Attic smoke detector

Should I put a smoke detector in my attic? Which smoke detector is the best? How do you repair a smoke detector? What makes smoke detectors go off randomly? How to Place Smoke Detectors in an Attic Hold the end of the tape measure at the highest point on a cathedral or gabled ceiling.

Tack a string to the peak at the highest point, so you know where the approximate center. Place a mark every feet from the initial installation location for. Another location in a home where you should have a heat detector rather than a smoke alarm is the attic. Smoke alarms are not designed for garages and attics and are much more likely to fail than a heat detector. If you sleep better at night with an attic smoke detector, they do make detectors for extreme temperatures.

The only problem with these is the dust in most unfinished attics. If you have a workman in they will stir up the insulation and create dust. Smokes are very sensitive to dust. Attics are not commonly used as occupied spaces an as a result, they usually do not have smoke alarms or heat sensors.

Smoke detectors are not used in unfinished attics. The usual approach is to install rate-of-rise heat sensors in the attic. Modify a wireless Kidde smoke detector for use in. It’s essentially either this or nothing, which is what virtually everyone has, nothing in the attic. One of the smoke detectors was at the top of the stairs going down to the basement, too near our kitchen stove (less than feet away).

Another was in the living room, also a few feet from the kitchen area. We were getting too many false alarms with the smoke detectors , especially when some frying was being done in the kitchen. This hardwired alarm includes a 9V battery backup in case of a power outage,. If the code where you live requires a heat detection device in the attic, you will need to use a spot type heat detector.

Heat detectors can be electronic or mechanical. Electronic heat detectors use a thermistor as the primary heat sensing device. A thermistor is a component that changes resistance with temperature. Use either a 194º or 200º detector. Most of my installations have been in the northeastern states where 194ºF rate-of-rise (ROR) type detectors are the norm for attics.

If you live in the desert southwest, you may want to consider using fixed temp heat detectors. Rate-of-rise detects heat by quickly responding to a rapid temperature increase. Fixed temperature reacts to heat by responding to a specific temperature setting. The temperatures in your attic can possibly reach 2degrees in the dead of summer, setting off the alarms unnecessarily.

Peace of mind is one thing, but overkilling an idea that can be overridden is another. Opt for good smoke detectors, tied to each other according to code in the living space. Ideally however, you should place a smoke detector in every bedroom and in hallways outside sleeping areas.