Proper Smoke Detector Locations
One of the worst things that a home builder can do would
be to locate the smoke detectors in unreachable areas. It doesn't happen
as much as it use to, but when local building departments started to
require them in all houses, you got to see some of them in some strange
places.
They were located in front of heating ducts, next to bright lights, over
kitchen stoves and the list goes on and on. I used to have a lot of fun
looking for smoke detectors in newer homes and it actually became a
unconscious habit of mine.
Home builders should think twice, before installing a smoke detector,
simply because the architect or home designer placed it there on the
blueprints or building plans. If you notice that a smoke detector is
going to be located in a difficult place for the homeowners to change
the batteries, you should contact the architect or home designer to
verify and make the necessary changes.
Anyone that has heard a smoke detector with a low battery, understands
how annoying something like this can be. Could you imagine having a
smoke detector placed at the top of the 16 foot ceiling and there's
nothing you can do about? I can imagine situations like this, because
I'm usually the person that they call for help and advice, when
homeowners run into situations like this.
You would think that something like this wouldn't happen anymore, but
there are still plenty of inexperienced home builders, contractors and
construction workers who rarely think twice and do as they are told. We
could save ourselves a lot of grief and frustration in the future, by
sharing this information with other people, especially home building
contractors, designers and architects.