5 Spots Where You Should Avoid Installing a Smoke Detector

Putting in a smoke detector is one of the most important steps you can take to help protect your home from fire and potentially save lives. Just having them isn’t enough, though—they also need to be working properly, says Nicole Sanders, public education manager for UL Research Institutes’ Fire Safety Research Institute.

“People may have as little as three minutes—or even less—to get out of a home fire once it starts,” she says. “Smoke alarms provide the earliest warning possible, giving you and your loved ones time to escape. When every minute counts, they can mean the difference between survival and tragedy.”

When deciding where to place smoke alarms, begin with every sleeping room, the area outside each sleeping space such as a shared hallway, and every level of the house, including the basement, says Susan McKelvey, communications manager at the National Fire Protection Association.

Equally important is knowing where not to install them. To keep them effective and safe, avoid placing a smoke alarm in the following spots.