Where alarms belong
- Inside each sleeping room.
- Outside each separate sleeping area, in the hallway near the bedrooms.
- On each level of the house, including basements and habitable attics.
- Not too close to kitchens or bathrooms, where cooking and steam cause false alarms.
California rules
- Health and Safety Code 13113.7 requires smoke alarms in dwellings, and since July 1, 2014 smoke alarms sold in California that run only on batteries must have a non-replaceable battery that lasts at least 10 years.
- Health and Safety Code 13113.8 requires sellers of single-family homes to give buyers a written statement that the home complies with smoke alarm law.
- Many cities have their own point-of-sale requirements, so check locally.
What the inspector checks
- Presence in required locations.
- Manufacture date, typically printed on the back. Alarms older than 10 years should be replaced.
- Test button response, if accessible.
- Hardwired alarms showing a green power light.
- Alarms painted over or covered.
Maintenance
Test monthly. Vacuum the vents gently a couple of times a year. Replace the whole alarm at ten years, or sooner if it chirps after a battery change.
Common questions
Do older homes need hardwired smoke alarms?
Not necessarily. Existing homes can generally use battery-powered alarms with a 10-year sealed battery. Hardwired, interconnected alarms are required in new construction and are often required when you do significant remodeling with a permit.
Ionization or photoelectric?
Ionization alarms react faster to flaming fires; photoelectric alarms react faster to smoldering fires. Many fire safety organizations recommend photoelectric or combination alarms, particularly near kitchens to reduce nuisance alarms.