Siting Advice

Siting recommendations from Kidde Installer manual

Smoke & Heat Alarms

After 'type selection', siting is the most crucial area and should be considered
at planning stage. Wrongly or poorly sited alarms can lead to nuisance alarms
which clearly is not desirable.
Such a situation can result in either the householder disabling the alarm,
so it won't operate at all, or potentially ignoring the alarm when a fire occurs.

Siting recommendations for Kidde smoke, heat & CO alarms, in 2 storey property

Get the Installer Manual from the "Downloads" section for more advice/larger diagram

For larger image of house click here

Kidde hard wired alarms are supplied with Installer & Owner's manuals

Extract from Kidde Installer Manual as shipped with all alarms

Ceiling Or Wall Mounting?

Though wall mounting is permissible with smoke & heat alarms,

the ceiling should always be the preferred choice.
Warm smoke from a flame will always
rise, so ceiling alarms are best suited to detect first.

If for architectural reasons wall mounting is preferred, please
take careful notice of the recommendations contained within our
alarm Installer Manual.
Kidde's alarms have been tested by the BSI for functionality

in either location.
(See downloads section).

Click image for larger view

Locations to be Avoided

(Smoke Alarms)

Do not site within 3m of a steam source e.g. kitchen/bath room or garage.
Any location where the free flow of smoke to the alarm could be interrupted (e.g.
next/above a door/air vent/heater/air-con unit).
(Smoke & Heat Alarms)
Do not site within 1m of dimmer control cabling or wire alarm into any such cabling.
Do not site adjacent to any heat source.
Do not site within 300mm from any wall.
Do not site near fluorescent lights; electronic noise may cause nuisance alarms.
In locations where temperature may fall below 5°C (41°F), or above 40°C (104°F),
such as garages and unfinished attics.
In very dusty/dirty/insect laden areas.
Areas where routine maintenance or operating hush/test button is difficult
(e.g. top of stairwells).
Siting should be in accordance with the current Building Regulations and/or BS5839
Pt6/current I.E.E. Regulations.
Caution: Alarm should not be exposed to dripping or splashing

Hard Wired CO Alarms Siting Advice; click here.

BS CODE OF PRACTICE
(BS5839: Pt6: 2004)

This is a Code of Practice & followed by specifiers such as
housebuilders/local authorities and housing associations.

However, this is is called up in the Building Regulations so does have
an important role/legal standing.

Additionally since Part P of The Building Regs was made legal in 2005 Installers
& Specifiers must design to the requirements of the Code of Practice.

Before an Installer can issue his Completion Certificate as required under Part P, he/she
has to confirm compliance with 5839 Pt 6.

Useful guidance can also be found in our Installers Manuals/technical literature.
These can be downloaded from our Manuals page.
Click for Manuals page.

Selection of right sensor type, regards location:

Kidde recommend for best overall minimum protection, 1 Optical, 1 Ionisation & 1 Heat Alarm
should be fitted ; additionally every bedroom should be protected too with an interconnected
alarm.

OPTICAL alarms are for areas such as escape routes/circulation spaces, & in areas where
there is danger of ignition of furniture and surroundings by cigarettes.
Less prone to nuisance alarm from cooking particles/steam from near kitchen.
Increasingly the alarm type of choice due to less nuisance alarms.

IONISATION alarms are best for areas such as dining* and living rooms therefore,
and where a fast flaming fire is more likely to be a hazard than a slow smouldering one

.A fast flaming fire would for example, be electrical equipment catching fire.
* BS5839 Pt6 additionally recommends a Heat Alarm for the main living area,
if there is a likelihood of nuisance alarms if a smoke alarm was fitted.
Ionisation alarms contain a tiny amount of radioactive material which is an issue
for some specifiers. The level is less than would be found than in a watch face
with a luminescent dial.

HEAT ALARMS:
These are for use in environments where ordinary alarms will not operate
satisfactorily such as kitchens/boiler rooms/unconverted attics/garages.
These are humid and/or dusty locations, best suited to Heat Alarms,
but must always be interconnected to other Kidde Fyrnetic Smoke Alarms.

Smart Interconnect:
With the unique smart interconnect function Kidde Slick® alarms can also be interconnected
to our Hard Wired Carbon Monoxide alarms too.