Mass. General Law Chap.148 26F1/2 (Nicoles Law) requires owners of all residential properties to install and maintain carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. The Board of Fire Prevention Regulations has developed the regulations (527 CMR) establishing the specific requirements of the law. Carbon monoxide detectors are required in any residence that has fossil-fuel burning equipment, including but not limited to a furnace, boiler, water heater, fireplace, or any other apparatus, appliance, or device, or has enclosed parking or an attached garage.
Residences with any fossil-burning fuel equipment powered by the list below must comply with the following:
- LPG
- Natural Gas
- Oil
- Coal
- Wood
Locations
Carbon monoxide alarms must be installed on every level of the home, including habitable portions of basements and attics, but not including crawl spaces.
On levels with sleeping areas, the carbon monoxide alarm shall be located outside of any bedroom but shall not exceed 10 feet as measured in any direction from any bedroom door. The installation of CO alarms shall be located/installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Types
- Battery operated with battery monitoring
- Plug-ins with battery backup
- Hardwire with battery backup
- Low voltage system
- Wireless
- Combination smoke/carbon monoxide
- Must have simulated voice and tone alarms that clearly distinguish between the two types of emergencies
- Must be photoelectric within 20 feet of a bathroom (with shower or tub) or kitchen.
Are you selling your home? You need a certificate of compliance from the local fire department that shows your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms meet the requirements for a sale or transfer.
The Winchendon Fire Department will inspect for proper placement and working order of all CO alarms prior to a closing. Upon successful completion of the inspection, a certificate of compliance will then be issued by the inspector.
To arrange for a smoke detector inspection or if you have any questions, contact the fire department office at (978) 297-2324.
We recommend scheduling your appointment two weeks in advance. Payment is due at the time of your inspection.
Inspection Fees
View inspection fees here.
Preparing Your Home for a Smoke and CO Alarm Inspection
Every home should have working smoke and CO alarms. You must have a certificate of compliance that shows your smoke and CO alarms meet certain standards when you sell or transfer a home. This page helps you determine if your alarms meet requirements or must be replaced, and how to get a certificate of compliance.
To start:
- Find out when your home was built and the date the last building permit was issued for any renovations. Call the local building department if you don’t know.
- To schedule your inspection, click here. The department will issue a certificate of compliance if your alarms pass the inspection.
Follow these steps to make sure you home will pass the inspection:
- Using the date your home was built and the date the last building permit was issued, figure out the smoke and CO alarms requirements for your home. These requirements are listed by date in the Guide to Massachusetts Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Requirements When Selling a One- or Two- Family Residence.
- List the location of all smoke and CO alarms in your home. Determine the age of each alarm. The date of manufacture is stamped on the front or back of most alarms. If you have to remove an alarm from its bracket to get the information, be sure to replace the alarm when you are finished. If there is no date on an alarm, it has expired and must be replaced.
- Compare your existing alarms and the requirements for your home to determine if you must replace any or all of the alarms in your house.
- If your smoke and/or CO alarms do not meet the requirements for your house and need replacement, you can purchase and install new equipment yourself or hire someone to do so. You may need an electrician to replace hard-wired alarms.
- Battery-powered smoke alarms that are more than 10 years old, or have expired must be replaced with alarms with 10-year, sealed, non-rechargeable, non-replaceable batteries. They must be photoelectric and have a hush feature to silence nuisance alarms.
- After your new smoke and CO alarms are installed, test them.
To view additional information on Carbon Monoxide Detectors and carbon monoxide safety, please visit the U.S. Fire Administration website.