New York – Starting Monday, a new law will go into effect requiring carbon-monoxide detectors in nearly all New York homes, condominiums, dormitories and other residences.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
“Amanda’s Law” — named after a western New York teenager who died of carbon-monoxide poisoning — will change the state building code to make detectors mandatory in any residence with an attached garage or appliance that produces carbon monoxide, such as gas- or wood-powered furnaces or hot-water tanks. Previously, the devices were only required in homes built after 2002.
The law does not require detectors in houses that have only combustion-free appliances, like an electric furnace or stove. Residences built after 2008 must have a permanent detector hard-wired in.
“We believe this is an important piece of public-safety legislation. Unfortunately, far too many New Yorkers are accidentally poisoned by carbon monoxide each year,” said Paul Martin, chief of the state Bureau of Fire Prevention. “It’s much more prevalent than most people know.”
The device must be installed on the lowest level of the house with a bedroom, according to the law.
Local governments rather than the state will handle enforcement. Code-enforcement officials can issue a fine or an appearance ticket if a home is found without a detector during normal inspections.
Violators would be fined for breaking a municipality’s building code. Fines vary by location. The city of Poughkeepsie, for example, may issue a fine up to $1,000 while the village of Cayuga, Cayuga County, may issue a fine up to $500.
Carbon monoxide is a clear, odorless gas that is produced any time there is combustion. Dangerous levels of the gas can build up when appliances are not properly ventilated. Poisoning from the gas kills about 400 people and injures over 20,000 each year nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The detectors start around $20 and sound an alarm when unsafe carbon-monoxide levels are detected. Most devices plug into an electric outlet and allow for a battery backup if the power supply goes out. Higher-end detectors cost upwards of $65 and display the actual parts per million of the gas in the air.
The law is named after 16-year-old Amanda Hansen, who was killed by carbon-monoxide poisoning in January 2009 while sleeping at a friend’s house in West Seneca, Erie County.
I’m a heating contractor in Toronto. This should be the law everywhere. Everyone home should have a CO detector. But be aware that they need to be replaced every 5-6 years.
already got one. you shouldn’t need the law telling you to do this. it is common sense!
So how much lobbying money did Kidde and the other marketers of these detectors give out?
As my Pappy used to say, if a law is named after someone, there’s a pretty good chance it shouldn’t be a law.
Re to # 3. Your Pappy or your Puppy ?
Mine kept going off so we got rid of it. Pretty stupid when I think of it because we forgot to get a new one. I’ll get one ASAP, but I don’t think I should be forced to get one by law.
Its 235 am fri morning and my Co started to ring – very loud and blue lights flashing -think its faulty? What would U do wake up fam ? Open windows its cold out? Call fire dept? My house is 6 yrs old so the Co must be too went to garage had 2 new ones there put one upstairs ,and downstairs and now I’m writing the report on my BB in bed! I would say replace after 5 yrs so u don’t go thru what I just did!
I understand Greek better than I understand science. Try simple English. Bottom line: we have to get these things installed or what? We get hauled off to jail? While rapists & killers go free? Because there’s not enough room in jail for everyone & we all know who is the most dangerous.
It would have been nice if we had a little more warning. I just heard about the law the other night. I would like to take the time to hardwire a few detectors in but now I feel I have to slap some up just to be compliant. If I understand the requirements correctly I will need 4 or 5 detectors. If they are really serious about the law they should have a coupon program like they did for the TV converter boxes.
If this is an across the board law (channel 10 news is saying every house in NYS must have a CO detector tomorrow) why am I just hearing about it today? Instead of closing prisons and jails, Gov. Paterson will have to authorize the building of more since a good portion of NYS citizen will be law breakers tomorrow.
I don’t believe they can force you (even for safety) to put one in a house built before the laws were written. It’s simply unconstitutional as ex post facto law. But if you have forced air heating (a furnace as opposed to a boiler) you’re suicidal if you don’t install one.
We have a CO detector right next to our furnace which I have always thought was a good idea. Luckily we haven’t had any need for it yet, but you never know when a leak might occur. The problem is you won’t know it’s happening until you are already starting to feel sick.