What Is the Code Requirement for Carbon Monoxide Detectors

HB 09-1091 entered into force on 24.03.09 and entered into force on 01.07.09. The requirements apply to single-family and multi-family homes. Below is a summary of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment`s proposed bill. Carbon monoxide alarms must be installed in all new and existing single-family homes, built or renovated single-family or two-family homes, apartment buildings, dormitories, hotels and motels that contain fuel heating, a cooking source or a device that produces by-products of combustion, or in an attached garage. Carbon monoxide alarms replaced or installed after July 1, 2005 must be directly connected to the building`s electrical service and equipped with a backup battery. (In Michigan, fire safety regulations are passed at the municipal level. The International Fire Code has been widely adopted in Michigan and requires the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in existing apartment buildings, dormitories, hotels and motels. Please check local requirements for regulations for existing housing.) ? No person shall remove or render inoperable the batteries of a carbon monoxide alarm except as part of the inspection, maintenance, repair or replacement process. Carbon monoxide alarms are mandatory in all new and existing single-family homes and apartment buildings. Alarms must be installed within ten feet of any room legally used for sleeping.

So where are CO detectors needed? Article 908.7 of the IBC 2012 states that CO alarms must be installed in Group I or R occupations located in buildings containing a fuel-burning appliance or in a building with an attached garage. The code allows the use of CO detection systems as an alternative to stand-alone CO alarms. They must be installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA 720, the standard for the installation of carbon monoxide (CO) detection and warning equipment. Note: The information on this page is provided for reference purposes for state legislators and legislative staff. If you are a homeowner, homeowner or tenant and have questions about carbon monoxide detector requirements in your area, please contact your local or state housing department. For more information on the health effects of carbon monoxide, see www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/ehs/index.html Alarms installed in this manner must comply with the National Fire Protection Association Standard 720 or its successor standard for the operation and installation of carbon monoxide alarms. As electricians install fire alarm systems, these new laws and code requirements require the installation of CO alarms or detectors, so it helps to familiarize yourself with the code requirements. Always check your national or local requirements, which may go beyond national requirements. (System Sensor provides a map of U.S. requirements at www.system sensor.com/co/map.) Carbon monoxide alarms are mandatory in newly built or renovated single-family homes or renovated homes, as well as in new apartment buildings, hotels and motels. Carbon monoxide alarms must be approved or listed for this purpose by a nationally recognized independent testing laboratory. What are the results of this new law? A summary of this legislation requires home and rental property owners to install carbon monoxide alarms near bedrooms (or any other room legally used for sleeping) in any home heated by fossil fuels, with a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage.

New York was one of the first states to pass CO detection legislation. It was named Amanda`s Law in honor of Buffalo teenager Amanda Hansen, who died of CO poisoning following a broken boiler in January 2009 while overnight at a friend`s house. Today, more than 30 states have laws that require the installation of CO detectors. The International Residential Code added requirements for CO detection in 2009, while the International Building Code (IPC) and the International Fire Code included such language in 2012. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the second leading cause of death from non-drug poisoning. According to the CDC, more than 10,000 people are poisoned each year by carbon monoxide that requires medical treatment, and more than 438 people in the United States die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning. The above ignores government building codes and regulations. This report belongs to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and is intended to serve as a reference for state and state legislators. NCSL makes no warranties, express or implied, and assumes no legal responsibility for the use of this information by third parties or represents that its use by such third parties would not infringe any private right.

In California, all newly constructed housing units that include a fossil fuel or furnace, fireplace or attached garage must have carbon monoxide alarms installed. In addition, the owner of a dwelling intended for human occupation is required to install carbon monoxide alarms approved and listed by the State Fire Marshal in any existing dwelling unit that has a fossil fuel-fired furnace or appliance, fireplace or attached garage, in the first applicable period as follows: What is a carbon monoxide alarm? The carbon monoxide alarm may resemble a smoke detector in size and shape. A carbon monoxide alarm constantly tastes the air, monitors for carbon monoxide and sounds an alarm when carbon monoxide is detected in dangerous quantities. NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code, contains requirements in various occupancy chapters. Occupancy facilities requiring CO screening and a summary of requirements are: new child care spaces (Chapter 16), new (Chapter 18) and existing health facilities (Chapter 19), detached and semi-detached houses (Chapter 24), shelters and shelters (Chapter 26), new hotels and dormitories (Chapter 28), and new residential buildings (Chapter 30). All of them have essentially the same requirements. CO detection is required if a combustion appliance is installed or if the building has an attached garage. Open car parks are excluded. Frequently Asked Questions – House Bill 09-1091 – On the Requirement to Install a Carbon Monoxide Alarm in Residential Properties Why is this new law necessary? Ensure the immediate preservation of public peace, health and safety in residential real estate. The law is named after Parker, Caroline, Owen and Sophie Lofgren and Lauren Johnson, all of whom died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The full text of the law can be found here. For more information on this bill or questions about the health effects of carbon monoxide, please contact Shannon Rossiter, MPH at 303-692-2617 or toll free at 1-888-569-1831 ext. 2617. If a fuel-burning appliance is located in a bedroom or in the attached bathroom, a carbon monoxide alarm must be installed in the bedroom.