• Link to Facebook
  • Link to X
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • Link to Mail
  • Careers
  • Press Releases
  • Testimonials
858.587.2874
Ivey Engineering

30 Years of Excellence

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Careers
    • Newsletter
    • Press Releases
    • Scholarship Contest
    • Testimonials
  • Expertise
    • Overview
    • HVAC
    • Plumbing
    • Fire Suppression
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Carbon Monoxide
    • Building Codes
    • Design
    • Construction
    • Facility Condition Assessment
  • Services
    • Overview
    • Construction Claims
    • Construction Defects
    • Estimating & Cost Analysis
    • Building System Evaluation
    • Forensic Investigation & Failure Analysis
    • HVAC & Plumbing Design
    • Indoor Cultivation Facility Design
    • Professional Liability
    • Product Testing
  • Our Team
    • Kevin Hastings, P.E.
    • Nancy Ivey
    • William Ivey, P.E.
    • Alex Lee
    • Jorie Obias-Yambao
    • Joseph Palanca, P.E.
    • Nova Sevilla
    • David Shreve, P.E.
    • Gregory Weintraub
    • Lisa Zollinger
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
    • California Office
    • Virginia Office
    • Ask an Expert
    • Request Fee Schedule
    • Request Resume
    • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Menu Menu
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Careers
    • Newsletter
    • Press Releases
    • Scholarship Contest
    • Testimonials
  • Expertise
    • Overview
    • HVAC
    • Plumbing
    • Fire Suppression
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Carbon Monoxide
    • Building Codes
    • Design
    • Construction
    • Facility Condition Assessment
  • Services
    • Overview
    • Construction Claims
    • Construction Defects
    • Estimating & Cost Analysis
    • Building System Evaluation
    • Forensic Investigation & Failure Analysis
    • HVAC & Plumbing Design
    • Indoor Cultivation Facility Design
    • Professional Liability
    • Product Testing
  • Our Team
    • Kevin Hastings, P.E.
    • Nancy Ivey
    • William Ivey, P.E.
    • Alex Lee
    • Jorie Obias-Yambao
    • Joseph Palanca, P.E.
    • Nova Sevilla
    • David Shreve, P.E.
    • Gregory Weintraub
    • Lisa Zollinger
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
    • California Office
    • Virginia Office
    • Ask an Expert
    • Request Fee Schedule
    • Request Resume
    • Subscribe to Newsletter
smoke alarm life saving tips

7 Basic Life-Saving Smoke Alarm Tips

in Community, Fire & Life Safety/by Lisa Zollinger

If you’ve ever been involved in a home or commercial building fire, you’ll most likely agree that smoke alarms play a vital role in the safety of a building’s occupants. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), about three out of every five fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or the alarms aren’t working. According to a recent study, the death rate was more than twice as high in homes that did not have any functioning smoke alarms versus the death rate in homes with working smoke alarms.

Although most people would agree that smoke detectors are important life-saving devices, many people don’t follow the basic guidelines for installation and maintenance of smoke alarms. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of the Top 7 Basic Life-Saving Smoke Alarm Tips. Although many of these tips seem obvious and simple to do, many of us forget to follow them.

1. Change the smoke alarm batteries once a year; test the alarm once a month.

If you have a hardwired (with battery backup) or battery-only smoke detector, you need to change the battery once a year. Seems simple, right? Many people easily forget. One way to remember is to do it every time you change your clock in the spring or fall. If you ever hear a chirping sound, change the battery right away. You can also mark it on a calendar or put an alert in your smart phone.

Also, make sure to test the alarm every month by pushing the “test” button, so you know it’s working.

Man changing battery in smoke alarm.

2. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room.

Having a sufficient number of smoke alarms throughout your home is crucial to maximize the amount of escape time. The NFPA recommends every bedroom have its own alarm; smoke alarms should also be installed outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.

If there aren’t any bedrooms on a floor, such as a basement, install a smoke alarm in a family room, living room or den, or near the stairway to the upper level. Large homes may need extra alarms.

A bedroom that does not have a smoke alarm installed anywhere. Image Source: Free Images Live

3. Replace smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.

Replacing a smoke detector once it has reached its life expectancy is easy to forget to do. If you’re not sure how old your smoke alarms are, look on the back for the manufacturer date. If you can’t find the date and it seems a while since you installed them, replace the alarms.

4. Use both types of smoke alarms—ionization and photoelectric—throughout the home.

Ionization alarms are quicker to warn about flaming fires while photoelectric smoke alarms are more responsive to smoldering fires.

IEI fire protection experts recommend placing each type of alarm where they would be most effective. “Given that most victims in residential fires die or are injured from smoke inhalation, it makes more sense to install mostly photoelectric smoke alarms,” says Bill Ivey, IEI principal consultant.

To ensure the most effective coverage with both types of alarms, hire a qualified contractor to do the installation. Although more expensive, you can also purchase a dual sensor (combination ionization/photoelectric) alarm for coverage against either fire.

5. Use a special smoke alarm for the hearing impaired.

If anyone in your family is hard or hearing or deaf, you can purchase a special smoke alarm that produces a strobe light. (Most major smoke alarm companies offer alarms with strobe lights). Typically, a special vibration notification appliance, such as a pillow or bed shaker, is activated by the smoke alarm.

