An alarm should be fitted in the hallway, between the living areas (lounge, dining room, kitchen etc) and the sleeping areas. Here it will detect smoke coming from those areas which, if left undetected, would cut off your escape route to the front door.
A home with more than one floor
An alarm should be fitted on each level, in the hallway and on each landing of the stairs. It will detect smoke entering the escape route from any room in the home giving your family a chance to escape through the front door.
If you choose to fit only a single alarm in a home with more than one floor, care must be taken to position it where it will be heard throughout the home, particularly when you are asleep. In this case it is recommended that it be fitted at the top of the stairs.
Fitting of smoke alarm
Conventional smoke alarms should be simply screwed into the ceiling, at least 30cms (12 inches) away from a wall or a light fitting, as close to the centre of the room, hallway or landing, as possible. Always read the manufacturers instructions before fitting, particularly when linked or mains powered alarms are being installed.
Smoke alarm system for the deaf
If you are fitting a smoke alarm system for the deaf, then it is not possible to connect additional detectors of different types on some alarm systems. All the systems listed under 'the models available for the deaf' can be used with additional smoke detectors. The type of additional smoke detector you choose will depend on the system, so contact the manufacturer or supplier for further advice.
