This isn’t a good place to install a smoke alarm

A smoke alarm is essential in every home, but if all goes well you’ll only hear it when the battery is dead. Installing it in the kitchen can lead to annoying situations, for example when you’re cooking with a lot of steam. It does give you a sense of safety to have one around, though. What if a fire breaks out while you’re sleeping? You’ll be grateful for the loud beeping!

It can be a little difficult to decide where you should put up the smoke alarm, though.

Don’t put your smoke alarm here

There are a couple of places you’re better off to avoid when you’re installing your smoke alarm, though, like the kitchen, the bathroom or near your washing machine and dryer. Spots near a heater or drafty places, like near a window or fan, are also places to avoid. A smoke detector contains a cell that’s sensitive to light and when that light is interrupted, it’ll react. So, if you put your smoke detector near your shower, the steam could cause the light to be interrupted and the alarm to go off. That’s not what you want when you’re taking a nice, relaxing shower!

Do put your smoke alarm here

So, where should you put the alarm? A good spot would be on the ceiling in the hallway. If there’s a light on the ceiling as well, you should put the smoke alarm at least 30 centimeters away from it. Do you want to put the alarm in the attic? Make sure to put it at least 90 centimeters away from the ridge. There’s no air circulation at the complete top of the house which means it takes way too long for the smoke to reach the alarm. That’s dangerous! You could also install the alarm in the bedroom, but you should make sure you don’t put it to close to the window.

Read more: THESE common household habits can cause home fires!

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Source: Libelle | Image: video still DIY With Michael Borders