Best location for optical and ionisation fire alarms?

[spooky_b329]

I've bought one of each type of alarm, I live in a small two up two down terrace, downstairs has no doors between front and rear rooms and the stairwell is open to the top landing.

I want one alarm between the two front rooms and one at the top of the stairs, I'm thinking the optical alarm will be best downstairs for slow burning electrical fires etc, with the ion one upstairs. Also, as its toast proof and there is no door to the kitchen extension on the back of the house, it makes sense to have that one nearest the kitchen.

Or should I have the ion one downstairs for early warning of fast spreading fires?

Obviously the best solution is one of each in both locations, but seeing as the rooms are small and the alarms are literally metres apart I think this'll be a bit OTT...standing just a metre from the downstairs alarm the upstairs one is visible directly above.

Any help aprreciated.

 

[Europlex]

As this is a very serious subject and possibly life threatening I would strongly suggest that you contact your local Fire Service for a chat with their Fire Prevention Officer.

Any advise given here, although given in good faith, should be taken with a 'pinch of salt', go to the people who know, it's free.

Better safe than sorry.

 

[breezer]

i beg to differ. (but lets leave it at that)

given the correct quantity of smoke of the right particle size a smoke detector near the kitchen is a bad idea. heat detector in the kitchen, fine.

I would also ask the main room downstairs, does it have a "protusion" (for the want of a better word) between the two rooms?(where the may be an RSJ)

if so i would not recomend putting the detector on this

if it has no protusion then the centre of the ceiling equidistant from each wall should be fine

never mount a smoke detector in a corner
never mount a smoke detector verticaly
never mount a smoke detector in the top of an apex

 

[spooky_b329]

I have to admit I didn't think it would be too serious which ever way they ended up seeing as most people would just go for the ionisation alarms which are considered adequate for both types of fires.

Downstairs alarm is on the opposite side of the dining room to the kitchen so that should be OK. The two rooms have a door frame opening between them, just no door, so there is a 500mm drop between the two rooms. The detector was going to go on the stairwell side on the ceiling.

Technically the detector will be in the corner of the room...but its effectively the hallway, where they'd normally recommend the detector to be placed for minimum protection.

Anyhow, they are both fitted but they use the same backplate so can be swapped if anyone comes up with a good argument as to the best way round to have them