Smoke & CO detector installation

What Minnesota law requires

Minnesota Statutes section 299F.362 requires a smoke alarm in every dwelling unit that meets the State Fire Code. In new dwellings, each smoke alarm must be connected to a centralized power source.

Minnesota Statutes section 299F.51 requires every single-family home and every multifamily dwelling unit to have an approved, operational carbon monoxide alarm installed within 10 feet of each room lawfully used for sleeping. An approved CO alarm is certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory to the latest UL 2034 standard. The statute counts an alarm as installed if it is hardwired, plugged directly into an outlet without a switch, or battery-powered and attached to the wall. No one may remove the batteries from or disable a required alarm.

In rental homes, the owner is responsible for maintaining smoke alarms. A tenant must tell the owner within 24 hours of finding an alarm that does not work.

Where smoke alarms go and how they are powered

Under the State Fire Code, new homes need smoke alarms in each sleeping room, in the hallway outside sleeping rooms and on each level, including the basement. They must be hardwired to 120-volt power with battery backup and interconnected so they all sound when one activates.

Older homes follow the rule in place when they were built. Homes built on or after August 1, 1989 need hardwired alarms, without a required interconnection. Homes built before that date may use battery alarms. When you remodel or add on to a one- or two-family home or townhouse under a building permit, smoke alarm locations must meet new-construction requirements. That often means adding alarms to bedrooms that do not have them. We handle this as part of remodels and renovations.

When you replace alarms, put the new ones in the same locations, match the power supply and keep the interconnection if the old alarms were interconnected.

Carbon monoxide alarms

Carbon monoxide comes from fuel-burning equipment such as furnaces, boilers, water heaters, fireplaces, gas ranges and attached garages. The State Fire Marshal calls for CO alarms that are hardwired with battery backup, with battery-only alarms accepted in existing homes where CO alarms were not required at construction. A combination smoke and CO alarm must be listed to both UL 217 and UL 2034.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends CO alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas, and recommends interconnected alarms. If a CO alarm sounds, get everyone outside to fresh air right away, then call 911. Once the fire department clears the home, our HVAC technicians can inspect your furnace and other fuel-burning equipment.

Testing and replacement

The U.S. Fire Administration says to test smoke alarms monthly and replace each smoke alarm 10 years from its manufacture date. Replace CO alarms on the schedule the manufacturer prints on the unit. Never pull the battery to stop a nuisance alarm while cooking.

Replacing a hardwired alarm means working on a live 120-volt circuit, and adding new hardwired alarms means running new wiring. Minnesota requires a license for electrical work, with an exemption for a homeowner working on a home they own and occupy under a permit and inspection. If your alarms chirp after a new battery, sound for no clear reason or will not interconnect, call us or see our electrical troubleshooting and repair service.

Signs you need new smoke or CO alarms

• Your smoke alarms are more than 10 years past the manufacture date on the back
• A bedroom, hallway or basement has no smoke alarm
• There is no CO alarm within 10 feet of each bedroom
• Alarms keep chirping after you replace the battery
• One alarm sounds but the others in the house stay quiet
• You are remodeling, finishing a basement or adding a bedroom
• You added a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage

Common questions

Sources

• Minnesota Statutes 299F.362 — Smoke alarms
• Minnesota Statutes 299F.50 — Carbon monoxide alarm definitions
• Minnesota Statutes 299F.51 — Carbon monoxide alarm requirements
• Minnesota State Fire Marshal — Smoke alarm requirements
• Minnesota State Fire Marshal — Carbon monoxide detection in residential occupancies
• U.S. Fire Administration — Smoke alarms
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — Carbon Monoxide Information Center
• Minnesota Statutes 326B.33 — Electrical licenses and homeowner exemption