I assume new homes have to have them, but I've never thought about it, and my husband is a career firefighter. Guess I'll bring it up at dinner.

Our fire department will come to your home and change the battery in your smoke detector as a public service. You should change it when you change your clocks for daylight savings time.

I don't know what the rules are..We have them, plus the carbon monoxide. Batteries are changed yearly

It is surprising to most people that smoke detectors are not covered in the National Electrical Code, which is also titled NFPA 70. It is actually covered in NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, which is a comparatively rarely seen publication. The International Residential Code that covers most of the US, as well as predecessor model codes, have included portions of NFPA 72 HERE

This generally means that most places in the US that have building codes have adopted

R314.3 Location.

Smoke alarms shall be installed in the following locations:

1. In each sleeping room.

2. Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.

3. On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements and habitable attics but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics. In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level.

However, I have yet to find anywhere that requires (R314.2) "The system shall be monitored by an approved supervising station and be maintained in accordance with NFPA 72." for single family dwellings, as it is still just an alternative per the exception for R314.2.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms are also required by newer codes.

R315.1 Carbon monoxide alarms.

For new construction, an approved carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms in dwelling units within which fuel-fired appliances are installed and in dwelling units that have attached garages.

After 15 years, I had the most cutting edge fire detectors installed to replace old ones. They were better than what is now considered code in my area.

Newer smoke detectors having lithium batteries that last 10 years are on the market. We have these. When the battery goes, you replace the whole unit.

http://t.homedepot.com/p/Kidde-Worry-Free-10-Year-Living-Area-Sealed-Lithium-Battery-Operated-Smoke-Alarm-21009663/203525026

I'm shocking but didn't have an alarm for years because they looked horrible. Yes a bad reason I know. So very happy when the birdie one came on the market. Compliant in Australia (photoelectric), uses one battery, and I stuck it to the ceiling with velcro Commander strips, so when it goes off (usually when I'm "cooking") I can rip it down without damaging anything.

In my country smoke alarms are required on every floor in any house built since 2000. And in public buildings since decades
It saves so many lives! In my former home, built in the 70ties, we had them installed and once the alarm sounded when our microwave/oven was on. Right in time.

In the St Louis Area the County and most municipalities now require hardwired smoke detectors throughout the home if you are doing any type of renovation. Current code requires one in the first floor hallway near the kitchen, one in the hallway near bedrooms if they are on a different floor, one in every bedroom, and in the basement - one in every room and one in the furnace room. If the basement is open, only one would be required. Only a few municipalities will allow for the wireless type due to the possibility of the "wireless" aspect to fail at times.

Oh and a newer code does require one cabon monoxide detector in the home.

My problem right now with our smoke detectors is that they are up so high that the average person cannot change the battery or test it unless they have an extremely high ladder. We have an extremely high ladder but it's awful to wrangle inside and put up for our cathederal ceilings.

I would like to see it against the law for them to be placed so high on a ceiling and the only other alternative would be to have them lowered to a more reasonable height like above the doorway where a three step stool or normal sized ladder could be used. Thoughts?

That is a tough one..I'm not tall either and I have my husband change the batteries..The alarms have to be high since that is where the smoke goes first...now how low can they be...? that is something that the pros should decide...it would be nice to be able to have them a bit lower, but not sure how much lower they can be

I would think that right over a doorway would work because that's technically where the smoke would enter the room if the door were open. Since ours are so high, except in one bedroom with nine foot ceilings, it would seem logical that it would take longer for the smoke to get all the way up to the ceiling before the detectors went off.

The NFPA, along with other national testing and standards organizations in the US, state that the detectors in bedrooms should be placed within the path of egress, (between the bed and the door or over the door) since there are more areas outside of a bedroom that could start a fire than inside. However, a fire is just as likely to start on the other side of the room from wiring in the wall, an extension cord on an electric blanket, or in the overhead light if it starts in that room. All smoke detectors are supposed to be installed so that the closest edge of the detector is no closer than 4" to where a wall and ceiling or two ceilings form a corner that will cause eddies (created by the heat rising before the smoke gets there) to keep the smoke from reaching the detector. Regardless of whether the detector is mounted on a wall or cathedral ceiling, the top of the smoke detector is supposed to be between 4" and 12" below the highest part of the ceiling. That doesn't mean you couldn't add a second one down lower if you wanted to.

