ᐅ Smoke Alarms: Which Rooms Truly Require Them?

Created on: 16 Oct 2019 07:36
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bandchef
bandchef16 Oct 2019 07:36
Hi everyone,

Our move-in date is coming up soon, and our electrician asked us where and in which rooms we want smoke detectors. These are devices usually mounted on the ceiling with a lifespan of 10 years. After that, the non-replaceable battery runs out, and the whole unit needs to be replaced.

House layout:
Upper floor: Child 1, Child 2, Bedroom, Walk-in closet (access only through the bedroom), Upper floor hallway (0)
Staircase
Ground floor: Kitchen, Dining area, Living area (both rooms combined into a relatively large open living space of about 62m² (667 ft²) without separation), Ground floor bathroom, Pantry, Hallway
Staircase
Basement: Utility room, Laundry room, Storage room (currently just an empty room intended for storing items like bicycles, things to keep, etc.), Office

My proposal is as follows (the numbers in parentheses indicate the number of smoke detectors):
Upper floor: Child 1 (1), Child 2 (1), Bedroom (1), Walk-in closet (access only through the bedroom) (0), Upper floor hallway (0)
Staircase (0)
Ground floor: Kitchen (1), Dining area (0.5), Living area (0.5) (both rooms combined into a relatively large open living space of about 62m² (667 ft²) without separation), Ground floor bathroom (0), Pantry (0), Ground floor hallway (1)
Staircase (0)
Basement: Utility room (1), Laundry room (1), Storage room (currently just an empty room intended for storing items like bicycles, things to keep, etc.) (0), Office (1)

* The two 0.5 smoke detectors mean that one smoke detector will be installed in the transition area between the dining and living areas.

Would you do it this way?
What is the situation in case of fire? Is there some kind of building fire safety regulation for single-family homes? If yes, would my plan comply with it?
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Grantlhaua
16 Oct 2019 07:47
Yes, they exist, you just need to look them up on Google. Therefore, you need an escape route in the hallway on both the upper floor and basement. It's better to have one more than one too few; these things don’t cost much.
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hanse987
16 Oct 2019 08:23
It is all specified in the building regulations of your federal state. Generally, smoke detectors are required in all bedrooms and corridors, but each state’s building regulations have their own specific details. I would not install one in the kitchen, as cooking often triggers false alarms.
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Zaba12
16 Oct 2019 08:37
Just google it, you’ll immediately find images showing where it is "mandatory" and where it is optional.
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guckuck2
16 Oct 2019 09:40
Everywhere in living rooms and hallways. None in bathrooms and kitchens. Done. Far from any regulations. Especially since it sounds like the 10-15€ model is being used. Simply more than too little.
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Otus11
16 Oct 2019 09:47
+ Utility Room (optional)
In the neighboring development area, a gas heating system short-circuited and caused a fire in the garage as well. The "smoke detectors" turned out to be the neighbors who noticed flames in the garage...

You can install them yourself as well. A "brand" costs about 15 euros, with a 9 V battery that lasts around 10 years, but the detector itself may need to be replaced after that.