Guidelines for Smoke & Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms

 

Dates of Construction Permits dictate the type and location of Smoke/CO Alarms

 

• Homes built in or prior to 1976

o Smoke/CO alarms can be of the combination type (Smoke/CO in one alarm) or two separate

units

o They are permitted to be battery operated

o They are not required to be interconnected (when one goes off, they all go off)

o Installation of Smoke/CO alarms should be installed on every level of the home

 

 

• Homes built after January 1, 1977 through December 31, 2001

o Smoke/CO alarms can be of the combination type (Smoke/CO in one alarm) or two separate

units

o The smoke alarms are required to be hard-wired with battery backup

o They are required to be interconnected (when one goes off, they all go off)

o The CO alarms are allowed to be battery operated, if you do not use the combination type

o Installation of Smoke/CO alarms should be installed on every level of the home

 

 

• Homes built after January 1, 2002 through February 19, 2004

o Smoke/CO alarms can be the combination type (Smoke/CO in one alarm)

o The Smoke/CO alarms are required to be hard-wired with battery backup.

o They are required to be interconnected (when one goes off, they all go off)

o Installation of Smoke/CO alarms should be installed on every level of the home

 

 

• Homes built after February 20, 2004 through Present

o Smoke alarms are required to be installed inside every bedroom

o The smoke alarms are required to be hard-wired with battery backup

o They are required to be interconnected (when one goes off, they all go off)

o Installation of Smoke/CO alarms should still be installed on every level of the home

o The Smoke/CO alarms are required to be hard-wired with battery backup​

 

 

Guidelines for Installation of Smoke & CarbonMonoxide (CO) Alarms

 

• · First, determine if the existing Smoke alarms are battery-operated, hardwired or low voltage

o If they are hardwired they must be maintained.

o You shall not substitute a battery operated Smoke alarm for a hardwired unit.

 

• · Second, determine if the existing Smoke alarms are less than 10 years old

o Do this by taking the Smoke alarm down and looking for a manufacturers date on the

back or inside the device.

o If only a serial number is given, usually either the first two or last two numbers are the

date of manufacture. They are likely too old.

 

• · There shall be a Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarm on each level of the house

 

· If there are bedrooms on a level, there should be a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm within

ten feet (10’) of each bedroom

o If the bedrooms are farther than ten feet (10’) apart, install a second smoke alarm.

o Smoke alarms may be a Smoke/Carbon Combination alarm or two separate units.

§ Most stand alone carbon monoxide alarms are designed to be mounted on the

wall (follow the manufacturer’s directions)

 

• § Carbon Monoxide Alarms shall not be of the plug-in type.

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· If there are no bedrooms on a level, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarm should be placed

near the stairs to the next level

 

· In the basement the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms should be within three feet (3’) of

the bottom of the stairs (change effective in 2004)

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o If there is a bedroom in the basement more than ten feet (10’) from the bottom of the

stairs, a second smoke alarm should be installed outside the bedroom and the carbon

monoxide can be moved to within ten feet (10’) of the bedroom.

§ (Ex. Smoke alarm only at the bottom of the stairs, Smoke/Carbon combo outside

the bedroom)

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· Alarms should not be within ten feet (10’) of any cooking appliance

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o If a bedroom opens directly into a kitchen, the Smoke alarm shall be placed inside the

bedroom on the ceiling, within the door swing.

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· Preferably Smoke alarms should be installed on the ceiling, however they may be installed on

the wall (follow the manufacturer’s directions)

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· Payment for Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Certifications is $30.00 made payable to

Coventry Fire District.

o Accepted are Bank Checks, Money Orders or a check with a business name on it.

o Cash  will not be accepted by the Inspectors.

o It is best to seek an appointment as soon as possible, with a minimum of a two week

notice. This allows time to reschedule or fix any problems that need correction after an

inspection.

· Failed inspections or no shows without prior cancellation will result in an additional charge of

$60.00 for each subsequent inspection as outlined in Rhode Island General Law