Smoke detector Location

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Dustin Foelber

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I have a project in which we are installing smoke detectors in apartments that have a vaulted ceiling. My question is we now have them installed above the doorway for the room. This leaves alot of wall space above to the vault. My question is do they need to be all the way at the top on the vaulted ceiling. IF so is there an exception for access to turn off or difficulty in changing battery?
 
You can probably get the instruction from the manufacturer's website.
 
Smoke alarms mounted above a door will not be effective until the smoke has built down to there level. This will reduce the effectiveness, sometimes greatly based on the slope of the ceiling. There is no exemption from placement due to ease of access to allow them to be placed lower.
 
kwired said:
So does that mean if the max height of the vaulted ceiling is less than three feet above the current location it is still acceptable?
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No look a 11.8.3.2, 11.8.3.3 and 11.8.3.4 from NFPA 72. The 3 foot distances are when the detectors are on the ceiling. On the wall would have to be 4 to 12 inches.
 
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RICK NAPIER said:
No look a 11.8.3.2, 11.8.3.3 and 11.8.3.4 from NFPA 72. The 3 foot distances are when the detectors are on the ceiling. On the wall would have to be 4 to 12 inches.
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Rick correct me if I am wrong but if the wall is only 8' high and the ceiling 12' high then the only choice is on the ceiling.
 
RICK NAPIER said:
No look a 11.8.3.2, 11.8.3.3 and 11.8.3.4 from NFPA 72. The 3 foot distances are when the detectors are on the ceiling. On the wall would have to be 4 to 12 inches.
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IDK, I don't use NFPA 72, my question was if the highest point of a vaulted ceiling is no more than 3 foot higher than an otherwise compliant location on a wall or ceiling is that location still acceptable?

Keep in mind a vaulted ceiling as I see it anyway is any ceiling that has one or more points that are higher in elevation than other points. This could mean you have a flat ceiling around the perimeter of the room and a higher portion in the center that is flat or sloped, or just a ceiling that has a slope to it.
 
How about if you have a skylight that is at least 3 feet higher than the highest portion of the remainder of the ceiling but only has a relatively narrow tunnel from the ceiling to the skylight?
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Rick correct me if I am wrong but if the wall is only 8' high and the ceiling 12' high then the only choice is on the ceiling.
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I don't read it that way. The sections read smoke detectors mounted on the ceiling shall... No where does it say they have to mount on the ceiling, but if you where to mount it on the wall it would have to be 4 to 12 inches from the ceiling on the wall that reaches up to the peak.
 
kwired said:
IDK, I don't use NFPA 72, my question was if the highest point of a vaulted ceiling is no more than 3 foot higher than an otherwise compliant location on a wall or ceiling is that location still acceptable?

Keep in mind a vaulted ceiling as I see it anyway is any ceiling that has one or more points that are higher in elevation than other points. This could mean you have a flat ceiling around the perimeter of the room and a higher portion in the center that is flat or sloped, or just a ceiling that has a slope to it.
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No i don't think so. If that was the case you could put a detector on a knee wall of a sloped ceiling. You may not use NFPA 72 but the detector manufacturer's installation instructions generally are using that as thier guide.
 
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