Starting April 1, 2012 there is a new requirement for homeowners and sellers regarding the installation of carbon monoxide alarms. There are two instances that trigger the necessity of the installation: 1) a homeowner undertakes a significant interior remodeling requiring a building permit; or 2) the home owner sells the property. In the case of the homeowner selling the property, the carbon monoxide alarm must be installed prior to closing. The alarms are required to be installed even if the residence does not include any fuel-fired appliances or an attached garage.
The location of these alarms, when required, is outside of each sleeping area, in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms and there must be at least one monitor on each floor of the home. So that means if all the bedrooms are on the upper floor, there still needs to be an alarm installed on the first floor.
Carbon monoxide alarms may be battery operated and may also be dual alarms that include both smoke detection and carbon monoxide detection.
According to the Washington State Department of Health, carbon monoxide killed over 1,000 Washington residents between 1995 and 2005. An example of household sources of carbon monoxide include malfunctioning furnaces, water heaters, ovens, stoves, gas dryers, improperly vented free standing heaters, clogged chimneys and generators. Carbon monoxide can pass through garage walls. It might be a good idea to furnish your own home with carbon monoxide monitors, regardless of whether they are legally required or not.
For more information about carbon monoxide poisoning, prevention and what to do in case of emergency, check out http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/IAQ/CO_Fact_Sheet.htm.
No comments:
Post a Comment