It’s recommended that you place a smoke alarm on every floor, while a carbon monoxide alarm is recommended in every room containing a fuel burning appliance. There may be additional local regulations that you need to follow.
We also strongly recommend installing a Nest Protect:
- Inside and outside every sleeping area
If you close your bedroom door before you go to sleep, make sure you install a smoke alarm inside your bedroom and in the hallway. Closed or metal doors can also block smoke from reaching a smoke alarm.
- In remote rooms that are used often but which may be too far away to hear an alarm
Occupants in a backyard cottage, home office or other room that is isolated from installed alarms may not hear them during an emergency.
- Outside of boiler rooms and other rooms with fuel burning appliances
Fuel-burning appliances may be a source of carbon monoxide poisoning. Common appliances that are often sources of CO include (but are not limited to) oil or gas burning boilers, gas ovens, and wood-burning fireplaces. For example, placing a carbon monoxide alarm outside of the boiler room or utility room can help warn you in case of CO leak. Even if you have no fuel-burning appliances in your home, you still need an alarm because carbon monoxide can pass through walls from next door.
Rooms where installing a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm is not recommended
Some rooms in your home have conditions that are more likely to damage a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm or set off nuisance alarms.
It is recommended that you do not install combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms in these rooms:
- Kitchens
However, Nest Protect can be installed at least 3 m (10 feet), from cooktops or cooking appliances.
- Unfinished attics
Smoke alarms are not designed to work in extreme heat or cold, or in areas where smoke and dust are common as it could damage the sensors of the alarm.
- Garages
As they are usually not heated or cooled, the temperatures in a garage may go above or below the temperature range that the alarm has been designed for. The smoke from engine exhaust fumes can also cause nuisance alarms and damage the sensors of the smoke alarm.
- Furnace rooms, or any room that contains a water heater or a furnace
To avoid nuisance alarms, the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm should be at a horizontal distance of more than 1 meters from the potential fuel-burning source of carbon monoxide.
Check before replacing existing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Although you may have existing alarms in your home, check the placement of those alarms for compliance with these recommendations or other local guidelines. Older homes, especially, may not comply with current regulations.
Source: British Standard Institute (BSI)