Carbon Monoxide Detectors Required

Carbon Monoxide Detector Placement

Did you know that Minnesota Law Stat. 299.51 now requires carbon monoxide detectors within 10 feet of legal bedroom in existing homes? This law was passed last year and required CO detectors in new construction houses last year. But it also put into effect the same requirements for existing houses effective this year.

As of Aug 1, 2008, all existing houses are now required to have CO detectors within 10 feet of legally defined sleeping room, aka bedrooms. This is great as the CO detectors can save lives. But what bothers me is that most hallways in houses I’ve been in don’t have outlets.

These $50 devices can save lives. At my parents’ house, one night it went off. The next day I checked it out and the water heater vent pipe came loose. Apparently the installer only used 1 screw to attach the vent pipe. A couple of years later, the vent pipe came loose and was spilling CO into the house.