Currently in our basement we have a smoke detector that is in the hallway of our basement. It is electrical hardwired and is also a CO detector. Is this sufficient to meet the code/safety, or do we need to put up a battery operated smoke detector in the HT room.

On our floors above, we only have one hardwired detector per floor of the house (and not individual bedrooms). The house last passed inspection in 1995 when we bought it, but will need to get the basement to pass final inspections.

The regulations depend on where you live; each state is different, and some areas may have stricter local regulations as well.

In Massachusetts, CO and smoke detectors must be in every level of the home and within a certain distance outside bedroom doors. Smoke detectors must also be at the top and bottom of each stairwell. As long as your detector was near the bottom of the stairs, that would satisfy the requirements here.

Contact your local Fire Department or Building Department; they should be able to give you specific answers for your community. You might want to also ask if the smoke detector inspection is a "whole-house" inspection instead of just the new construction in the basement. If that is the case, you may need to install/move other detectors in your home to meet current regulations.

In my locality I only needed one in the Basement however I put one in the HT as with the room being pretty much sealed off from rest of basement and a movie playing I would not hear the smoke alarm.

Similarly how would you get an early indication of any fire in your HT. Again if its sealed off the fire will have really taken hold before another rooms smoke detector picked up on it.

So my addvice whether code requires it or not install one in the HT and ensure its linked with the others.

A heads up on this topic:

Just because a Smoke detector is hardwired into the power grid doesn't mean they are connected. First it takes a 3 wire hook up with the extra wire communicating between alarms. Second the alarms need to be able to communicate which gets down to brand compatability.

So best thing to do is get something smoking and put under an alarm. When it goes off check to see that the others have as well. If they are wired correctly but a signal isn't passed from unit to unit you may need to check the continuity of the 3rd wire and/or buy compatable detectors.

So best thing to do is get something smoking and put under an alarm.

Or use that handy test button ;)

More seriously I'm with you, when I do my yearly battery change I use real smoke (insence stick) to test my detectors......don't see how a test button can really test if a detector is functioning.

Great question. You have me wondering now why there is only one smoke detector at all in my 1500+ square foot basement.

I am going to call the fire department today and ask them about this...damn builder short-cuts.

Thanks.

Be sure to put a CO detector near your furnace, hot water heater, or anything else that burns fuel -- unlike natural gas or smoke, you cannot see or smell carbon monoxide.

Another tip, that may or may not apply in your area. When the inspector was doing my rough in inspection, he said I should install smoke detectors in all bedrooms in the house. He said it's OK to just install the battery operated ones if it would be too dificult to hard wire in new ones. I guess the code here used to not require detectors in bedrooms, but now does. Don't know if he'll actually check, but seems like a good tip nonetheless.

Guy

If you're even asking then it means you probably think it's a good idea to have the additional smoke detector. I have no idea what specifically the codes are, but I'm adding a wired in an additional smoke detector anyway.

My builder had only a combination co/smoke detector in my unfinised basement. I tied into that detector and put one in each room in the basement. As I recall from my inspection additional detectors are only required in bedrooms.

pred02 your profile isn't filled out so we don't know where you're from.

I can tell you the code from NY, which is based on the ICC adopted by most of the states.

You need a smoke detector on every level of the home. So a smoke anywhere in the basement is fine.

You also need a smoke inside every sleeping area and immediately outside every sleeping area (1 smoke in a hallway that serves multiple bedrooms is ok).

This is retroactive, applicable to all residential structures.

The smokes must be interconnected unless you are not removing drywall from the ceiling or walls and there is no accessible attic or crawlspace-- ditto as far as hardwiring.

For example, in my area, this is what would be required if you were solely doing work in the basement and had no smoke detectors at all:
-- 1 hardwired smoke required anywhere in basement; if sleeping areas in basement, detector inside and outside the sleeping area, hardwired and interconnected
-- if you have an accessible attic, hardwired and interconnected smokes in every sleeping area below the attic and immediately outside those areas
-- if a 2-story and sleeping areas on first floor, battery powered smoke required inside/outside the sleeping areas. If no sleeping area, 1 battery-powered smoke on the first floor.

Supposedly there are some new smokes that use RF to interconnect. I haven't seen them yet.

As far as carbon monoxide; one detector required on the lowest level where people sleep.

Also, battery backup required for all hardwired life safety devices.

As always, YMMV.

Tim

I'm not sure if this applies to all states, but atleast in Indiana, you can not install a smoke detector within 3 feet (on a horizontal plane) of a cold air return or warm air supply. Also, anytime the ceiling height raises by 24" (i.e. vaulted ceiling, tray ceiling) the smokie must be located on the upper tier, but no closer than 4" and no further than 12" from the ceiling .

I'm not sure if this applies to all states, but atleast in Indiana, you can not install a smoke detector within 3 feet (on a horizontal plane) of a cold air return or warm air supply. Also, anytime the ceiling height raises by 24" (i.e. vaulted ceiling, tray ceiling) the smokie must be located on the upper tier, but no closer than 4" and no further than 12" from the ceiling .


