Such smoke detectors also have a backup battery aside from the 120 volt power it needs to function. Smoke detectors should be placed where smoke isn’t supposed to be. Avoid installing them in kitchens or rooms that have steams like saunas and bathrooms to prevent false alarms. Do not install smoke and carbon dioxide detector in breezy and ventilated areas like in front of electric fans, air conditioners, windows and doors. They may pick up smoke that originated in other places or the fresh air might obscure the reading, preventing the device from setting off when it should. Install them on a high wall or in the ceiling because smoke and fire rises. What if you have a big house and there’s a fire starting somewhere in the basement and you’re asleep in your bedroom on the third floor?Fortunately photoelectric smoke detectors can be interconnected, meaning if a smoke detector sets off in the basement, all smoke detectors in the residence would alarm. This is effective in alerting the entire family. Installation and wiring, however, requires supervision. As maintenance, make sure to vacuum your smoke detectors monthly and test them weekly by burning a small material so it could detect smoke. As convenient as it sounds, smoke and carbon dioxide detectors do not last forever.