When are carbon monoxide detectors needed?

Question

Those carbon monoxide/smoke detectors seem to be more prone to problems than a plain smoke detector.  I had one way high in the loft that kept chirping even when the battery was replaced.  Does anyone know when a carbon monoxide detector is needed to supplement a smoke detector?  This condo has electric appliances and a gas furnace.

Matthew Rutledge · Answer

If I were rehabbing (had a wall open), I would either go hard wired or run a dedicated plug for the CO detector.  I hate sacrificing an outlet for something like that.

Personally, I would like to see more common sense being used with the CO detectors.  CO is heavier than air.  You want your detector low to give occupants the best chance.  The original post about having one up high in a loft makes me cringe.

-Matt

Johann Jells · Answer

Had to share this. After being fed up with conflicting advice on detector locations from 3 city and state inspection agencies, I took a floor plan of a unit down to the city FD to have them tell me where to locate them.  A city FD inspector says "you want the CO outside the bedrooms where you can hear it, but you should have one outside the kitchen in case the pilot light goes out". When I pointed out that a unlit pilot would leak methane but not create CO, she goes "yeah, I guess you're right". Trained. Fire. Inspector.

Scott McClelland · Answer

In order to pass the Baltimore County rental inspection you need a hardwired CO detector outside of every bedroom.  You don't need them for Baltimore City but I install them in all my rentals there as well.  I'm not sure whether you are asking for your private residence or a rental but you shouldn't need them unless you really want them for your private residence.  I would check Anne Arundel County's website if you have any questions about your place or the surrounding area.

Jon Holdman · Answer

Actually Colorado has a more specific law that even that specified in the IRC.  It specifically states a CO detector must be within 15' of each bedroom.  You don't have to have one per bedroom, but one has to be within 15' of the entry to each bedroom.  They have to be in place when you sell or rent a property, no grandfathering.  On new construction or remodeling, they have to be hardwired.  I'm doing a bathroom now and had to add hardwired CO detectors to conform with this regulation.

Dave Martel · Answer

As Kyle stated it varies by state and local jurisdictions but here is what the 2012 international residential code says(1 & 2 family dwellings)

Article R315.1 Carbon Monoxide alarms.  For new construction, an approved carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed outside each separate  sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms in dwelling units within which fuel fired appliances are installed and in dwelling units that have attached garages.

Article R315.3   Where required in existing dwellings.  Where work requiring a permit occurs in existing dwellings that have attached garages or in existing dwellings within which fuel fired appliances exist, carbon monoxide alarms shall be provided in accordance with Section R315.1

So in a nutshell, outside every bedroom.  And the gas furnace is considered an appliance.

Account Closed · Answer

LOL.  California started requiring them a few years ago.  We just got some plug-in models at the building I managed.  The last place I rented last year was a subsidized senior building, inspected by HUD and other govt agencies,  and they just used the plug-in models.  The one I'm in now has one on a 10 1/2 foot ceiling LOL!  Lotta good that one will do me :-)

Account Closed · Answer

All good posts.  Looks like I'd be better off playing it safe, getting plug-ins and installing them low at outlets for the time being until I can get them hard-wired.

John Rooster · Answer

Hard wiring of the CO detector is required, I was told by my electrican yesterday, statewide in Colorado on additions (that includes basement finishes) and when houses are completely rewired. I am doing both currently in Denver. Hard wired meaning that it is tied in with the smoke detectors so all detectors beep when one is triggered

Jon Holdman · Answer

Hard wiring may be a local code.  Wheat Ridge uses IRC 2006, and I assumed it was from there.  I didn't go try to find it, though.  I pushed back pretty hard with the inspector on this because I had existing battery CO detectors that are only a couple of years old.  I even called and spoke with a second inspector and he concurred they had to be hard wired.

Good point about density, Matthew Rutledge.  Maybe I'll reinstall the battery CO detectors down low on each floor as a secondary detector.

Dave Martel · Answer

@jon Holdman

Yes Colorado is more specific.  I also didn't mean to imply that you need one for each bedroom, if one is installed in the vicinity of multiple bedrooms it should be code compliant.

Is the hard wire requirement a local code?  The Colorado law specifies below:

According to this law, carbon monoxide alarms must be installed in one of the following ways:
	o
	Wired directly into the home’s electrical system
	o
	Directly plugged into an electrical outlet (does not require a switch other than a circuit breaker)
	o
	Any battery powered alarm can be attached to the wall or ceiling of the home.
	????
	Alarms installed in this manner must comply with the National Fire Protection Association standard 720, or any successor standard for the operation and installation of carbon monoxide alarms.

Up here in the sticks we can use the battery/plug in detectors even when doing renovations.

When are carbon monoxide detectors needed?

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