Deadline To Install CO Detectors In Your Home Approaching

On July 1st, a new law will take effect that requires all homes and apartment buildings to have a carbon monoxide detector present. Former Governor Terry Branstad signed the law back in 2016, giving people around 2 years to get the detectors installed.

Any home or apartment building that has a fuel-burning heater, fireplaces, gas stoves and garages are required to have CO detectors. According to the Center for Disease Control, nearly 400 people died from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2015.

You can have your detector installed professionally, which will cost you around $400. You can also buy a battery-powered or plug-in detector which cost around $50. Detectors last between five and seven years. Our home in Marion has two CO detectors. We have a plugin located in the hallway near our bedrooms and a battery powered one in our dining room.

Furnaces, gas stoves, and water heaters can leak the dangerous gas. Symptoms of CO poisoning include dizziness, nausea, headache, weakness, and vomiting.

[via KCRG]