5 Questions to Ask a Firefighter: Smoke Detectors

If you experience fire or water damage in your Minnesota home or commercial building, you’ll likely meet Dan Feine, Restorations by Highmark’s Emergency Response Director. Dan is also a Lieutenant at the Eden Prairie Fire Department. This month, we asked him five important questions related to smoke detectors.

Smoke detectors will sound when smoke particles are detected in the air. Even small amounts of smoke, such as from burnt food, can trigger a smoke detector. However, there are other factors unrelated to smoke that can trigger an alarm including:

• Low Battery: Many smoke detectors will emit a chirping sound as a signal that it needs assistance. This often occurs when a battery runs low.
• Dust: Debris can easily collect inside a smoke detector and interfere with sensors, so it’s important to regularly clean them.
• Humidity: If smoke detectors are placed too close to an area with moisture, such as near a shower, the humidity can sometimes trigger a false alarm.
• Insects: Small bugs often hide in dark places. If one crawls inside, it can trigger the smoke detector.
• Malfunctions: Rarely will a smoke detector malfunction. If this happens, it’s typically when the detector is wired into a home’s electrical system and there’s an electrical surge or short circuit, or if it’s old and needs to be replaced.

Any time a smoke detector sounds, it’s important to check for smoke and fire first. If none is found, it’s likely one of the above false alarms.

To keep your home and family safe, proper placement of smoke detectors is critical. Here’s some guidelines for most homes:

• Inside Every Bedroom: Each bedroom or sleeping area needs a smoke detector to alert people, especially while they’re sleeping, of smoke or fire danger.
• Stairways and Hallways: Detectors must also be placed outside of bedrooms in hallways and stairways. Long hallways may need more than one.
• Near the Kitchen: Since cooking is the leading cause of home fires, it’s essential to install a smoke detector near the kitchen at least 10 feet from cooking appliances to avoid false alarms.
• In the Living Room: High-traffic areas, such as living rooms, family rooms and dining rooms, need at least one smoke detector but avoid placing them near heaters or fireplaces.
• On Every Level: Ensure each level of your home has a smoke detector, including the basement and attic.

Mounting tips:

• Since smoke rises, it’s ideal to mount detectors on the ceiling. Wall-mounted detectors should be placed at least 4 inches from the ceiling.
• Avoid air vents, fans, windows and rooms with high humidity as the air circulation could interference with a smoke detector.

The number of smoke detectors you need is determined by the layout of your home. At a minimum, you need one per bedroom, one in the immediate vicinity of sleeping areas, one near the kitchen, and one on each level of your home.  For safety, it’s recommended you install smoke detectors in all areas mentioned in question number two above.

For example, if you own a two-story home with three bedrooms and a basement, you’ll need at least seven smoke detectors: three for the bedrooms, one in the hallway outside the bedrooms, one on the main floor, one near the kitchen, and one in the basement.

Often, smoke detectors will emit a chirping sound when they need attention. The most common cause is low battery. When the batteries run low, the detector will chirp every 30-60 seconds. Even if you have hardwired detectors, batteries are usually included as backup.

Other issues that can cause a chirping sound include incorrect battery installation, dust accumulation, humidity, an interruption in power, or when the detector has reached its end of life. Typically, a detector lasts 8-10 years but early replacement is possible.

To troubleshoot:

• Determine which smoke detector is chirping. Hardwired detectors are connected, so when one chirps, they all chirp, which makes it difficult to determine which one is having the issue.
• Clean the detector to remove any dust, debris, or insects.
• Check the batteries and change them if necessary.
• If none of the above works, replace the smoke detector.