Thanks for that info, Fred. All of ours are located on the ceiling and certainly not four to twelve inches below the highest part of the ceiling. They are right up there at the highest ceiling point. I wonder if we should disconnect them and just put battery operated ones in or should they be hard wired?

I wouldn't disconnect them. It can't hurt to have one up there. You could add another battery only smoke detector, but for the most part, they are required to be hardwired AND interconnected. It is surprising that someone would put them right in the peak, as that is usually more work anyway.

4" really isn't that far down, but it shortens the time it takes for the smoke to get to the detector considerably.

That is very interesting Fred. Thank you for that info. I always thought that the detectors need to be on the ceiling.

in the city of Los Angeles, single family homes have to have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors (battery operated is satisfactory).

multi-family housing has to have hard wired detectors of each type.

the locations for each varies. but a good rule is each hallway and bedroom has to have them.

That "(battery operated is satisfactory)" is an exemption for existing homes(retrofit requirements). New and remodeled (usually drywall removed) homes still need to be hardwired.

Our smoke detectors are hardwired. Only the monoxide ones are plugged-in since they were not installed when the house was build in 2006. I don't know if they didn't have those or they just weren't required (builders will put the minimum required anyway)

Carbon monoxide detectors were first required in the 2009 IRC. As a rule, the codes generally require new technology before it is really ready for prime time. This sort of forces the manufacturers to act and ensure they won't loose money. In this case, I believe that some reliable CO detectors did exist for a while that were not just making nuisance noises. I don't think I would "blame" the builder for this one because it seems that I get just as many people trying to beg me to not put them in or hide them where they won't do any good, because they are ugly, as those that appreciate the value of them.

I would replace the smoke alarm outside the bedrooms and maybe one on every other floor with a smoke/CO combination unit. That way, at least something is interconnected with the bedroom units and every floor and can be heard better when the bedroom door is closed.

I didn't know that the monoxide ones are not that loud..When we tested ours, they were very loud,,we have them on each level. I'll test them again to make sure we hear them. As for the builder, I am not blaming it,,but I know what kind of builder built this community...they might have a big name, but quality is what it is..

They may be loud enough, but that is the reason all your smoke detectors are connected together. If one goes off, they all go off... and you are sure to hear it from a deep sleep. It is very easy to replace a couple of the smoke detectors with combo units to give the CO detectors the same advantage.

I know plenty of builders like that too, but sometimes more is not better when people seem to think they are already a nuisanse.

When we built 2 years ago in SC we had to have smoke detectors outside, and in, every bedroom. CO2 detectors were not required, but I bought several for safety. My question is, why do the smoke detector batteries always beep in the middle of the night? Lol

Because that is when they get tired?

You must have snuck in just before SC changed from the 2006 code directly to 2012 in July 2013. ;) One would think that they should have at least made you aware of the option to put in a couple of combo units by then :-/

Carbon Monoxide (CO) not Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Thanks Fred - I knew it was Carbon monoxide - not sure why I added that 2. Habit from work I guess. :-)

I've had to take the 2 off twice since this thread started ;D

I wouldn't worry about CO2:)

In Massachusetts it is always best to check with your local fire department, especially when you are selling your home, to make sure you have the correct version of the detector both fire/smoke and carbon. There are different versions for outside of kitchens and baths and those necessary in the bedroom areas. Some homes need to be hardwired if any of the detectors are hardwired. Massachusetts Fire Chiefs are diligent with their requirements as we have had a couple of fires where more than one life was taken which could have been prevented with the proper detectors. Most fire chiefs will gladly come out and do an inspection and make suggestions to keep you safe. Please reference: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/dfs/dfs2/osfm/fire-prev/smoke-alarm-regulations.html

Also many large hardware/home supply stores have large displays of smoke and carbon detectors but many do not meet the requirements of Massachusetts regulations, ask the salesperson, sometimes they will need to go out back for NEW stock to ensure compliance.

And on same note please keep your furnace turn off switch RED as designed, it may not be the most attractive but it can save lives should you have a fire.

In CA they are required, as are carbon monoxide detectors. I have to guess only enforced when there is a sale. Common sense dictates having both and now they are so inexpensive and don't have to be hardwired. I just bought some with installed ten year batteries for about $25.00 each. They are low profile, too. When we bought our home in 1993 sprinkler systems were also required altholugh that's changed in our county.

