Paranoia Strikes Deep

Ironic that this was the first thing I read. I just managed to set off our home security alarm by accidentally depressing a button on the keyfob in my pocket. It's unnerving that a voice comes out of the speaker on the wall asking if we want the police and whats your password etc.

I presume you are just talking about battery smoke detectors. We have a one floor house and just just have one on the wall in the largest room. It works well and sets off easily if we create some smoke or burn some food in the kitchen. You should not need many. They pick up from afar.

April, if you call them, your local fire department would probably come out and show you exactly where to put them.

Outside of that, maybe this will help:

Installing and maintaining smoke alarms - NFPA

Fire can move very fast. My sister's house burned down once. She and her husband lived on the Marina that her inlaws and husband owned. Their back porch was a dock. the sun room led to the dock and was lined with windows. In the sun room they had a glass top table. My sister's husband was home for lunch one day - drank a coke and left the bottle on the table. The sun came through the window, through the bottle on through the table and started the floor on fire. My brother in law was about 100 feet from the house and turned around to see it engulfed. The fire team told him that had he been in the house when it ignited, he'd not gotten out alive. That was in a dry area (Stockton, CA), but still.....fire alarms are good - but make sure you have an escape plan that includes the window in every room. You don't have time to figure out what to do once the fire is already started. Emergency ladders for a second floor in each room are a real good idea.

In the US I think they are REQUIRED to have a battery backup. ALSO, CHECK YOUR BUILDING CODE! Some building codes have rules on such things.

And heysal is right, fire alarms work best in homes that are open plan with smoking fires, If your room Is pretty isolated, and it is just a FIRE, like a real arson fire, you may find that you are TRAPPED INSIDE by the time the alarm goes off in your room.

Steve

April,

Because I run a hotel and worry about what guests do in their rooms, I'd say you are not paranoid.

The info in the link Riffle provided mentions putting them outside sleeping areas as well as
in the bedrooms. I'd go with that, too.

You wrote that you have a cold air return. I assume that means a gas forced air heat system.
If so, I'd strongly recommend getting carbon monoxide detectors as well - especially if the
system is older and/or you live in a high humidity (rust) area.

The Fire department should also tell you which brands of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide
detectors are preferred. Other safety tips as well.

Dan

Kay - I'd love to know what your son does for a living, but then you'd probably have to kill us.
So never mind. I almost rented a rural property I owned to a jewelry maker. He was asking all
kinds of questions about security and electric power supply for is equipment, and wanted to
install an alarm system.

I accidentally tripped a burglar alarm at a place I worked at. The sounds were enough to temporarily
disable me. High pitched and low pitched.