Fire Detection & Alarm
Do I need a smoke detector or a heat detector in an unconditioned garage?
NFPA 72 disallows smoke detectors in spaces that routinely see temperatures below 32°F or above 100°F — that rules out a typical attached garage. A fixed-temperature or rate-of-rise heat detector is the right call there; it will not nuisance-alarm on car exhaust or dust but still trips on a real fire.
Look up the underlying term
Definitions, code references, and related terms in the Fire & Fabrication glossary.
Heat DetectorRelated questions
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