Use Cut & Paste to place the following instructions for installing a smoke detector in correct order. Renumber the list.
Download this activity in Word97 format
  1. Make sure you have a drill and a screwdriver.
  2. If you are installing a Plug-in detector, use a restraining device so that it cannot be unplugged by accident.
  3. Mount the detector high on a wall or on the ceiling. Wall-mounted units should be mounted so that the top of the detector is 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 centimeters) from the ceiling. A ceiling-mounted detector should be attached at least 4 inches (10 centimeters) from the nearest wall. In a room with a pitched ceiling, mount the detector at or near the ceiling's highest point.
  4. Check for proper operation and instructions on its maintenance and operation.
  5. Check to see if the detector can also be hard-wired into your building's electrical system.
  6. Make sure that the smoke detector is not connected to a circuit that can be turned off from a wall switch.
  7. Install, mount and secure your new unit following the manufacturer's instructions.
  8. If mounting the smoke detector on a stairway with no doors at the top or bottom, position the detector anywhere in the path of smoke moving up the stairs.
  9. Always position smoke detectors at the bottom of closed stairways, such as those leading from the basement. Dead air trapped near the door at the top of a stairway could prevent smoke from reaching a detector located at the top.
  10. Disconnect your existing unit.