Nicole's Law .... CO Detectors.... Are YOU Safe??

Another tragic news story tugs at our hearts and reminds us to be aware of this dangerous gas..

Do you know that you are required by the Commonwealth of MA to have CO detectors in your home?  

If your home is equipped with fossil-fuel burning devices you are!   This includes but is not limited to a furnace, boiler, water heater, fireplace or any other apparatus or appliance......or has an enclosed parking within the structure?

In March 2006, Nicole's Law was adopted here in the Commonwealth...

Nicole's Law

It calls for a home to have a CO detector on each finished level.. and there must be a detector placed within 10 feet of the bedrooms.    They don't necessarily need to be hard wired and an can be as simple as a plug in with battery back up.  

Nicole's Law was adopted after young Nicole Garofalo perished in January of 05 .. a result of Carbon Monoxide build up in her home ..... a heating vent was blocked by drifting snow.

What makes this so deadly?    
 
CO is a colorless, orderless gas...  it can sneak up on people without them even knowing it.
Symptoms include headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, chest pain and a cherry red coloring of the skin......

What to do if you suspect CO poisoning?  

Get out of the house and into fresh air....   that includes everyone including pets!....  then get to a medical facility for treatment. 

What types of Detectors are acceptable?

What ever alarm you purchase must be approved by an independent testing laboratory such as Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL). Be sure to look for the approval label when buying alarms. The CO detectors may be:


                               •Battery operated with battery monitoring; or
                               •Plug-ins with battery back-up; or
                               •Hard-wired with battery backup; or
                               •Low voltage system; or
                               •Wireless, or
                               •Qualified combination (smoke/carbon monoxide alarm)


When Selling your Home

You need to know that the local Fire Department will need to inspect & certificate your home for CO and smoke detectors...  No certificate, no closing...

If you are looking to make a move or have any Real Estate questions...  give me a shout!