[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 24, Volume 5]

[Revised as of April 1, 2006]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 24CFR3280.208]



[Page 121-122]

 

                 TITLE 24--HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

 

 CHAPTER XX--OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HOUSING--FEDERAL HOUSING 

        COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

 

PART 3280_MANUFACTURED HOME CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY STANDARDS--Table 

of Contents

 

                          Subpart C_Fire Safety

 

Sec.  3280.208  Smoke alarm requirements.



    (a) Labeling. Each smoke alarm required under paragraph (b) of this 

section must conform with the requirements of UL 217, Single and 

Multiple Station Smoke Alarms, dated January 4, 1999 (incorporated by 

reference, see Sec.  3280.4), or UL 268, Smoke Detectors for Fire 

Protective Signaling Systems, dated January 4, 1999 (incorporated by 

reference, see Sec.  3280.4), and must bear a label to evidence 

conformance.

    (b) Required smoke alarm locations. (1) At least one smoke alarm 

must be installed in each of the following locations:

    (i) To protect both the living area and kitchen space. Manufacturers 

are encouraged to locate the alarm in the living area remote from the 

kitchen and cooking appliances. A smoke alarm located within 20 feet 

horizontally of a cooking appliance must incorporate a temporary 

silencing feature or be of a photoelectric type.

    (ii) In each room designed for sleeping.

    (iii) On the ceiling of the upper level near the top or above each 

stairway, other than a basement stairway, in any multistory home 

completed in accordance with this part or part 3282 of this chapter. The 

alarm must be located so that smoke rising in the stairway cannot be 

prevented from reaching the alarm by an intervening door or obstruction.

    (2) For each home designed to be placed over a basement, the 

manufacturer must provide a smoke alarm for the basement and must 

install at the factory an electrical junction box for the installation 

of this smoke alarm and for its interconnection to other smoke alarms 

required by this section. The instructions for installers and 

information for homeowners required in paragraph (f) of this section 

must clearly indicate that a smoke alarm should be installed and is to 

be located on the basement ceiling near the stairway.

    (3) A smoke alarm required under this section must not be placed in 

a location that impairs its effectiveness or in any of the following 

locations:

    (i) Within 3 feet horizontally from any discharge grille when a home 

is equipped or designed for future installation of a roof-mounted 

evaporative cooler or other equipment discharging conditioned air 

through a ceiling grille into the living space; and

    (ii) In any location or environment that is prohibited by the terms 

of its listing, except as permitted by this section.

    (c) Mounting requirements. (1) Except in rooms with peaked sloping 

or shed sloping ceilings with a slope of more than 1.5/12 or as 

permitted pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section, smoke alarms must 

be mounted either:

    (i) On the ceiling at least 4 inches from each wall; or



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    (ii) On a wall with the top of the alarm not less than 4 inches 

below the ceiling, and not farther from the ceiling than 12 inches or 

the distance from the ceiling specified in the smoke alarm 

manufacturer's listing and instructions, whichever is less.

    (2) Except as permitted pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section, 

in rooms with peaked sloping ceilings with a slope of more than 1.5/12, 

smoke alarms must be mounted on the ceiling within 3 feet, measured 

horizontally, from the peak of the ceiling; at least 4 inches, measured 

vertically, below the peak of the ceiling; and at least 4 inches from 

any projecting structural element.

    (3) Except as permitted pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section, 

in rooms with shed sloping ceilings with a slope of more than 1.5/12, 

smoke alarms must be mounted on the ceiling within 3 feet, measured 

horizontally, of the high side of the ceiling, and not closer than 4 

inches from any adjoining wall surface and from any projecting 

structural element.

    (d) Connection to power source. (1) Each smoke alarm must be powered 

from:

    (i) The electrical system of the home as the primary power source 

and a battery as a secondary power source; or

    (ii) A battery rated for a 10-year life, provided the smoke alarm is 

listed for use with a 10-year battery.

    (2) Each smoke alarm whose primary power source is the home 

electrical system must be mounted on an electrical outlet box and 

connected by a permanent wiring method to a general electrical circuit. 

More than one smoke alarm is permitted to be placed on the same 

electrical circuit. The wiring circuit for the alarm must not include 

any switches between the over-current protective device and the alarm, 

and must not be protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter.

    (3) Smoke alarms required under this section must be interconnected 

such that the activation of any one smoke alarm causes the alarm to be 

triggered in all required smoke alarms in the home.

    (e) Visible and tactile notification appliances. (1) In addition to 

the smoke alarms required pursuant to this section, the manufacturer 

must provide visible and listed tactile notification appliances if these 

appliances are ordered by the purchaser or retailer before the home 

enters the first stage of production. These appliances are required to 

operate from the primary power source, but are not required to operate 

from a secondary power source.

    (2) A visible notification appliance in a room designed for sleeping 

must have a minimum rating of 177 candela, except that when the visible 

notification appliance is wall-mounted or suspended more than 24 inches 

below the ceiling, a minimum rating of 110 candela is permitted.

    (3) A visible notification appliance in an area other than a room 

designed for sleeping must have a minimum rating of 15 candela.

    (f) Testing and maintenance. (1) Each required smoke alarm installed 

at the factory must be operationally tested, after conducting the 

dielectric test specified in Sec.  3280.810(a), in accordance with the 

alarm manufacturer's instructions. A smoke alarm that does not function 

as designed during the test and is not fixed so that it functions 

properly in the next retest must be replaced. Any replacement smoke 

alarm must be successfully tested in accordance with this paragraph.

    (2) Home manufacturers must provide specific written instructions 

for installers on how to inspect and test the operation of smoke alarms 

during installation of the home. These instructions must indicate that 

any smoke alarm that does not meet the inspection or testing 

requirements needs to be replaced and retested.

    (3) Home manufacturers must provide the homeowner with the alarm 

manufacturer's information describing the operation, method and 

frequency of testing, and proper maintenance of the smoke alarm. This 

information must be provided in same manner and location as the consumer 

manual required by Sec.  3282.207 of this chapter, but does not have to 

be incorporated into the consumer manual. No dealer, distributor, 

construction contractor, or other person shall interfere with the 

distribution of this information



[67 FR 12817, Mar. 19, 2002, as amended at 67 FR 49795, July 31, 2002]



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