Is smoke detector required in attached garage?

[James23912]

Hi I am in the process of building a three season room attached to the house and will be running the smoke detector line into the new room, I hope to add a garage onto that room next year so if a smoke is needed in the garage I would run some wire out to a place for future use. In Vermont. Thanks

 

[Weekend Handyman]

Hi I am in the process of building a three season room attached to the house and will be running the smoke detector line into the new room, I hope to add a garage onto that room next year so if a smoke is needed in the garage I would run some wire out to a place for future use. In Vermont. Thanks

Not sure if it is required, but it sure sounds like a good idea to me.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[wwhitney]

To my understanding, smoke detectors are generally not installed in residential garages. Exhaust fumes could set them off (not sure if that's true), and if the garage is not climate controlled, then the ambient temperature may vary outside the allowable operating temperature range.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[WorthFlorida]

You can never have enough smoke detectors but when the garage is built, do consider (wired) Carbon Monoxide detectors.

 

[wwhitney]

To my understanding, smoke detectors are generally not installed in residential garages.

For example, I checked the installation instructions on the last smoke alarm I installed. Under "Where this alarm should NOT be installed," the first location listed is "garages." I expect basically all smoke alarms to have a similar limitation in their instructions.

Plus I checked the installation instructions of a random CO alarm. It also stated not to install in garages.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[WorthFlorida]

Fire Alarms should not be installed in garages because of the environment can trigger false alarms. I say install one and wait and see. A lot of people never use their garage for vehicles other than for household stuff. Plenty of flammable material with cans of gasoline and solvents. My sisters first home, a fire started in the garage and when my brother in law opened the house door to the garage because of a strange noise, the fire and smoke spread into the home. Another sister's brother-in law, a volunteer fireman, the crew screwed up and when they open the main garage door with the structure on fire, a backdraft exploded and he now has facial disfigurement from burns and other injuries.

The townhome directly across the street from my home had 80% destruction from a fire that started in the garage and damaged the unit next to it. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt. The two men that lived there, one ate too much smoke and the other cut his wrist on glass going out his second floor bedroom window. It was amazing how fast the fire spread and how hot it became.

Most home fires start in the kitchen, but about 6600 fires each year start in the garage and smoke detectors are not recommend for either of these rooms.

Fire @ Cygnus

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[Jadnashua]

A CO detector is a decent thought IMHO, but it might go off, depending on the vehicle, fairly often, which would negate that 'goodness'. If the garage is attached, a CO detector with smoke detectors in adjacent areas is good.

Nest's 'Protect' devices don't need the trigger line...they use their own wireless network to communicate, and also report to the internet via WiFi. When one goes off, it annouces through all of them where and what's happening. Not much more than combining a CO and smoke detector's cost...it will also send you an email if one goes off, so it's good for remote monitoring as well.

Keep in mind that smoke detectors don't last forever while retaining their full sensitivity...the recommended replacement interval is 10-years.