Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: where to put them and how to maintain them (2026)
Short answer: install smoke alarms inside every bedroom (including the nursery), outside each sleeping area and on every level; install CO alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas. Interconnect them if you can. Test monthly, replace batteries at least yearly unless they’re sealed 10-year units, and replace smoke alarms after 10 years and CO alarms per the maker or every 5 years (CDC). Infants are more likely to get sick from carbon monoxide.
Recalls checked November 10, 2026 on CPSC. We searched CPSC recalls with “smoke alarm”, “carbon monoxide” and “detectors” in the title announced since November 1, 2025. One alarm was recalled: Treatlife combination smoke and CO detectors (June 25, 2026; about 20 units; sold on Amazon; may fail to alert to fire). Others were CO hazards from gas boilers, pool heaters and pressure washers. Our recall-check policy.
How this page was made: this is a research-based guide built from official safety guidance (AAP/HealthyChildren.org, CPSC, NHTSA, FDA), federal safety standards and recall records, linked at the bottom of the page. We haven’t tested these products ourselves, and we don’t give scores. Our methodology.
Not medical advice. This page explains product safety guidance. For questions about your child’s health, feeding or development, ask your pediatrician.
Quick answer
Short answer: install smoke alarms inside every bedroom (including the nursery), outside each sleeping area and on every level; install CO alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas. Interconnect them if you can. Infants are more likely to get sick from carbon monoxide.
Last updated Recalls checked 2026-11-10
CO is odorless and colorless; the CDC[4] says more than 400 Americans die each year from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, and sleeping people can die before they have symptoms.
Where to put alarms
| Smoke alarms | CO alarms | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, every level including basement (CPSC; USFA); AAP[5] adds furnace areas | Every level and outside sleeping areas; not attics or basements unless someone sleeps there (CPSC); near every sleeping area (CDC) |
| Type | Ionization plus photoelectric, or dual-sensor; interconnected (USFA) | Battery or battery-backup; digital readout optional (CDC) |
| Test | Monthly (CPSC; USFA) | Monthly (CPSC) |
| Batteries | At least yearly unless sealed 10-year (CPSC; USFA) | Yearly (CPSC); check when clocks change (CDC) |
| Replace unit | Every 10 years (CPSC; USFA) | Per maker or every 5 years (CDC) |
Preventing CO in the first place
- Have furnaces, water heaters and fuel-burning appliances serviced yearly (CDC[4]).
- Never run a generator indoors or in a garage; keep it more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents (CDC).
- Never heat the house with a gas oven or burn charcoal indoors (CDC).
- Never run a car in an attached garage, even with the door open (CDC).
Symptoms are flu-like: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, confusion (CDC). Make a fire escape plan with two ways out of each room and close bedroom doors at night (CPSC[1][2][6]).
Who should skip this, and what to skip
No home should skip alarms. Homes with no fuel-burning appliances or attached garage have lower CO risk, but CO alarms are still inexpensive insurance, especially with a generator in outages (CDC[4]).
- Removing the battery while cooking: USFA: never; fan the smoke instead.
- Smoke alarms older than 10 years: CPSC[1][2][6] and USFA: replace the whole alarm.
- Generators in the garage “with the door open”: CDC[4]: CO still builds up.
- Recalled Treatlife smoke/CO detectors: CPSC[1][2][6]: may fail to alert to fire (June 2026).
The free or budget option
Frequently asked questions
Where should a CO alarm go?
Are babies more at risk from CO?
Sources
Safety guidance, standards and recall records come only from the official pages below, which we opened and read for this page. Retailer pages, if any, are used for price and specs only. This page lists no prices.
- CPSC: CO Alarms, fetched Nov 10, 2026 (cpsc.gov)
- CPSC: Change Smoke and CO Alarm Batteries (November 1, 2022), fetched Nov 10, 2026 (cpsc.gov)
- U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA): Smoke Alarms, fetched Nov 10, 2026 (usfa.fema.gov)
- CDC: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics, fetched Nov 10, 2026 (cdc.gov)
- AAP (HealthyChildren.org): Make Baby's Room Safe: Parent Checklist, fetched Nov 10, 2026 (healthychildren.org)
- CPSC recall database query (SaferProducts.gov API): “carbon monoxide” recalls since 2025-11-01, run Nov 10, 2026 (saferproducts.gov)
Related
Room-by-room baby-proofing checklist (2026)
Short answer: start before your baby crawls. The highest-impact steps are anchoring furniture and TVs, gating stairs with a screw-mounted top gate, going cordless on blinds, locking up medicines and pods, covering outlets, setting the water heater to 120°F or lower, and working smoke and CO alarms. CPSC notes no device is completely childproof, so supervision still matters.
guideHow to check baby product recalls (2026)
Short answer: find the model number and manufacture date on the product label, then search the right agency: CPSC (CPSC.gov/Recalls or SaferProducts.gov) for nursery gear, toys and furniture; NHTSA (NHTSA.gov/recalls) for car seats; and FDA for formula, baby food, teething medicines and breast pumps. Fill out the registration card that comes with cribs, strollers, high chairs and other durable baby gear so the maker can reach you directly.