If your smoke and carbon monoxide detector keeps going off for no reason, it can become easy not to trust it, which could be dangerous. Aside from being dangerous, though, a smoke detector that goes off for no reason is simply annoying. There are two possible explanations for a smoke detector that goes off without reason. One is dust on the detector’s sensors, meaning that a quick cleaning could fix the problem. If this doesn’t work, your detector is likely malfunctioning and needs to be replaced. Also note that there is a difference between a smoke detector that is going off for no reason and one that is just beeping. In battery operated units, if your smoke detector is just beeping it likely means the batteries need to be replaced.

Smoke detectors should be installed inside each bedroom and outside each sleeping area. You should also have a smoke detector on every level of your home, including the basement. On levels that do not have bedrooms, install the smoke detector in a living room or family room. As far as where on the wall smoke detectors should be located, you’ll want to install them high up on the wall no more than 12 inches away from the top of the ceiling.

The number of smoke detectors you need for your home depends on the specific size and layout of your house. Keep in mind that you need a smoke detector on every level of your home and one inside every bedroom and sleeping area. You also need at least one smoke detector in the hallway outside of a sleeping area, and if the hallway is longer than 40 feet you’ll want to put a smoke detector at each end. Using this information, take a look at the layout of your home and figure up how many smoke detectors you need to buy.

If the red light on your smoke detector is flashing slowly (once every 10-20 seconds) it simply indicates that the detector is on. A fast blink (once every 3-5 seconds) however, indicates a maintenance issue and you will want to consult the detector’s instructions to identify the specific issue.