How Far From a Cooktop Should a Fire Alarm Be Installed?

Distance From Kitchen

• Instead of determining the distance the smoke detector should be located from the cooktop, determine the distance the smoke detector should be from the entrance to your kitchen. Placing the smoke detector too near a kitchen can trigger false alarms since cooking can normally produce some smoke in the air. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends placing smoke detectors no closer than 3 feet from the door leading into a kitchen, or else the alarm may sound constant false alarms.

Other Location Considerations

• Place your smoke detector away from any ceiling fans or air ducts since moving air can blow smoke away from the detector, delaying the sounding of the alarm in the event of a fire. Placing a smoke detector in or near the doorway to a bathroom may also trigger a false alarm since water droplets in the air from hot showers can trigger the alarm’s sensor. Locating the smoke detector near a fireplace, especially a wood-burning fireplace, can also lead to false alarms when small amounts of smoke waft out.

Ionization vs. Photoelectric

• Ionization smoke detectors easily pick up on small particles of smoke, which come more from fast-spreading fires such as those caused by grease in a kitchen. The detector has two small round metal plates, with an electrical current running between them. When smoke particles flow between the plates and interrupt the electrical flow, the smoke detector sounds off. Photoelectric smoke detectors are better at detecting large particles of smoke, such as from fires that smolder for a long period of time, not producing high flames until they suddenly flare up. The detector has a light and receptor inside, and when a smoke particle interrupts the light inside the detector it sounds off.

Cooking Safety

• Other practices besides placing smoke detectors in appropriate locations can keep you safe while cooking in your house. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, preferably a “B” category extinguisher since they are formulated for fighting fires produced by grease or other flammable liquids. Do not leave the food you are cooking unattended on the stove since the food may catch fire while you are gone. If something does catch fire on the stove, turn off the stove and do not remove the pan or pot since you may spill more oil or other combustible materials and make the fire bigger.