The Ontario Building Code | Silencing of Smoke Alarms
9.10.19.6. Silencing of Smoke Alarms
(1) Except as permitted in Sentence (2), a manually operated device shall be incorporated within the circuitry of a smoke alarm installed in a dwelling unit so that the signal emitted by the smoke alarm can be silenced for a period of not more than 10 min, after which the smoke alarm will reset and sound again if the level of smoke in the vicinity is sufficient to reactuate it.
Note: On July 1, 2017, Sentence 9.10.19.6.(1) of Division B of the Regulation is amended by striking out "dwelling unit" and substituting "houseor an individual dwelling unit". (See: O. Reg. 139/17, s. 117)
(2) Suites of residential occupancyequipped with smoke detectors installed to CAN/ulc-S524, "installation of Fire Alarm Systems", which are part of the fire alarm system in lieu of smoke alarms as permitted in Sentence 9.10.19.4.(3), need not incorporate the manually operated device required in Sentence (1).
In Plain Language
Smoke alarms must include a silencing feature meeting the requirements set out in this article, letting occupants temporarily quiet a nuisance alarm (like from cooking) without disabling it.
This is a plain-language summary of the 2012/2017 Ontario Building Code text above, for general understanding only and not a substitute for the Code. Always confirm current requirements against the 2024 edition (O.Reg. 163/24) or a qualified professional before construction.