Smoke and CO detector installation

A smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide detector are two different devices, even if they sometimes share a housing. A smoke alarm warns of fire, while a CO detector warns of carbon monoxide, which has no smell or colour and leaks from a faulty gas water heater, fireplace or boiler. In a flat with gas it is worth having both.

Where detectors go

• smoke alarms on the ceiling, in the hallway between the bedrooms and the rest of the flat and in each bedroom, away from the kitchen and bathroom, where steam and frying smoke cause false alarms;
• CO detectors in the room with the gas appliance or fireplace and in bedrooms, at the height and distance the maker specifies;
• no detector in a corner, by a window, above a radiator or in a draught.

What the handyman does

They choose positions to suit the layout, fix the detectors with plugs or mounting plates, fit the batteries or connect mains-powered units, and check each one with the test button. With several wireless detectors they interlink them so an alarm in one room sets them all off. Finally, they show you what the low-battery chirp sounds like and how to tell an alarm from a service signal.

An important note

A CO detector does not replace an inspection of the gas installation and flues. If it goes off, open the windows, turn off the gas appliance, leave the flat and call the emergency number 112. That is not a job for a tradesperson from the app.

Common questions