Side wall vented Gas Appliance in MASS...CO Detectors

Mark Hunt

They want the CO alarm to shut off when the boiler is shut off?

What is the purpose of that?

Mark H

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GW

plug it in?

I simply can not keep up with the changes on this subject... before I was told we could use "plug in" CO detectors (yes, we do offer the low level monitors at an extra cost), now I'm being told we can't use plug in..

Anyway, is there a link to the plbg board on this? I tried to find it but struck out.

Thanks,

gary

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

I think

They want the CO detector wired into the same curcuit as the boiler, so if the homeowner shuts the breaker, the Co detector and the boiler will both shut off. Bob Gagnon

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Unknown

yea, really..

What's the purpose of shutting the co unit off with the boiler.... ? What about the stand alone water heater, dryer.. garage next room? Who ever made this rule have their head in the co fog...

Lyle C

Co detectors

Here in Mass. we have the building code, the elec. code, the fire code,and the plumbing code each calling for their own units. I've seen 3 units in one open basement . I think what Bobby is talking about is the unit required under the Mass plumbing code for power and direct vent appliances, when the discharge less than 7 feet off the ground . I belive though the plumbing Insp. will allow you to use a plug in for 30 days after the insp. As long as someone takes responsibly for the install of a hard wired unit on the same circut.

jim_94

The co's have to be on a different circuit than the boiler and have battery backup. They don't want you to be able to shut the boiler circuit off and kill the co as most co comes from other causes. On the floors above I believe you can use battery co's, but not plug in co's with battery backup. I was told the backup on the plug in's only last a few hours because of the large draw. I don't think the floors above have to be hard wired.

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

An inspector told me

and I just checked with my electrician, and they both said the co detector should be on the same curcuit as the boiler, so if the homeowner shuts off the curcuit breaker for the co detector, when it is going off, it will shut off the boiler also. You won't be able to leave that breaker off, like people leave off the smoke detectors curcuit breaker, because the boiler won't be powered either. It will force them to address the problem. The service switch on the boiler should not shut off the co detector. I think this is a good way to do it. Thanks, Bob Gagnon

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Mark Hunt

But Bob


What if the CO is not coming from the boiler?

Mark H

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Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

other detectors will

protect you, they are required elsewhere as Lyle indicated. the co detector for the power vented boiler is required for the gas /plum code. If the CO is coming from elsewhere your boiler co detector would also alarm. The reason for putting it on the boiler curcuit, is that you are least likely to leave that curcuit breaker off if the alarm is sounding. If the CO detectors are on their own curcuit some people would just shut them off and leave them off, like they do with smoke detectors. Bob Gagnon

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jim_94

I was told from Brad Wong from Nstar ( I think ) and his reasoning was just what Mark said, most times the co is not from the boiler but other causes. We always used to put them on the boiler circuit before the service switch on any boiler/furnace we put in, but have since changed to a different circuit. They're supposed to be tied into a different circuit like the lights, same idea as smokes, they're not supposed to have an independent circuit for the reason Bob said above about shutting it off.

Chris_82

Having two,..

Regardless of which circuit, and I don't know about this one either, it seems to me anyone that argues against a CO detector is just plain wrong. Many brands have different responses, my basment has two of everything as well as a smoke detector in every closet, big house, as well as a strobe on the portch. The heating appliance is the major and frequently the only source of CO by the way. And with this relaxation of vent distances pushed down the throats of everyone by certian manufacturers, multiple CO detectors are a good idea. If they arn't costing much compared to the potential benifits why is there a disscussion about this? And btw I would have hung the HTP install in the other post on "workmanship" and denied the install if it was in my juristdiction. I am surprized no one mentioned this?

Mitch_5

Co Alarm Code

Last time I read the code.

All living levels must have battery or plug in or hard wired co alarms and within ten feet of a bedroom.

Power vent equipment must have a co alarm on that level.

If the vent is less than seven feet off grade the alarm must be hard wired. Only at first it had to be on the same circuit as the appliance but since that violated the electrical code that part was dropped it just has to be hard wired.

Mitch S.

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