Excellent points. Basically, just read the instructions and follow them. They will supercede any other requirements. Both of those guidelines are in the insturctions I have seen.

Tim

Our local code stipulates that all smoke detectors must be interconnected. We also had a law change as of Jan 1, where we now must have CO detectors near every bedroom and on every floor-- this wasn't a code change, but a new law, so no houses are grandfathered. Basically, we had to replace all of our smoke detectors with smoke/CO detectors.

Excellent points.

Also - I am currently upgrading my alarm system (DIY) to one that supports wireless. Of course I am first doing the zones making sure it works.

But with the wireless alarm and monitoring service, I am wondering if I should add some wireless smoke detectors.

My original setup is as follows:

1) One smoke detector per hallway infront of the stairwell (where the bedrooms are) that is hardwired (electrical) and interfaces with the others. Hence, if one beeps all of them beep. I also have CO/Smoke detector in the basement and infront of the main sleeping room floor.

I am pondering as to adding one or two wireless smoke detectors, one on the bedroom floor and the second perhaps in the basement. These detectors are not cheap, but are easy to install. In case there is a alarm, the monitoring company immediately alerts the services. This would be helpful in case there is a fire in the basement and we are sleeping downstairs or no one is at home when there is a fire.

Excellent points.

Also - I am currently upgrading my alarm system (DIY) to one that supports wireless. Of course I am first doing the zones making sure it works.

But with the wireless alarm and monitoring service, I am wondering if I should add some wireless smoke detectors.

My original setup is as follows:

1) One smoke detector per hallway infront of the stairwell (where the bedrooms are) that is hardwired (electrical) and interfaces with the others. Hence, if one beeps all of them beep. I also have CO/Smoke detector in the basement and infront of the main sleeping room floor.

I am pondering as to adding one or two wireless smoke detectors, one on the bedroom floor and the second perhaps in the basement. These detectors are not cheap, but are easy to install. In case there is a alarm, the monitoring company immediately alerts the services. This would be helpful in case there is a fire in the basement and we are sleeping downstairs or no one is at home when there is a fire.

I am located in Brookline, MA.

I would consider that an excellent idea.

Moreover, wireless smoke detectors will meet NFPA requirements as long as they are supervised. In other words, the smokes send a signal to the control panel to "check in" and let the panel know they are working.

If the panel fails to receive this signal, it will indicate a fire supervisory condition.

In my area you can use a low voltage system in lieu of the AC hardwired system. You cannot mix and match though (eg hardwired on the first floor and low voltage in the basement). YMMV

Tim

This is an interesting thread.

I am planning on getting the "wireless" alarms and putting one in the HT and the other in the bedroom. HT in basement and the bedrom is on the main floor. No upper levels above bedroom.

YMMV
Tom
CHinaclipper

This is an interesting thread.

I am planning on getting the "wireless" alarms and putting one in the HT and the other in the bedroom. HT in basement and the bedrom is on the main floor. No upper levels above bedroom.

YMMV
Tom
CHinaclipper

Yeah, the new wireless smoke alarms are very good. They are allowed in commercial (read: horn/strobe and pull-station type) installations. As long as they have the supervisory (check-in) feature and the wireless receiver is installed per UL approval for such use.

I think you can get them relatively inexpensively on ebay.

Tim

Yeah, the new wireless smoke alarms are very good. They are allowed in commercial (read: horn/strobe and pull-station type) installations. As long as they have the supervisory (check-in) feature and the wireless receiver is installed per UL approval for such use.

I think you can get them relatively inexpensively on ebay.

Tim

The ones I saw on the website where I ordered my new GE Concorde System security system were about $65 each. It's not expensive, but if to add to each room, etc it would add up.

I think once we get the wireless alarm up and running we will add two - one in the HT room, and one upstairs floor with 3 bedrooms. This does not cover the entire house, however I think it supplements the existing hardwired electrical CO/Fire detectors well.

Looking at the costs, I think one shall not be cheap with these things, especially in the lieu of all the winter fires. It seems like every day when I turn on the local news I hear about these things.

BTW: As far as alarm systems go, these contractors (like Tyco) are a ripoff. They want to charge $200 for install (wireless system, no hardwire) just to put the box in and connect existing zones (all the wire fishing is already in place along with the sensors). Then they want $100 per wireless smoke detector (hard to install?).

Monitoring is $29 per month with a 3 year commitment. Are they nuts? A cell phone bill does not have to be that much. I found UL approved monitoring for $9 per month, pre-pay no contract. My GE Concorde comes in on Friday and I will try the DIY and post the experiences.

I self-wired the entire basement including the HT, plus of course did all the A/V wiring to specs. Also ran CAT6, Coax, and RJ11 throughout the house. Hopefully this should not be hard (low-voltage wires etc).

What is the best practice with CO (Carbon Monoxide) detectors?

I had some problems with the Kiddie CO/Fire detector combo (all got fried).

I was thinking of installing separate CO and fire detectors, put one in the basement, one upstairs in the kitchen, and one in the sleeping area on the second floor.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!