Smoke alarm placement

[Jon c]

Hi all,

I'm helping my friend do up an old house he bought a couple months ago and obviously we need to have mains powered smoke detectors installed. I'd just like to ask a couple of questions about the type we need and their placement.

Firstly the upstairs landing is literally about 1m^2 and the only other upstairs room is a bedroom with an ensuite so does it make more sense to have the smoke detector in the bedroom or on the landing?

Secondly, to quickly describe the downstairs there's a small hallway and, a lounge to the right, and to the left there's a dining room, and coming from the dining room there's another bedroom with an ensuite and finally a kitchen. I'm thinking for downstairs we need a heat alarm in the kitchen, and an optical alarm in the hallway at the very least. Do we also need one in the bedroom and the lounge or would that be over the top?

Thirdly, the lounge, dining room, bedroom and kitchen all have wood burning fires so should those rooms all have carbon monoxide detectors? If so is it just better to have a combination mains powered smoke and CO detector in each room? Of course that would be a nice option but also seems a bit over the top and would get a bit expensive...but if its required so be it.
Would be great to hear what you guys think would be an appropriate solution.

Thanks in advance for any replies

 

[DiyNutJob]

Not sure why you need to have mains powered. What's wrong with 10 year battery ones? The sensors are usually spec'ed to be replaced after 10 years. Mains will not extend their life. You can have as many alarms as your wallet is bulging. Once slimmed down, the wallet fits in the pocket much more comfortably.

Alarm makers and sellers would suggests as many alarms as possible. House builders would put in as few as regulations allow. So, an acceptable number is inclusively between these limits.