Insight

CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS

Live wire

Cause for alarms

From October last year landlords renting properties to tenants in England were legally obliged to fi t smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide alarms where there is a solid fuel burning combustion appliance

From October 2015 landlords in the private rented sector were legally required to install smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in their rental properties. This new requirement was introduced under The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, which stipulates: • A smoke alarm must be equipped on each storey of the premises on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation; • A carbon monoxide alarm must be equipped in any room of the premises that is used wholly or partly as living accommodation and contains a solid fuel burning combustion appliance; • Checks are made by or on behalf of the landlord to ensure that each prescribed alarm is in proper working order on the day the tenancy begins if it is a new tenancy.

The new legislation is specific to England and does not apply to Wales. Similarly, there is no comparable requirement currently for private landlords in Northern Ireland. However, Scotland does have similar requirements to that of England under the Repairing Standard, which came into force in December 2015. This article focuses specifically on carbon monoxide alarms applicable in England.

CO alarm requirements

The regulations do not state that the alarms must be of the hard-wired type, it merely requires landlords to make a decision on the most suitable type of alarm. Hard-wired CO alarms need to be installed with due cognisance of BS 7671, incorporating Amendment 3, and be suitably tested and certificated, for example by completing a domestic electrical installation certificate or a minor electrical installation works certificate, as appropriate.

Although CO alarms are only required in rooms containing solid fuel burning appliances, it is recommended, and encouraged, that landlords also fit CO alarms in rooms containing gas or oil burning appliances.

Where to fit CO alarms

CO alarms need to be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and BS EN 50292, which in general requires a CO alarm to be located in the same room as the appliance. For wall mounting this should be as high as practical (typically a minimum of 1.5 meters from floor level) but no closer than 150 mm to the ceiling, and above the height of any door or window. Ceiling mounting alarms must be a minimum of 300 mm from any wall.

Where not to fit CO alarms

• In an enclosed space (such as a cupboard); • Where it can be obstructed; • Directly above a sink; • Next to a door or window; • Next to an extractor fan; • Next to a ventilation opening; • In areas where the temperature is likely to drop below -10°C or exceed 40°C, unless the device is designed for such locations; • Where dirt and dust are likely to block the sensor; • In damp or humid conditions; • In the immediate vicinity of a cooking appliance.

What alarm should be fitted?

The CO alarm selected should be compliant with BS EN 50291-1: 2010. Alarms compliant to BS EN 50291 will incorporate an audible alarm, which when activated should be of suff icient volume to wake individuals in a property.

In addition, CO alarms may also incorporate coloured lights to provide visual indication of: power (green); alarm activation (red); and possible supplementary fault warning lights (yellow).

A CO alarm will often sound diff erent to a smoke alarm to make it obvious that the CO alarm has been activated – this will also include ‘chirps’, which vary depending on the fault.

The CO alarm installer should ensure that the owner/occupier(s) is aware of the operating modes of the CO alarm, including fault recognition and, if activated due to the presence of CO, what action to take.

What should be recorded on an electrical installation allation condition report? ?

n When undertaking an electrical installation condition report (EICR) CR) in a rented property that does not meet the he requirements of aforementioned ementioned regulations, it is recommended ommended that this or any defects relating cts relating to the smoke and CO alarm O alarm requirements are brought to the ought to the attention of the landlord or letting ord or letting agent. A supplementary letter tary letter referencing the regulations lations and covering the defects fects found should also be provided.

Designed to exceed the new standards