Where should I install my smoke detector?

Smoke detectors should either be installed on the ceiling or a few inches down from the ceiling on a wall. The reason smoke detectors should be installed a few inches lower than the ceiling is that smoke tends to curl when it reaches the 90 degree angle formed by the ceiling joining the wall and this forms a “dead space” where smoke may not penetrate.

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1. Is it true that smoke detectors have a life expectancy?
2. How many smoke detectors do I need in my house? I live in a 30 by 40 single-story ranch.
3. Where should I install my smoke detector?
4. My smoke detector started sounding an alarm the other day even though there was no smoke and I had just changed the battery a few weeks before. Is my smoke detector still good?
5. Is it true that there are smoke detectors that you don’t need to change the battery every year?
6. How often should I test my smoke detector?
7. Do you really need to change the smoke detector’s batteries every time you change the clock? My smoke detector chirps when the battery needs to be replaced.
8. Are there different types of smoke detectors on the market? Are some better than others?
9. My smoke detector is always sounding a false alarm whenever I cook. I know I shouldn’t disconnect the batteries, but how about putting a plastic shower cap over it?
10. Do I need a carbon monoxide detector?
11. Where should carbon monoxide detectors be placed?