Carbon monoxide alarms required in Wash. on Jan. 1
SEATTLE (AP) — A new requirement for carbon monoxide detectors in Washington homes takes effect on Jan. 1.
State law has required the alarms in new construction beginning in 2011. The new law requires the detectors in all existing residences, including hotels, dormitories and institutions.
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Owners of single-family homes will be required to have the detectors when their home is sold or when they apply for a remodeling permit.
The state Legislature ordered changes in the building code after widespread power outages from a December 2006 windstorm in the Puget Sound area led to hundreds of people being treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. Eight deaths were blamed on fumes from people using generators or lighting barbecues inside their homes.
Many times when people have CO problems it's due to a chimney, gas furnace, etc. that is malfunctioning. All you have to do is replace your fire detector with one that does both fire and CO. It's good to replace those every so many years anyway and gives you extra protection from something you're not even necessarily going to notice is an issue until you're sick.
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It's been a law here in Oregon for a bit now and there have been people saved because their rental units were required to have CO and fire detectors.
Ah so yet another corporation pays BRIBES to get thier product made manditory by a fascist police state nanny law. Awesomely cool USSA.
If you light a barbecue or run a generator/rototiller/lawnmower/car inside your house, a CO alarm isn't going to help you with your real problem... A stupid law that won't help stupid people.
 @EnoughAlready CO detectors will save lives just like smoke detectors do. Not carbon monoxide poisoning comes from stuff you put in a house. A person can think they're safe by opening a garage door with a generator in the garage.  Sometimes it's a neighbors generator too close to your house.  Sometimes from your own fireplace or wood stove. Â
There was even a case where some folks were in a tent too close to an RV that was running a generator, they didn't survive.
Your statement is born out of ignorance, which is curable, but only you can cure it.
 @Hiker123  @EnoughAlreadyÂ
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My old neighbor used to burn his garbage in his fireplace.
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Paper, plastic, metal, rain or shine hot or cold.
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My CO detector blew up every time from the fumes.
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Interestingly, apparently there is no law in Oregon, the Feds or Portland to stop a person from burning refuse in their home, even if the stuff is toxic. Your only recourse is to sue them. (Apparently Oregon DEQ only administer "public air" and not private homes)
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Wasn't even a long article, but I'll give you the excerpt so you don't need to read all the words. "Eight deaths were blamed on fumes from people using generators or lighting barbecues inside their homes."