New Law for Carbon Monoxide Detectors, CA Senate Bill 183

California residents must have carbon monoxide detectors in their homes as of July 1, 2011. Condo's, Townhouses, apartments, dupelexes must have them by Jan. 2013. 
Expect to see this new inspection item in your home inspection report. Home inspectors will be required to report on the presence or absence of a working Carbon Monoxide detector just like they report on Smoke Detectors, and water heater strapping.
SB 183

This bill requires that a carbon monoxide device be installed in existing dwellings intended for human occupancy that have a fossil fuel burning (Gas,Propane,Kerosene, Coal or wood) appliance, fireplace, or an attached garage, provides that the exclusive remedy for failure to install a device is actual damages not to exceed $100, exclusive of any court costs and attorney’s fees, revises the statutory Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement to require the seller of a one-to-four residential property or manufactured home to make certain disclosures regarding carbon monoxide devices, smoke detectors, and water heaters, and requires the owner of a rental dwelling unit to maintain carbon monoxide devices in the unit.


This bill revises the statutory transfer disclosure statement as follows:


1. Requires the seller to check off whether or not the property has one or more carbon monoxide devices.


2. Adds a footnote to the statement advising buyers that installation of a carbon monoxide device is not a precondition of sale.


3. Requires a seller to certify, as opposed to checking off as under existing law, which the property is in compliance with laws requiring smoke detectors and the bracing of water heaters.


This bill requires that a carbon monoxide device be installed in existing dwellings intended for human occupancy that have a fossil fuel burning appliance, fireplace, or an attached garage beginning January 1, 2011 for single-family dwelling units and January 1, 2012 for all other units.

This bill provides that failure to install a carbon monoxide device is an infraction. Under the bill, an owner must first be given a 30-day notice to correct the violation and, if it is not corrected within that time period, the owner is subject to a fine of $200 for each offense.


This bill requires a property owner to maintain carbon monoxide devices in a rental dwelling unit and would require that the devices be operable at the time the tenant takes possession of the unit. This bill requires a tenant to notify the landlord if the tenant becomes aware that the device is inoperable or deficient and would require the landlord to correct the reported inoperability or deficiency. This bill provides that a landlord is not in violation if he/she has not received the notification from the tenant.




This bill provides that a landlord may enter the dwelling unit for the purpose of installing, repairing, testing, and maintaining carbon monoxide devices pursuant to the requirements of Civil Code Section 1954.

New Law to Protect Your Family from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (CO)

SB 183 requires existing homes and dwelling units to be outfitted with carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, beginning in July 2011. The new law will complement provisions in the 2010 California Residential Code and 2010 California Building Code that require the installation of CO detection and notification devices in new dwellings in the state, beginning in January 2011. With passage of this law, California joins more than two dozen other states in requiring CO protection in homes and other residential and commercial occupancies.



Each year in America, carbon monoxide poisoning claims approximately 400 lives and sends another 20,000 people to hospital emergency rooms for treatment.  Protect yourself rom deadly carbon monoxide fumes. Please read and follow the safety tips below.



Understanding the Risk



What is carbon monoxide?


Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste or smell the toxic fumes, CO can kill you before you are aware it is in your home. At lower levels of exposure, CO causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu. These symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue. The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health and the concentration and length of exposure.


Where does carbon monoxide come from?


CO gas can come from several sources: gas-fired appliances, charcoal grills, wood-burning furnaces or fireplaces and motor vehicles.


Who is at risk?


Everyone is at risk for CO poisoning. Medical experts believe that unborn babies, infants, children, senior citizens and people with heart or lung problems are at even greater risk for CO poisoning.


What Actions Do I Take if My Carbon Monoxide Alarm Goes Off?


What you need to do if your carbon monoxide alarm goes off depends on whether anyone is feeling ill or not.


If no one is feeling ill:


Silence the alarm.


Turn off all appliances and sources of combustion (i.e. furnace and fireplace).


Ventilate the house with fresh air by opening doors and windows.


Call a qualified professional to investigate the source of the possible CO buildup. (Fire department)


If illness is a factor:


Evacuate all occupants immediately.


Determine how many occupants are ill and determine their symptoms.


Call your local emergency number and when relaying information to the dispatcher, include the number of people feeling ill.


Do not re-enter the home without the approval of a fire department representative.


Call a qualified professional to repair the source of the CO.

In what areas should the Detectors be installed? 
Make sure the CO detector you choose conforms to Underwriters Laboratory standard UL 2034 for carbon monoxide detectors. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends at least one CO detector be installed on each floor of every single-family residence. A CO detector should be installed within 10 feet of all sleeping areas, and one should be installed in the same area, but no closer than 5 feet from, any major gas-burning appliance. Follow the manufacturer's recommendation regarding placement of CO detectors. Some recommend placement near the floor; others recommend installing CO detectors close to the ceiling.

