Detecting smoky and poisonous air

Q. I was told by my village that I need to have smoke detectors in my two-family house in order to renew my application. Even though I didn't have them before, I have to install them. One guy said they have to be hard-wired, but my electrician called and they said just battery-operated. Which is it?

A. Codes change every year or two, adjusting to questions just like yours where clarification is needed. A section of the residential building codes and the newly revised code for existing residences most recently requires battery-operated smoke detectors, unless work is being done that would allow for hard-wired detectors with battery backup or changes in the dwelling are over 50 percent of the building.

New work and new homes require hard-wired detectors. Incidentally, with safety as their first concern, officials from Lynbrook, Hewlett Harbor and Rockville Centre wanted me to remind everyone that a new law, known as Amanda's Law, has gone into effect, requiring all new and existing dwellings to have carbon monoxide detectors. Considering the deaths recently from the use of heating systems, space heaters and generators, there really is no excuse not to have the smoke and monoxide detectors.

This new law no longer differentiates. Now everyone must have a monoxide detector on each level where there is a bedroom. The law was named for 16-year-old Amanda Hansen of West Seneca, N.Y., who died on Jan. 17, 2009, due to a carbon monoxide leak from a defective boiler while she was sleeping at a friend's house. Under Amanda's Law, homes built before Jan. 1, 2008, are permitted to have battery-powered CO alarms, while homes built after that are required to have the alarms hard-wired into the building.

Previously, only homes built or bought after July 30, 2002, were required to have these devices installed. Additionally, Amanda's Law will require contractors in New York state to install a CO alarm when replacing a hot-water tank or furnace if the home is not equipped with an alarm.

I don't recommend saving money by buying a combination smoke and carbon monoxide detection unit, since CO is heavier than air and the detector needs to be near the floor, whereas smoke rises to the ceiling and the smoke detector must be ceiling-mounted. Also, if you have detectors older than five years, they should be replaced. Consult the manufacturer to confirm the longevity of your detector, but above all, don't gamble with the lives of those in your home.

And while you're at it, give visitors and the fire department a break and make your address numbers visible at all times. Worn numbers, unlit or obscured by landscaping, mean precious time is lost finding your home. Put the numbers where they cannot be moved. I often see numbers on front doors left open, making them useless to find. Good luck!