becomes quite a nuisance. So, what to do about that?
 
  #2  
Old 11-23-13, 06:41 PM
W
Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 578
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Not sure about codes for these, but you can get smoke alarms these days that advertise a "microprocessor" (love it that they seem to think that's going to get people excited by putting it in large exciting font on packaging like we're in the 80's or something) that significantly reduces nuisance alarms.

Wife tends (for some reason) to cook things on high heat all the time so we get alot of the nuisance alarms. Have had this thing for about a month now. We've noticed a big reduction in the thing going off over a fried egg.

Just my 4 cents.
 
  #3  
Old 11-23-13, 08:22 PM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,928
Received 3,947 Upvotes on 3,540 Posts
In a typical home installation a smoke detector is not installed in a kitchen or near a bathroom with a shower.

There should be a smoke detector in every bedroom.
There should be a combination CO/smoke detector in the hall outside of the bedrooms.

Smoke detectors are usually located at the top of a stairway.
Every home is different so exact locations are not always readily apparent.

Many apartments, due to tight quarters, present a challenge since the bathroom, kitchen and bedrooms can be clustered next to each other.

In that case a smoke in every bedroom is mandatory and one in the hall away from the kitchen and bathroom is required.
 
  #4  
Old 11-23-13, 08:40 PM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 327
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Thanks guys. Yes, this old little house has got some issues on smoke alarm placement. I want to get an interconnected system so that when a fire/smoke triggers one alarm, it triggers all of them and they all beep. I want safety, but I don't want nuisance alarms going beep, beep, beep everytime someone takes a shower or cooks something.

I was wondering...
  • About the bedroom, where do most people put the smoke alarm? In the corner of the room? Maybe above the bed? Or maybe near the door of the room?
  • About the hallway. Uh oh, my hallway is small and only about 9-10 feet long. The problem is that there is a bathroom door almost right in the middle of the hallway and shower steam easily gets into the hallway. Am I required to out a smoke alarm there?
  • About the kitchen. Another issue. The kitchen is an open-design and opens into the living room with no clear delineation between the living room and kitchen. In fact, the stove somewhat sits in the middle between the two rooms. I don't want a nuisance alarm beeping every time I cook something. Do I need to put a smoke alarm there?
 
  #5  
Old 11-24-13, 10:40 AM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Gainesville, FL, USA
Posts: 15,532
Received 293 Upvotes on 268 Posts
For Carbon Monoxide detectors (CO); if you do not have any fuel burning appliances, or a fireplace; then you don't need one (i.e. all electric). The one exception to this rule of thumb is if you have an attached garage.

For the kitchen area, use a heat detector that will wire into the interconnect circuit just like one of the smoke alarms (stick with the same brand).

Overall, spend the little bit extra, and go with the photoelectric models. These tend to be far less prone to false trips from things like sudden humidity changes, typically last longer in service, and are better at detecting the kind of smoldering fires that are more typical of real world residential fire scenarios.

Also, invest in a bathroom exhaust fan. I know that a lot of people like the steam room effect when they shower, but not having a fan to pull that moisture out of the room is a big cause of mold issues in bathrooms...you can always turn it on _after_ you finish the shower.
 
  #6  
Old 12-02-13, 10:07 AM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 327
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Thanks everyone. It's been a week, and I think I'm going to forego the smoke alarm in my hallway. After all, the hallway is only about 9-10 feet long and the bathroom door is right towards the middle of the hallway. I figure it's just going to be a nuisance anyway because shower steam often goes right into the hallway. So, I'm not going to put a smoke detector there.

Here is the plan:
  • Heat Detector for the open kitchen / living room
  • Photoelectric-type Smoke Detectors for the Bedrooms

Do you think it's ok to just get a heat detector instead of a traditional smoke detector for the kitchen/living room? I have a gas stove, but I kinda prefer not to get a traditional smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector because I hate nuisance beeps everytime I cook.

Do you think it's ok to skip out on the hallway smoke detector? I'm also trying to avoid the nuisance beeping situation because of the shower steam into hallway issue.
 