Folks - the good folks at Kidde answered your question here: http://www.kidde.com/home-safety/en/us/fire-safety/fire-safety-laws/

Hawaii, Kansas, Indiana, and Nevada have no regulations, BTW

Here's a link to the information on the State of Maryland's new laws regarding smoke detectors: http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/sites/Fire/Resources/Tip-Sheets/Documents/PGFD.Smoke_Alarm_Law.pdf

Here's the link to the same info for Fairfax County Virginia: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr/download/obeythelaw.pdf

The Kidde link is a bit misleading. The map is limiting its scope to existing single family dwellings that are not rented and have not been updated due to the sale of a home AND are only mentioning legislation that is of a truly statewide nature. Even Nevada actually requires the same smoke detectors that I previously listed in most of their city jurisdictions. Most of the "orange" states would be "both" as detectors are written into the newer building codes.

That's true, Fred - my municipality introduced code that requires interlinked detectors throughout the dwelling, CO near the furnaces, CO and smoke near all the bedrooms. I specified CO and smoke near the gas fireplace as well, and smoke only near the kitchen

yeah, in PA we need to follow the guidelines in Fred S's original post, and also have one CO monitor (at least) near the furnace. in my own house, I have a CO monitor on each floor as well, but I don't add that many in rehabs.

The "smoke only near the kitchen" is an interesting subject. I find that too many people want me to take them out as soon as they burn their first meal. I am pretty sure I have seen them go off just by boiling water ;D

I prefer to put a heat detector in the kitchen area.

http://www.kidde.com/home-safety/en/us/products/fire-safety/safety-accessories/auxiliary-devices/hd135/

They tend to be more reliable when they are not disconnected ;)

LOL - I said "near" for a reason - too close & you're absolutely right...nothing but beeping. Heat makes great sense - will change my spec to say heat for the kitchen area.

This one has a rate of rise feature that is supposed to work faster than a standard 135° detector.

http://www.brkelectronics.com/product/HD6135FB

Our fire/smoke/CO2 detectors have been a nightmare since moving into new construction in 2010 in FL. 10 ft ceilings. Ladder required. None in kitchen- against code. In every bedroom and hall and common room. Interconnected and hardwired.
Sound off every 3 months between 1am and 3 am. Have been replaced multiple times under builder/new home warranty. Have tried system resets, new batteries, new alarms, different brands. Have poured close to $900 into the problem. The repeated shrill cruelty to our dogs ears while an elderly couple is attempting dangerous ladder maneuvers in the dead of night is heartbreaking.
Gave up after 4 years. Frustrating beyond belief. Took one unit off of the system about 8 months ago after another night of alarms. Our first quiet night sleep past week 12 in years was worth it.
We can live with the old fashioned battery ones mounted on the wall that we can reach.

City of Scottsdale requires new homes to have both smoke detectors and sprinklers....so we have both.

We built our country home over eleven years ago. At that time the code for our county was one in every bedroom, one in the upstairs hallway (where all the bedrooms and laundry room lead from, one on the main level far enough away from the kitchen to not easily be set off any normal kitchen smoke, and one in the basement, which is our wood work shop.
They are hard wired with a battery back up. Which we were told was the best kind.

We live in Germany and one must be just inside the door of each bedroom.

The code in Saskachewan, Canada is that all smoke detectors must be hard-wired in all new builds or reno's as of 2012. One must be on each floor, as well as one in each bedroom. All new smoke detectors are hard-wired with a battery back-up. Some units do both carbon monoxide and smoke, which doesn't make much sense as the detectors are mounted on the ceiling and so would have trouble detecting the carbon monoxide.

Common confusion. Carbon monoxide, CO is lighter than air. CO2 is heavier.

http://miningquiz.com/download/gasspecificgravity.htm

http://www.carbonmonoxidekills.com/19/carbon-monoxide-detector-placement

Smoke detectors saved my family. We lost our original floors and etched windows from 1905 but we are all alive. Please do not take chances with safety. Our detectors are now all hard wired.

We change ours every New Years Day. Starting the year right! Smoke detectors saved my daughter and her housemates at college her sophomore year. Her third floor bedroom collapsed into the second floor....she lost everything, but she was alive and unhurt. Hard lesson but she will NEVER forget to change her batteries either!