How Many Smoke Alarms?

Primrose

One outside the kitchen door and a carbon monoxide detector in kitchen.
One on the landing
One in the loft

And I put a reminder in my computerised diary to check the battery every three months.

The one in the loft is not terribly easy to hear, but we do have a lot of stuff stored up there and I read that a fire could be smouldering up there for quite a time before anybody realised there was a problem, so we thought 'better safe than sorry'.

diable

If you have multiple smoke alarms they it is better to have a system where the alarms are linked to each other so when one activates it sets them all off.

Errata

torbrex wrote: »

Not a death wish as such, it would just save the bother of a funeral.

Sorry to disappoint you. The fumes will choke you to death so your lungs will be clapped out but your body may be pristine and ready to be erm......incinerated at the crem

molerat

We have CO in util with boiler, smoke outside kitchen door, CO and smoke at bottom of stairs and smoke on upstairs landing. I was once anosmic and got a bit paranoid but luckily have 90% recovered. Still can't stand cig smoke though, used to actually hurt my nose, and can't smell farts :rotfl:

WestonDave

Smoke detector on each floor (one ionising, one optical - one detects smouldering fires quicker and one detects hot fires quicker), plus a heat detector in the kitchen - all mains interlinked with battery back up. We did also have a heat one in the garage when the boiler was out there. Don't currently have a CO one, so will have to think about that - although with a sealed to the room modern gas boiler, and no gas fire the risk is probably less than in some settings.

seven-day-weekend

Good to see from the results of the poll that Moneysavers are also aware of danger and taking sensible precautions.

I have a friend in Spain; she won't have smoke alarms as she says her chain-smoking will set them off. When I sid she could at least have one in the bedroom (or go outside to smoke) she said she couldn't be bothered to keep changing the battery. When I said you could get them with ten-year batteries she just said she couldn't be bothered.

Having said that she is also the sort of person who never takes a mobile phone when she's out in the middle of nowhere on her own ('we managed without them years ago' - yes, the same as we 'managed' without penicillin). She never goes to the Dr although you can physically hear her wheezing.

So she probably thinks we are paranoid, but I don't think taking sensible precautions is going too far.

Glad I'm not on my own!

eve_1979

Most fire services have a service where they will fit free smoke alarms as well as go through safety advice with the home owner. Plus may fit an alarm for people who are hard of hearing for use at night.

For the person who had said they would rather go up with the house, i have seen the devasting effects of when someone has died through a house fire ( i work for local fire service), its not a pretty sight! Plus firefighters will risk their lives to save someone if they know someone is in the property! So at least think about that!

d42mat

Don't forget one in each of the kids rooms! and even yours.
Kids can leave things turned on or spill drinks on electricals - so you'll want to know if the fire starts in their room.

Might be over cautious - but will save a lifetime of heart ache

Matt

seven-day-weekend

Agreed absolutely.

Bikertov

I have 4 smoke alarms - all mains powered and linked.

Kitchen
Downstairs hall
Upstairs hall
Loft room