Residential Smoke Detector Installation

Determine placement and number of detectors that will be required. The CPSC recommends installing one alarm in each sleeping room and one on each floor of the home, including the basement.

Remove the cover of the detector and find the mounting holes on its base. Some kits include a template guide. Set the wall anchors and screws aside for the moment. Place the guide in the center of the ceiling, or 4 inches to 12 inches from a corner, according to recommendations of the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA).

Mark the hole or holes with a pencil and put the base or template aside. Start a hole for a screw with a drill in wood, or tap an anchor into a slightly larger hole in plaster or wall board to hold the screw.

Set the mounting screw in the hole and drive it in partially until it holds. If the unit has two mounting screws, repeat installation with the second screw.

Set the base down on the screw or screws and rotate it so that the screw rides into the narrow holding channel. Tighten the screw down so that the base does not slide around the mounting screws. Do not overtighten.

Install the battery and test the unit according to the directions that came with your detector. Reattach the cover.