Fire alarm design and layout

[Tim S]

Hi,

Planning ahead here (but not far ahead).

My house looks like:

=============== | B | Shower | | | -----========== =============== | | | | | | - ---| Bed ----| | | | | | | | Hall | | | | Bed | | Stairs| ---- | | | | | Bath | | |- ----|-----------| Hall -----------| | *CO Wood | | | | Fire | --- | | | | | |Cooker Kitchen Bed | | *H or | | Dining | | Lounge | | | | | ========================= ===============

There's an upstairs (dormer) which is one room space

How would you choose the best placement and type of fire alarms (interlinked)?

My guess is as above:

B = Gas Boiler

*H = Heat alarm *CO = CO alarm (gas cooker, wood/coal fire and boiler all nearby)

But where and what type (optical/ionisation) would be the best places to put the other detectors?

There's no door between the kitchen and the top left hall, but all other openings have doors.

Is it worth putting alarms in the bedrooms - or just in the hallway...

Cheers

Tim

[Owain]

I think so. Make sure the alarm is loud enough in the bedroom to waken someone who's fallen asleep with their headphones on after a few drinks. Also gives a faster response if someone is smoking in bed (you might not, but a visitor might sneak a fly puff)

Owain

[ARWadsworth]

Optical smoke alarms are usually installed in circulation areas such as hallways and landings. However I have both types in my hallway as I am prepared for petrol being poured through my letterbox and a match following it.

Combined optical/ionisation smokes are available.

When my brother had his extension built he was required to have mains powered smoke alarms fitted. I fitted heat detectors in the kitchen and integral garage, optical sensors on the landing and the lounge and ionisation detectors in the lounge and master bedroom. As I was able to lay the interlinking cable without damaging the decorations the cost of installation was low. Future plans are to install another ionisation detector in the dining room. This means lifting carpets and at the moment the contents of the garage are in the back bedroom above the dining room.

Could you have an ionisation alarm in the hallway by the shower room and an optical alarm outside door to the dormer bedroom?

And for the few quid (

[RubberBiker]

You might like to look at the Kidde installation instructions - includes general info on type and placement:

[Owain]

Have you considered an anti-arson mailbox?

Or moving to somewhere less disreputable, like Colombia? ;-)

Owain