Most fatal fires occur at night when people are asleep. Working smoke alarms give you the precious time you need to escape a fire. By law, every home in Ontario must have a working smoke alarm on every storey and adjacent to sleeping areas.

"Adjacent to each sleeping area" generally means the hallway or area immediately outside the bedrooms. If a hallway serves multiple bedrooms, 1 alarm in that hallway is sufficient. In some layouts, this may mean placing the alarm within the sleeping area itself to ensure it can be heard.

Working carbon monoxide (CO) alarms must be installed on every storey of the home and adjacent to sleeping areas if the home has a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace, an attached garage, or is served by a forced-air fuel burning appliance not contained within the building. Learn more about staying safe and staying compliant with CO alarm requirements.

Choose the right smoke alarms

Smoke alarms are available with different features and applications, which can make choosing the right alarm possibly confusing. Some of the features to consider include:

  • Power source: alarms can run on batteries, electricity (plug-in or hardwired), or both. Make sure to have a battery backup on electrical alarms in case the power goes out.
  • Types of technology: there are 2 main types of alarms. Ionization alarms often respond faster to flaming fires. Photo-electric alarms may detect smouldering fires more quickly. Using both types provides the best protection.
  • Safety labels: only buy alarms that have a recognized Canadian certification mark (i.e. ETL, ULC, CSA). These marks show the alarm meets Canadian safety standards.
  • CSA logo
    Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
  • Logo for Underwriters Laboratories of Canada
    Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC)
  • ETL Intertek
    Electrical Testing Laboratories (ETL)
  • Pause button: look for alarms with a "pause" or "hush" button. This allows the alarm to be silenced temporarily without taking out the battery.

Where to install smoke alarms

Ontario law requires smoke alarms on every storey of a home and outside all sleeping areas.

  • On the ceiling: smoke rises so alarms should be installed on the ceiling. If that is not possible, place them high up on a wall.
  • Follow instructions: always read and follow the manufacturer’s guide for the best placement.
  • Stay away from air flow: do not install alarms too close to bathrooms, kitchens, windows, ceiling fans, or ovens. These can cause the alarm to fail or go off by mistake.

Maintenance

  • Test monthly: press the test button once a month. If the alarm does not sound, change the battery. If it still does not work, replace the whole unit.
  • Change batteries yearly: put in fresh batteries at least once a year. If the alarm makes a "chirping" sound, the battery is low and must be changed immediately.
  • Clean the dust: dust can stop an alarm from working. Once a year, gently vacuum the outside of the alarm. For battery models, you can open the cover to vacuum inside. For electrical models, turn off the power first and only vacuum the outside vents.
  • Replace old alarms: smoke alarms do not last forever. Replace every alarm after 10 years of use.

Handle nuisance alarms

Steam from a shower or smoke from a toaster can set off an alarm. To fix the problem, never remove the battery to stop a false alarm but instead:

  • move the alarm a little further away from the kitchen or bathroom
  • use the pause button to quiet the alarm until the air clears
  • use photo-electric alarms near kitchens which are less likely to react to cooking smoke