Placing Spot-Type Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors are another important part of the detection equation. By their very design they provide early warning of a fire, making them a life-safety device rather than just a property protection measure taken to minimize damage to the structure and its contents. 

Knowing where and how to install smoke detectors is extremely important. To have a poorly installed detector is worse than having no detector at all. 

According to Section 5.7.3.2, 2007 Edition, spot-type smoke detectors can be mounted either on the sidewall or ceiling. When using the sidewall, mount the device no closer than 4 inches from the ceiling. The maximum distance is 12 inches. The distance from detector to sidewall when mounting the same smoke detector on a ceiling is the same 4 inches. 

Spacing between smoke detectors is likewise important. On a smooth ceiling the common distance between each smoke detector is 30 feet. According to Section 5.7.3.2.3.5, all points on a smooth ceiling should have a smoke detector within 0.7 times the selected spacing, or 21 feet. 

Not all ceilings are smooth, thus the spacing between smoke detectors will vary. To assure optimum performance and compliance, refer to Chapter 5 of NFPA 72, 2007, for the exact spacing in any specific situation.

Be sure to tune in next month when we’ll go deeper into the smoke detector placement issue and take a more in-depth look at why fire alarm technicians need to own multiple fire codes.

For more information on all three code sets, visit the National Fire Protection Association Web site at www.nfpa.org.

 

Use NFPA Code Sets to Avoid Placement Mistakes

Who better to own a set of construction-related codebooks than the very people who work in the construction field? There are three code sets that every fire alarm installer ought to have, and they are NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code (NFAC); NFPA 101, Life Safety Code (LSC); and NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC).

Although all three are important, the first an foremost code set that fire technicians need to have is NFPA 72. NFAC contains all the ins and outs associated with installing fire alarm devices, such as manual pulls, smoke detectors and notification appliance devices.

The second-most important codebook for the fire alarm technician to have is NFPA 70, NEC, which covers the particulars of installing wiring, conduit, boxes and many of the other mechanical aspects associated with f
ire alarm systems.

The third code that fire alarm technicians need to have is NFPA 101. LSC covers the application of fire prevention and detection technologies, including fire alarm systems, fire protection sprinkler systems and more.

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