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When it comes to building your own tiny house, there is nothing more exciting than being able to sleep in it for the first time. But before you dare spend a night in there, you NEED to have these three tiny house safety features installed. Now you might be thinking, “Safety” that isn’t fun! While neither is exposing yourself to potential deadly risk because you jumped the gun and decided to stay in your tiny house before getting these features installed. Let’s jump into the 3 safety items to include in every project!
The Number 1 Tiny House Safety Item!
What is the number 1 safety feature on our list? Did you guess the smoke detector/carbon monoxide detector? Just like in any standard house you should have these detectors installed before every sleeping in your tiny house for the first time, be it a stationary unit, skoolie, van, or anything else. Your first line of defense from fire or carbon monoxide should be these detectors. I live in my skoolie and have about 225 sqft, guess how many detectors I have in my tiny house?
Did you guess 1? Maybe 2? Nope, I have 3 detectors in my school bus tiny house. Now 3 might be overkill, but why take the risk when there is plenty of space to install them. So the three places I have my 2 in 1 detectors installed are: in the bedroom, in the kitchen, and by the driver seat. I picked up this 3 pack off amazon which made life easy. They are battery-operated and just use some screws to mount.
The Second Tiny House Safety Item?
Can you guess what the second item we have to install before spending a night in the tiny house? If you guessed fire extinguisher, then you would be correct! A fire extinguisher is a perfect sidekick for smoke detectors. Heaven forbid something catches on fire in your tiny house, having a way to battle a flame is important. With limited access to exits at times, having a fire extinguisher can be the difference between getting out and not. Since most fire extinguishers are one-time use, I always recommend having a few on hand, just in case.
So, how many fire extinguishers should you have in your tiny house? This might be a bit excessive, but I chose to do 4! That way there is always a fire extinguisher in arms reach for the most part. The areas I positioned mine are, the bedroom, kitchen, cockpit, and under the driver seat. This allows for easy access to any one of them if I ever were to need one. I like to be overly prepared and since these don’t take up that much room I think it is worth it. This 4 pack from amazon also comes with mounting brackets to make securing them even easier.
The Number 3 Safety Item is…
I bet you didn’t think of this one ahead of time. The final safety item that should be installed is… a liquid propane detector. If you have any kind of propane appliances onboard your tiny house, then you MUST install a propane detector. Propane is heavier than air so that means it will sink down to the floor, so you should install the propane detector close to the ground and within a reasonable distance to your propane appliances. The last thing you want is for that propane to start accumulating during a leak and lead to an explosion…
And the golden question is how many LP detectors do you need? Realistically 1 should do the trick if your propane appliances are centrally located. I have my liquid propane detector located in the kitchen since my stove and water heater are both propane. That way if there is a leak inside the skoolie from either, it should set off the detector. When I was researching these detectors for my bus, I decided to go with this 12V LP Detector that is connected to my solar batteries to keep it powered at all times.
Now You Are Prepared!
I realize safety isn’t always at the top of everyone’s priorities, but when it comes to tiny spaces where things can go wrong fast, it never hurts to be overly cautious. Picking up these simple safety devices can mean the difference between life and death and they aren’t even that expensive. Don’t put your safety on the line if you are building or own a tiny house, be sure to get these installed ASAP before spending your first night. Is there anything else you would install before your first night? Drop a comment below and share with us!
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