Safety Tips


Have your home heating systems (including chimneys and vents) inspected and serviced annually by a trained service technician.


Never use portable generators inside homes or garages, even if doors and windows are open. Use generators outside only, far away from the home.


Never bring a charcoal grill into the house for heating or cooking. Do not barbeque in the garage.


Never use a gas range or oven for heating.


Open the fireplace damper before lighting a fire and keep it open until the ashes are cool. An open damper may help prevent build-up of poisonous gases inside the home.

 Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, and confusion. If you suspect CO poisoning, get outside to fresh air immediately, and then call 911.


Know the Symptoms of CO Poisoning
Because CO is odorless, colorless, and otherwise undetectable to the human senses, people may not know that they are being exposed. The initial symptoms of low to moderate CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include:


Headache, Fatigue, Shortness of breath, Nausea, Dizziness

High level CO poisoning results in progressively more severe symptoms, including:


Mental confusion, Vomiting, Loss of muscular coordination, Loss of consciousness and
Ultimately death


Symptom severity is related to both the CO level and the duration of exposure. For slowly developing residential CO problems, occupants and/or physicians can mistake mild to moderate CO poisoning symptoms for the flu, which sometimes results in tragic deaths. For rapidly developing, high level CO exposures (e.g., associated with use of generators in residential spaces), victims can rapidly become mentally confused, and can lose muscle control without having first experienced milder symptoms; they will likely die if not rescued.

CPSC Warns of Deadly Fire and Carbon Monoxide Hazards with Winter Home Heating

WASHINGTON, D.C. - According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), there have been more than 150 residential fires that resulted in more than 200 deaths since Thanksgiving. These statistics have led the USFA and fire chiefs to declare the holiday season and start of the new year as one of the deadliest in recent memory.

As families look for ways to save money in these tough economic times, the concern over additional fire deaths and carbon monoxide poisonings from alternative heating sources is heightened. The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers to keep safety in mind when it comes to heating their homes this winter.

Home heating equipment is among the top causes of fires and CO poisonings. From 2003 through 2005, there was an annual average of 57,300 fires and 270 fire deaths associated with portable heaters, central heating systems, and fireplaces and chimneys. There were also 68 deaths, on average, from carbon monoxide poisoning each year associated with these products.

CPSC urges consumers to:

Schedule a professional inspection each year of all fuel-burning home heating systems, including furnaces, boilers, fireplaces, wood stoves, water heaters, chimneys, flues and vents.

Take precautions when using space heaters, fireplaces or other heating sources to help stay warm this winter.

Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in the home and check that the batteries are fresh and working.

2009 is just weeks old, yet there have already been dozens of deaths from fires in the home. Reports of residential fire deaths in January include:

Eight people died including a mother, her boyfriend and her four sons age 6 months to 10 years old, in their Richland, New York home. There were no smoke alarms in the home.

A woman was killed in her Detroit home by a fire believed to have been caused by a space heater that was too close to a chair.

Three people, including 13- and 15-year-old sisters and their older male relative, died in their Oklahoma home. Space heaters and an electric stove were being used for heat.

CPSC urges consumers to follow these home heating safety tips:

Space heaters:

Place space heaters on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as a ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep the heater at least three feet from bedding, drapes, furniture and other flammable materials. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.

To prevent the risk of fire, NEVER leave a space heater on when you go to sleep or place a space heater close to any sleeping person. Turn the heater off if you leave the area.

Never use gasoline in a kerosene space heater. Even small amounts of gasoline mixed with kerosene can increase the risk of a fire.

Use a space heater that has been tested to the latest safety standards and certified by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory. These heaters will have the most up-to-date safety features; older space heaters may not meet the newer safety standards. An unvented gas space heater that meets current safety standards will shut off if oxygen levels fall too low.

Do not use portable propane space heaters indoors or in any confined space unless they are specifically designed for indoor use. Always follow the manufacturer's directions for proper use.

Fireplaces:

Have flues and chimneys inspected for leakage and blockage by creosote or debris.

Open the fireplace damper before lighting a fire and keep it open until the ashes are cool. An open damper may help prevent build-up of poisonous gases inside the home.

Store fireplace ashes in a fire resistant container and cover it with a lid. Keep the container outdoors and away from combustibles.

Stoves and Ovens:

Never use electric or gas stoves to heat the home. They are not intended for that purpose and can cause fires and CO poisoning.

Rick Sailors, CCI

661-965-2013

aaainspect@gmail.com

www.aaapropertyinspection.com



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