CO detectors

[Homeownerinburb]

I'm about to put in a replacement panel, and in this jurisdiction, if a permit says the work is worth more than $1000, the owner is forced to put in a full set of smoke detectors and co detectors.

The house is heated by a (desperately old) wall/floor furnace in the living room and hall outside the bedrooms.

Code wants for me to put in a combination smoke/co detector in the hall, and the hall is short, so I can't get even remotely away from this floor furnace.


I think I want to use a photoelectric unit, not an ionizing unit, would you not agree? The kitchen is also at the end of the hall.

Two of the bedrooms are off this hall. The third likely is an addition from the dark middle ages. It is reached thru the laundry room and kitchen.

Do you think the city will insist that I put a co detector outside that bedroom as well?

 

[Bluebinky]

If the floor furnace is so bad that it sets off a smoke alarm, I would run away from the job -- unless everything was fixed properly.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Homeownerinburb]

Not so much the smoke alarm, as the co alarm.

 

[Speedy Petey]

In NYS if you are required to install smokes like this there is an exception that if you must do damage or remove structure to do it you can use battery units.

 

[Jadnashua]

Long-term exposure to low levels of CO can be as dangerous to your health as a short, higher dose (assuming it doesn't kill you). So, essentially, NO level of CO is safe long-term. The CO detectors that I have, have a time timer in them, and will stop working after 5-years of operation. And, they have logic in them that monitors the CO level, and will trigger instantly if it exceeds one higher level, or after some time at a lower level. As you're probably aware, CO gets attached to your red blood cells, and doesn't want to let go, preventing it from being able to exchange oxygen and CO2...essentially stuck with that CO bonded to it. Get enough of them doing that, and you cells cannot get the oxygen they need to survive, or the ability to extract the CO2 waste products...either one in excess can kill you, and at lower levels make you sick.

I'm not certain of this, but I thought the requirement was for all of the detectors to be interconnected, IOW, if one goes off, it triggers all of the others. Since to do that, you must run wire, you might just as well make them line powered (preferably) with a battery backup. Also keep in mind that CO detectors do not last forever nor do smoke detectors. A typical reliable life for a CO detector's sensor (some are replaceable) is 5-years, and they recommend replacing the smoke detectors on a 10-year cycle. Some places sell them in contractor packs (often with 6-units or so), and I've found that doing that, you can get 6 of them for about the price of two in retail packaging.

 

[Homeownerinburb]

Yes, they must be dual voltage and interconnected.

There are battery operated units that have radios for interconnection, but this jurisdiction does not permit them.

What bites is the new rule on arc fault: extend a circuit and it must become arc fault.

"Golly, Mr. Inspector Man. The owner had up to date smoke detectors put in a few years ago but is only now installing a new panel!"

My local inspector will just narrow his eyes at me and grunt.