Since 1 February 2022, all Scottish homes are obliged to install a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a fixed combustion equipment (other than a cooking appliance) or a flue. In rental houses, the alarm is the landlord's responsibility. To avoid tampering or the need for battery replacement, carbon monoxide alarms must comply to the appropriate British Standards (EN 50291-1) and have a "sealed battery for the duration of its life."
1. What is the primary point that you must understand?
Not only should carbon monoxide alarms be installed in rental buildings, but also in any home that has a fuel-burning device (other than the one used primarily for cooking) or a chimney.
2.What is the primary difference between the previous and current carbon monoxide alarm regulations?
The Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (Tolerable Standard) (Extension of Criteria) Order of 2019 amends the tolerable standard to incorporate this additional factor about CO alarms.
Assessors will now evaluate the existence, kind, and condition of CO alarms in a home for the first time when determining if the home satisfies the acceptable standard.
These guidelines, which were already part of the norm for home repairs, now apply to all homes.
3.What is the standard for residential CO alarms?
A device that detects the presence of CO at concentrations that pose a health risk and issues an auditory and, in some cases, visual alert.
CO detectors must conform to BS EN 50291 and be powered by a battery intended to last for the detector's operational life.
The detector should have a mechanism that alerts people when its useful life is about to end.
As an alternative, hard-wired mains-powered CO detectors according to BS EN 50291 (Type A) with fixed wiring (not plug-in kinds) may be used, providing they include a sensor failure warning system.
Regular maintenance and testing should be performed on the detector in line with the manufacturer's recommendations.
4.What type of battery-powered carbon monoxide detector is required by this law?
If you require a battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm, it must have a sealed battery for the rest of its life.
5.How many co alarms does your home require?
in all rooms where there is a permanent combustion appliance (other than a cooking appliance) or a flue.
Combustion appliance: a stationary equipment (such as boilers, fires (including open fires), heaters, and stoves) designed and installed to burn carbon-based fuels (i.e. oil, solid fuel or gas).
6. How to install the carbon monoxide alarm ?
- Ceiling mounted and at least 300 mm from any wall (unless otherwise indicated by the manufacturer) or
- Wall mounted and positioned at least 150 mm below the ceiling and higher than any door or window in the room (unless otherwise indicated by the manufacturer).
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