A year ago, we wrote a post about CO detectors and how often they were missing from homes we inspected. One year later, we're happy to say that we are seeing more and more CO detectors in homes we're appraising for sales, but unfortunately we still see a big lack of CO detectors in homes that haven't sold since the California law was passed in 2010 mandating CO detectors in every home. The law states:
California’s Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 requires that all residential property be equipped with a carbon monoxide detector when the property has a fossil fuel burning heater or appliance, fireplace, or an attached garage. All single-family homes (owner or tenant occupied) must be equipped with a detector on or before July 1, 2011. All other residential units must be equipped with a detector on or before January 1, 2013.
We recently did a home in Colfax that was all electric (laundry, stove), with a detached garage. At first we thought maybe a CO detector wasn't required, but when we did some research, we found that because it had a wood-burning stove ("fossil fuel burning heater"), CO detectors are still required.
When we tell people about needing a CO detector, it invariably leads to a conversation about the homeowner's views on a) how pointless they are or b) how important they are. Recently, we heard two sobering stories that highlighted the fact that CO detectors can be lifesaving:
- The first story was from a homeowner who purchased a manufactured home with her husband in the early 2000's. The home had just had a new furnace installed, and unbeknownst to the purchasers, it had been installed wrong and was venting inside the home rather than outside. When they used the heater for the first time, they were all poisoned and would have died had the wife not woken up for long enough to realize something was seriously wrong. Her, her husband, and their dogs had all passed out and vomited in their sleep. Luckily, they all escaped and got their money back on the house.
- The second story was from a woman who told us that two of her friends tragically died in their sleep from a carbon monoxide gas leak in their home. Their dog survived because he had been locked in the basement for the night.
We don't want to share these stories to scare you or raise paranoia, but to remind you that tragedies like these can easily be avoided with a CO detector. With all the safety requirements and laws, it's easy to think that laws like these are passed for the benefit of the CO detector manufacturers, but the reality is that things like this happen. A CO detector is a cheap way to worry about one less thing. Check out our original post for tips on where to put them in your home, and remember to read the instructions on the label!
What are your thoughts on the CO Detector requirement in California? Do you have any stories to share? Let us know in the comments!