  #7  
Old 12-02-13, 05:46 PM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Gainesville, FL, USA
Posts: 15,532
Received 293 Upvotes on 268 Posts
With the layout described, the heat detector is not only OK, it's the best choice. If you have smokes in the sleeping rooms, then the one in the short hallway is not really needful. Since you have gas appliances, put the CO detector in the hallway. The occasional steam will not rally have any effect on it.
 
  #8  
Old 12-02-13, 07:16 PM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 327
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Yikes! Just got back from looking at smoke detectors at the hardware store. The newer, fancier ones are kinda pricy!

Doesn't the National Code just say that I need a smoke detector in each living-type of room? So, basically I would need one in each bedroom and in the living room. I can skip the hallway and not put a smoke detector there, correct?
 
  #9  
Old 12-03-13, 06:57 PM
J
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 169
Upvotes: 0
Received 16 Upvotes on 12 Posts
I think there might be some confusion here between smoke "detectors" and smoke "alarms". Smoke detectors are wired together and powered either by house voltage or from a fire alarm panel. Smoke alarms are individual smoke sensing devices that you would buy from a home supply etc store.

Electrical powered smoke ALARMS are usually mandated and prescribed by the local building codes or what ever authority has jurisdiction over such matters in your area. Electricians usually install these types of alarms because of them being powered by 110VAC. These are the alarms that are usually specified to be installed in every sleeping area, hall ways and levels of a home and in some areas 110VAC CO. alarms are required also. It all depends on the codes where you live but mostly if you have an existing house you are not "required" to have this type of alarm, but if you do it should be as described above or according to local building codes. In many areas, if you should do permitted reconstruction or renovation of your home you may be required to add these devices. With this type of system, when one detector trips, they all sound an alarm.

Smoke ALARMS (that you buy at the local store) can be installed wherever you want to install them. When they detect smoke only the affected device sounds an alarm. As previously mentioned in this thread they can be installed in bedrooms etc, etc. or where ever.

The above 2 types of smoke alarms will not report a fire to the central station and in many cases will not provide you with any or much of a reduction on your homeowners insurance. These are more the "life saving" detectors. These detectors are mostly "ionization" type of detectors which are more prone to false alarms.

Smoke DETECTORS ( connected to an alarm system) minimally recommended by UL should be at least one each level of the home but more may be installed where necessary. Usually local authorities do not prescribe specifications on this type of installation. Installing these types of detectors in all of the above described rooms can be quite costly.
However, this type of a detector is typically a photo electric type and is less likely to false alarm due to cooking and more likely to pick up what is known to be the more typical kind of fire that occurs in a home.

This type of system can report to a central station resulting not only in life saving but property saving potential and usually will result in a substantial reduction in home insurance ..... depending upon your carrier.

All of the above may be different in your area due to the whim of "authorities having jurisdiction" as is always mentioned as a disclaimer in the NFPA manuals. If you want to be absolutely sure for your area...... check with your local building department and/or fire marshals office.

However ...... Keep in mind that the only difference between God and a Fire Marshal or Building Inspector is that God doesn't think he's a Fire Marshal or Building Inspector.
 

Last edited by Jimmiee; 12-03-13 at 07:29 PM.
  #10  
Old 12-03-13, 09:54 PM
K
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 14
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Wink

...... Keep in mind that the only difference between God and a Fire Marshal or Building Inspector is that God doesn't think he's a Fire Marshal or Building Inspector.

You took the words right out of my mouth, mostly. I was about to say to check with your local jurisdiction having authority (LJHA) regardless of what NFPA states. No matter what NFPA codes are mandated, if your state has not adopted to the latest NFPA revision, you may still not be "up to date" with codes.

Furthermore, as stated above, "local jurisdiction having authority" is a euphemism for "what I say goes!", the world is flat, there are 31 days in February, etc. because I said so. Codes, although printed in black and white, are almost always interpreted as gray. NFPA states that fire alarm initiating devices are to be red or white in color. But, your LJHA can mandate that all devices are to be painted purple with yellow polka-dots, because they CAN!

Sorry, I just had to take a shot at all the inspectors I've dealt with who had the God complex. There are plenty of good ones though. But yes, contact your local inspector/marshall, and be very nice
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: