Carbon Monoxide Alarms Now Required in Most Homes

Many homeowners might not be aware of a new law that went into effect this summer requiring carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in most single family homes. They also might not be aware of how dangerous carbon monoxide exposure can be to unaware residents.

This summer I learned first hand about carbon monoxide exposure when a cracked heat exchanger was discovered on the 25 y ear furnace at my parents house in Los Angeles. We discovered they had been exposure to carbon monoxide for an unidentified period of time. Luckily they only received minor exposure but it was still a scary discovery. Had this exposure gone on longer they might have needed medical attention. The carbon monoxide exposure explained why my father was feeling less than 100% for a few weeks.

California’s Acting State Fire Marshall Tonya Hoover has stated “Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, each year claiming the lives of an average of 480 people and sending more than 20,000 people to emergency rooms across the nation."

These statistics are why California, along with other states, now requires carbon monoxide alarms in every home. The potential sources of carbon monoxide exposure are listed in the chart below:

Source: http://www.firesafetycouncil.com

Carbon monoxide can be a serious risk in some homes. AHE also recommends checking all gas burning appliances being checked and serviced regularly to ensure there is no ongoing risk of carbon monoxide exposure. This new law is great for raising awareness to potential risks of carbon monoxide exposure. Also, Carbon monoxide alarms have already been reported to have saved lives:
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=8317020