Smoke Alarms and CO Alarms | Municipality of Dysart ET AL

Smoke Alarms

Most fatal fires occur at night when people are sleeping. A working smoke alarm will detect smoke and sound to alert you. It is the law for all Ontario homes to have working smoke alarms on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. This covers single family, semi-detached and town homes, whether owner-occupied or rented.

Choose the Best Alarm

There are two different types of smoke alarms to choose from.

Ionization Smoke Alarm: uses a small amount of radioactive material to ionize the air between two electrically charged plates, causing a measurable current to flow between plates. When smoke enters the chamber, it changes the flow of current, which is detected and activates the alarm.
Photoelectric Smoke Alarm:uses a light source that is aimed away from a sensor in a sensing chamber. When smoke enters the chamber, it reflects the light onto the sensor, which is detected and activates the alarm. Photoelectric smoke alarms are better suited for high humidity areas.

Where to Install Smoke Alarms

Because smoke rises, it is recommended you place the alarms on the ceiling. Avoid ceilings near bathrooms, heating appliances, windows and ceiling fans. Smoke alarm’s need to be installed outside every sleeping area and on every floor of the residence. Always install the smoke alarm on or near the ceiling in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions.

Maintain Your Smoke Alarm

Test your smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button. Replace the batteries annually when you change your clocks in the spring. Smoke alarms do expire, even if they still function by using the test button, all smoke alarms (battery or hard wired) must be replaced after 10 years.

Dust can clog a smoke alarm, so gently vacuum alarms annually using a soft brush. Never vacuum electrically connected alarms unless you shut off the power. Test your unit when finished cleaning. When installing, testing, and maintaining smoke alarms, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms

ALARM RULES
EXISTING HOMES
Attention Homeowners & Landlords,
New Safety Requirements Starting January 1, 2026
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odourless, and deadly gas. Keeping your family safe
means ensuring you have working CO alarms properly installed in your home.
New requirements are coming into effect on January 1, 2026, that expand where CO
alarms must be placed in existing homes.
Where Do the New Requirements Apply?
The updated requirements apply to all existing homes that have any of the following:
• A fuel-burning appliance (like a furnace, water heater, or stove that uses natural gas,
propane, oil, or wood).
• A fireplace.
• An attached garage.
• Effective Jan 1, 2026: Air for heating that comes from a fuel-burning appliance not
contained within the home (e.g., an appliance in a utility shed).
Common types of homes include:
• Detached or Semi-Detached
Houses
• Townhouses • Cottages
Where Must CO Alarms Be Installed?
If your home meets any of the conditions above, you must install a CO alarm in these two
locations:
1. Adjacent to each sleeping area (near all bedrooms).
2. Effective Jan 1, 2026: On every storey (floor) of your home, including storeys that do
\not have a sleeping area.
CO alarm installation requirements are outlined in
Section 2.16 of Division B of the Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07).
2
Buying and Installing Your CO Alarms
Buying
When buying a CO alarm, make sure it has the logo of a recognized standards testing
agency to ensure they meet Canadian performance standards. Some examples of
recognized standards testing agencies and their logos include:
o Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
o Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC)
o Intertek (ETL)
• Under the Fire Code, carbon monoxide alarms are permitted to be:
o Hardwired (connected directly to an electrical system).
o Battery-operated (portable or permanently mounted).
o Plug-in devices (plugs into a standard electrical outlet).
• Many devices on the market are combined units that include both a smoke alarm
and carbon monoxide alarm in one device.
Installing
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation and placement of CO alarms.
Who is Responsible for Compliance?
• In Owner-Occupied homes, the Homeowner is responsible for complying with the
CO alarm requirements in the Fire Code.
• In Rental Homes, the Landlord is responsible for complying with the CO alarm
requirements in the Fire Code.
Need Clarification?
For questions about CO alarm requirements that may apply to your home, please contact
your local fire department. They are the authority responsible for enforcing the Fire Code in
your area.

Where to Install CO Alarms

Since carbon monoxide moves freely in the air, the suggested location is as near as possible to sleeping areas of the home. The human body is most vulnerable to the effects of carbon monoxide during sleeping hours. To work properly the unit must not be blocked by furniture or draperies. Carbon Monoxide is virtually the same weight as air and therefore the alarm protects you in a high or low location. Always install the CO alarm in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions.

Maintain Your CO Alarm

Test your CO alarms monthly by pressing the test button. Replace the batteries annually when you change your clocks in the spring. CO alarms do expire, even if they still function by using the test button, all CO alarms (battery or hard wired) must be replaced after 10 years.

Dust can clog a CO alarm, so gently vacuum alarms annually using a soft brush. Never vacuum electrically connected alarms unless you shut off the power. Test your unit when finished cleaning. When installing, testing, and maintaining CO alarms, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

What Should I do if My Carbon Monoxide Alarm Starts Beeping?

ALWAYS REACT TO A CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM THAT HAS ALARMED! GET OUT OF YOUR HOME AND CALL 911 FOR ASSISTANCE.

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 911 for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel declare that it is safe to re-enter the home.

Reducing CO in Your Residence

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.
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.
A carbon monoxide alarm is a good second line of defense. It is not a substitute for the proper care and maintenance of your fuel burning appliance(s). Take the time to learn about the care and maintenance of the fuel burning appliances in your home.