6. Use interconnected smoke alarms.

For the best type of protection, use interconnected smoke detectors. This means when one alarm sounds, they all sound. You can interconnect them by hardwiring them or using wireless technology.

When you use interconnected smoke alarms, make sure you use ones from the same manufacturer. If they aren’t compatible, they may not all sound.

7. Install smoke alarms either on the ceiling or high on a wall.

Remember, smoke rises. Therefore, it makes sense to have your smoke alarms on the ceiling. If you must install them on the wall, the NFPA recommends smoke alarms be installed no more than 12 inches away from the ceiling.  For pitched ceilings, install the alarm no more than three feet from the peak, but not within the apex (four inches down from the peak).

Smoke detector picking up smoke that's installed on the ceiling.

When it comes to installing smoke alarms, Ivey suggests it’s best to use professional services to install them. “You are dealing with a fire-protection device that could ultimately save a person’s life, ” he says.

Hopefully this list of tips will help you be more proactive in the maintenance and correct installation of your home’s smoke detectors. By keeping the devices in proper working condition, you are making your home and family safer from fire.

In addition to following the above suggestions on smoke alarm installation and maintenance, it might be smart to read these tips on how to prevent a home or building fire.

And finally, if you ever need a fire suppression expert, remember Ivey Engineering.

Tags: buildings, featured, fire & life safety, fire protection, home, smoke alarm
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share by Mail
You might also like
An old aqueduct that could have been used as part of an ancient plumbing system 27 Historical Events that Shaped Modern Plumbing Systems
man suffering from allergies and wiping nose 5 Ways to Reduce Allergens in the Home
upclose view of fan blades of an air conditioning unit 5 Tips to Help Your Air Conditioning System Run More Efficiently
Hedy Lamarr was a famous female engineer and actress 8 Famous Female Engineers in History
Kevin Hastings senior consultant at Ivey Engineering Ivey Engineering Consultant Kevin Hastings Receives Certified Fire Protection Specialist Credential
a judge holding a gavel 8 Hilarious But True Court Cases You Won’t Believe
Search Search
CONNECT on LinkedIn
FOLLOW on Twitter
CONNECT on Facebook

Recent Blog Posts

  • black mold on wall and underneath window
    4 Common Types of Mold and How to Prevent Mold GrowthSeptember 25, 2024 - 5:50 pm
  • Woman touching fingers to sides of head
    Poor Indoor Air Quality: 6 Causes and How to Prevent ItDecember 29, 2023 - 4:10 pm
  • Damaged floor from humidity with dehumidifier pointing at the wall
    4 Ways to Optimize an AC System for Humidity ControlJuly 21, 2023 - 4:54 pm
  • High rise building with lights on
    6 Ways to Reduce the Cost of Energy in Commercial BuildingsFebruary 16, 2023 - 4:56 pm

Categories

  • Community
  • Construction
  • Courtroom
  • Electrical
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Fire & Life Safety
  • Fire Protection
  • HVAC
  • Newsletter
  • Plumbing
  • Press Releases
  • Sustainable Living

Archives

Tags

architecture bathroom buildings claim class action comedy court case courtroom drama energy consumption energy efficiency environmentally friendly expert witness featured fire & life safety fire protection health hilarious history home house HVAC lawsuit medical imaging mistakes modern plumbing systems movies neighborhood opinion personal injury plumbing plumbing code plumbing commercials plumbing fixtures plumbing systems product liablity rainwater harvesting remodel project renewable sources renovation settlement solar panels sustainability trial verdict

About Us

Ivey Engineering is based in San Diego, California, with an additional office in Richmond, Virginia. The firm has performed expert witness and forensic consulting services since 1994 and serves clients in more than 30 states. Our staff is comprised of engineers, former construction executives and service and repair professionals who are licensed in various states.

Get in Touch

Phone: 858.587.2874

Fax: 858.587.6749

E-mail: [email protected]

Address: 8330 Juniper Creek Lane

San Diego, CA 92126

From Our Blog

  • someone using a drain snake or auger to unclog toilet
    5 Common Toilet Flushing Problems and How to Fix Themin: Plumbing
  • blue and red PEX water tubing
    Metal vs. Plastic Pipes: Weighing the Pros and Cons for Your Plumbing Needsin: Plumbing
  • black mold on wall and underneath window
    4 Common Types of Mold and How to Prevent Mold Growthin: HVAC, Plumbing
© Copyright 2025 - Ivey Engineering Inc.
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Expertise
  • Services
  • Our Team
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
Link to: 7 Doable Tasks to Winterize Your Home Link to: 7 Doable Tasks to Winterize Your Home 7 Doable Tasks to Winterize Your Homered home that is covered with snow Link to: 3 Steps Fire & Explosion Experts Use to Investigate a Building Fire Link to: 3 Steps Fire & Explosion Experts Use to Investigate a Building Fire fire explosion experts investigate building fire 3 Steps Fire & Explosion Experts Use to Investigate a Building Fire
Scroll to top Scroll to top Scroll to top