A smoke alarm is a device that detects smoke and then emits a loud alarm to warn you of a possible fire. It works by emitting a beam of light that is reflected by a photocell. If smoke enters the air, the light beam is interrupted and the alarm goes off. Read here where you should ideally place a smoke alarm.
Ideally, you should place a smoke alarm on an escape route, so on the way to the door of your home. Smoke rises and therefore you must hang the smoke alarm on the ceiling, preferably at least 50 centimetres away from a wall or corner. If you have a smoke alarm that needs to be connected to the mains, also take the cable into account. You have the most freedom when placing a battery-powered smoke alarm.
Smoke alarms are very easy to install. Most models have a strong sticker on the back that allows you to simply stick the smoke alarm to the ceiling. Some smoke alarms need to be screwed into the ceiling using the supplied screws, but this is explained very clearly in the user manual of the alarms.
There are roughly 3 different types of smoke alarms:
It’s not sensible to place a smoke alarm near a fan, air vent, heater, above a cooker or dishwasher, or in a draughty spot. This can cause the smoke alarm to go off unnecessarily and, after a while, you’ll be less likely to be alerted quickly when something really is wrong.
According to Dutch law, it’s compulsory to have at least one smoke alarm per floor. In addition, the more smoke alarms you have in your home, the safer it is. If you have several rooms on a floor, for example in a flat, it’s advisable to also place a smoke alarm in, for example, the living room or bedroom. It’s also useful to install smoke alarms near washing machines, tumble dryers and places where batteries and chargers are located. Do you work from home a lot? Then a smoke alarm in your home office is also recommended. If there’s smoke, you’ll be warned immediately. This also applies if you have children or are less mobile.
Does your smoke alarm go off when there’s no fire? Then you’ll want the device to stop blaring as quickly as possible. You do this by pressing the button on the alarm for a few seconds and waiting until the LED light turns white. Your smoke alarm has been reset and will only go off again if there’s smoke.
