Carbon Detectors beginning 1/1/11

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Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
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Retired Electrical Contractor
In NC beginning Jan. 1, 2011 all new dewelling units will require a CO detector outside bedroom areas.

The only exception to this - is if dewelling unit has NO fossil fuel appliances and also NO attached garage.

Is this nationally or just NC-- any one know???
 
LarryFine

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
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Electrical Contractor
Dennis Alwon said:
In NC beginning Jan. 1, 2011 all new dewelling units will require a CO detector outside bedroom areas.
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Interesting. I kinda like it.

Is that instead of, or in addition to smoke detectors? Are there combo smoke/CO units available, or allowed?

Added: No, I haven't heard anything, beside from you.
 
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hurk27

Senior Member
Location
Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
We have for some time been required to have at least one CO detector that is interlinked to the smoke detectors, almost all the manufactures now have a CO detector that will inter-link to there regular smokes, also here if a house is kind of split up to where there is bedrooms that are seperated to each end of the house and there is appliance's using combustable fuel located in each area then we have to have two co detectors, one located in each area.

Even though Indiana has state wide building codes, smoke detector/CO detectors is the only requirement left up to the local jurisdiction as to how or what they want to enforce, and can get frustrating to who wants what, where, and when in my area.
 
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Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

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Chapel Hill, NC
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Retired Electrical Contractor
jimman said:
Can you please post a link to this? I saw the proposed amendments to the 2012 Residential code, but can not find this requirement?
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I have only heard this from one contractor and from the president of the NC association of electrical contractors.

Here is the first link I found but does not give the date.

I will look for more
 
S

shepelec

Senior Member
Location
Palmer, MA
MA has had this for several years.

One on every level, if the level has a bedroom, then they must be within 10' of the room.

It was a real mess when they implemented the law because they kept changing the requirements and nobody knew what the rule was from week to week. It was all "knee jerk politics" without any research.
 
jumper

jumper

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3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
LarryFine said:
Interesting. I kinda like it.

Is that instead of, or in addition to smoke detectors? Are there combo smoke/CO units available, or allowed?

Added: No, I haven't heard anything, beside from you.
Click to expand...

I am glad you like it, because VA is adopting the same thing. I forgot to tell you about this when I talked about the other changes.

co.jpg
 
al hildenbrand

al hildenbrand

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Minnesota
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Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
Dennis Alwon said:
Is this nationally or just NC-- any one know???
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Sounds like there is a "trend" on the part of regulators.

Minnesota has a State building code that is altered by some population centers that have strong inspections departments, and/or local ordinances.

A couple years ago, the State phased in CO detector regulation on various classes of dwellings, multi-unit rental, rental, stand alone dwellings, new construction, etc.

The CO detector requirement is in addition to smoke detectors. A CO detector must be within 10' of the outside of at least one bedroom entry, but outside all bedrooms. The trick is positioning the one detector so it is within 10' of the greatest number of bedroom doors, and combining smoke detection in that same unit, if needed.

Existing dwellings can meet the minimum requirements of the State CO law with battery only units.
 
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renosteinke

renosteinke

Senior Member
Location
NE Arkansas
This is bad law, but you have to play the hand you're dealt.

Even the NFPA standard is of little guidance, referring you to the manufacturers' instructions. Those instructions are, in turn, essentially useless.

I'm not aware of anyone using CO detectors as a replacement for smoke detectors - this is in addition to smoke detectors.

I'm not a fan of 'combo' units. Not only is it a matter of the 'best' placement; the two detectors have very different operating characteristics and lifespans. Most smoke detectors have at least a 10-year life span, while many CO detectors are useless after five years.

As for placement, there are some very different theories floating around; unlike with smoke detectors, there is no 'consensus' as for placement. Plus, CO detectors will false alarm for reasons very different than smoke detectors.

Unfortunately (IMO), the 'jump on the bandwagon' mentality is at work, as everyone assumes 'more is better.'

Absent a specific regulatory requirement, I would NOT tie them in with the smoke detectors.
 
steve66

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
Illinois has also had a similar law for several years. I forget exactly how it's phrased, but it also includes any occupancies that include sleeping rooms.

As a result, I had to require this for a hotel. And daycares with gas fired appliances definately get CO detectors.

We had a incident that occured locally. An office-lab building for a large international company had a fire in an air handling unit that went undetected. A couple of people died from asyphication (sp?). Others were walking around in a stupor, and some unconsious people were pulled out of the building. It almost turned out a lot worse. A CO detector probably would have prevented this.
 
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RICK NAPIER

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
co detectors nj

co detectors nj

CO detectors have been required in NJ since 1999 in I-1, R-2, R-3 use groups where there is fuel burning appliances or an attached garage. It must outside the sleeping areas and we accept any type wether combo, battery, plug and so on.
 
E

eprice

Senior Member
Location
Utah
This requirement was added to the 2009 IRC in section R315. If your locality has adopted the 2009 IRC (a widely adopted code) and has not amended this section, then the requirement applies. The IRC applies this requirement retroactively in existing homes whenever work is done that requires a permit. Theoretically, a homeowner could apply for a permit to add a deck and be required to add CO detectors. The section does allow CO detectors added to existing homes to be battery powered only and not interconnected where there is not an attic or other unfinished space that would allow the installation of interconnected, 120 volt detectors without removing building finish.

Utah has had this requirement for several years now (Utah amended it into the IRC before it was added nationally). The combination smoke-CO detectors are used here to satisfy this requirement. I don't think I have seen the installation of a CO only detector.
 
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Hendrix

Senior Member
Location
New England
Dennis Alwon said:
In NC beginning Jan. 1, 2011 all new dewelling units will require a CO detector outside bedroom areas.

The only exception to this - is if dewelling unit has NO fossil fuel appliances and also NO attached garage.

Is this nationally or just NC-- any one know???
Click to expand...
We have been doing this since 09 in NH.
 
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