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Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarms

Smoke Alarms

Ontario law requires that working smoke alarms be located on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas.

The law applies to all single-family, semi-detached and town homes, whether owned or rented. It is also recommended that smoke alarms be checked regularly and replaced in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations.

The fine for not complying with the Ontario Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in a ticket for $295 or a fine of up to $50,000 for homeowners, tenants and individual landlords.

Most fatal fires happen at night when people are sleeping. A working smoke alarm can detect smoke and sound to alert you.

Because smoke rises, it is recommended that you place the alarms on the ceiling. Avoid installing smoke alarms in or adjacent to kitchens and bathrooms, or near air vents, windows and ceiling fans.

Test your smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button.

Install a new battery in each alarm once a year. When warning beeps sound, replace your battery immediately. Never wait. A good way to remember is to change your batteries when you change your clocks in the Spring and Fall.

Dust can damage your alarm's sensitivity. Most units need to be cleaned at least once a year, just use your vacuum cleaner to clean dust out of unit. Read the manufacturer's instruction manual.

There are two main types of smoke alarms: ionization detectors and photoelectric detectors. A smoke alarm uses one or both methods, sometimes plus a heat detector, to warn of a fire. The devices may be powered by a 9-volt battery, lithium battery, or 120-volt house wiring. Battery back-up for your hardwired smoke alarm helps ensure your alarm will operate even if the power supply is lost.

Disposal of Smoke Alarms

Homeowners should dispose of smoke alarms that are at the end of their useful life with their regular waste. This is in line with the provisions of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's (CNSC) Nuclear Substances and Radiation Devices Regulations and the Ministry of the Environment's Regulation 347 General - Waste Management.

Carbon Monoxide

It is mandatory to have a working carbon monoxide alarm installed outside all sleeping areas of the home. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, deadly gas. Because you cannot see, taste or smell it carbon monoxide can kill you before you know it is even there. Heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. If you suspect carbon monoxide in your home, call 9-1-1 immediately. Help beat the silent killer by installing a carbon monoxide device in your home.

If you experience symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning call 9-1-1 and get everyone out of the house.
If you have a carbon monoxide concern, call Union Gas or a certified heating contractor.
If your carbon monoxide detector alarm sounds and there are no medical symptoms, open all doors and windows and call Union Gas or a certified heating contractor.

If you are experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide poising call 9-1-1 immediately.

You may experience the following symptoms if exposed to carbon monoxide:

Exposure to low concentrations of carbon monoxide may produce a slight headache or shortness of breath during moderate activity
Exposure to high concentrations of carbon monoxide may cause a severe headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, mental confusion, weakness, vision and hearing impairment, collapse or fainting, loss of muscle control and drowsiness
Exposure to higher concentrations can result in unconsciousness, brain damage or death

Install a carbon monoxide detector near sleeping areas
Test carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month
If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it. If it still sounds, call the fire department.
Have your furnace and heating system inspected once a year by a certified heating contractor.
Have your chimney, flues and vents professionally cleaned once a year.
Never burn charcoal or run your gas barbecue indoors or in an enclosed area.
Never leave a car idling in a garage.
If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel.
If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow.
During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace are clear of snow build-up.
A generator should be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors and vent openings
Gas or charcoal grills can produce CO -- only use outside

More carbon monoxide information is available through the Government of Ontario.

Woolwich Fire
3 Water Street
St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0
519-669-6022
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