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Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Why should my home have smoke alarms?
You are more likely to survive a home fire with a working smoke alarm(s). During a fire, you may have less than three minutes to escape. Smoke spreads fast and smoke alarms alert you to danger and provide time to escape.

What is the difference between a smoke alarm and a smoke detector?
A smoke alarm is a self-contained, single or multiple-station smoke-sensing device. A smoke alarm detects and alarms. 
A smoke detector is a smoke-sensing device that is not self-contained and operates as part of a central control system. A smoke detector detects smoke and sends the information to an alarm panel. (ORS 479.250​)

What types of smoke alarms are available?
​ Ionization, photoelectric, dual-sensing (ionization/photoelectric), and combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms.
What is the difference between ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms? Ionization smoke alarms are quicker at sensing flaming, fast-moving fires. Photoelectric smoke alarms are quicker at sensing smoldering fires. Both types are recommended for protection from both types of fires.

Where do I install smoke alarms?
Smoke alarms shall be installed in each sleeping room at the time of construction and in the corridor or area giving access to sleeping areas according to the manufacturer's instructions.*

Where sleeping areas are located on an upper level, the smoke alarm shall be installed in an accessible location as close as practical to the center of the ceiling directly over the stairway.

Where sleeping areas are widely separated (on different levels or opposite ends of the dwelling unit) and/or where a single smoke alarm or smoke detector will not adequately service all sleeping areas, a smoke alarm shall be installed adjacent to each sleeping area. (OAR 837-045-0050​)
  • Outside bedrooms within 21 feet of all bedroom doors.
  • On each level of the home (including the basement).
  • In bedrooms, if required by the State Building Code at the time of construction.
  • All smoke alarms are to be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
*Required when selling or renting a home.

Are smoke alarms required on every level?
Yes, they are required on each level (including the basement).

Are smoke alarms required in all bedrooms? **
Smoke alarms in dwelling units shall be installed in each sleeping room as per the applicable requirements of the State Building Code at the time of construction.

The OSFM recommends adding smoke alarms to each bedroom or other areas used for sleeping for increased protection.

**Some local ordinances have additional requirements. Check with your local building department. See the Building Department Lookup tool in Resources on this page.

Where should smoke alarms not be installed?
Smoke alarms should not be installed in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and unheated areas where moisture, steam, frost, cooking vapors, and exhaust fumes could cause a nuisance alarm.

Should a smoke alarm be installed in the kitchen?
No. If you install smoke alarms in the kitchen, install them at least 10 feet away from cooking appliances. They should be equipped with a hush feature, or they should be photoelectric smoke alarms. (NFPA 72)

How often do I replace my smoke alarm?
Smoke alarms should be replaced according to the National Fire Protection Association, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code (72-14.4.7)

Replacement of smoke alarms in one and two-family dwellings:
“Unless otherwise recommended by the manufacturer’s published instructions, single and multiple-station smoke alarms installed in one- and two-family dwellings shall be replaced when they fail to respond to operability tests, but shall not remain in service longer than 10 years from the date of manufacture.” (NFPA 72)

Can I replace a hard-wired smoke alarm with a smoke/carbon monoxide (CO) alarm?
Yes. You may replace a hard-wired smoke alarm with a hard-wired battery backup smoke/CO alarm.
  • Switching from one manufacturer’s unit to another may require an adapter plug.
  • Manufacturers advise adapter plugs may be changed using wire nuts and may require the services of a licensed electrician.
Are 10-year batteries and a hush feature required in smoke alarms in Oregon?
All ionization smoke alarms sold in Oregon that are solely battery operated shall be packaged with a 10-year battery. All ionization smoke alarms shall include a hush mechanism that allows a person to temporarily disengage the alarm for a period of not more than 15 minutes. (ORS 479.297)

Ten-year smoke alarm battery means a battery power source warranted by the battery manufacturer to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of at least 10 years when used in an ionization smoke alarm that: is listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, and has been approved by the nationally recognized testing laboratory for use with a 10-year battery. (OAR 837-045-0040)

Photoelectric, combination (ionization/photoelectric), smoke/carbon monoxide, and hardwired alarms do not require a 10-year (long-life) battery or a hush feature but are available for sale in Oregon.

How do I test my smoke alarm?
Test smoke alarms by pushing the test button.

What should I do when the smoke alarm sounds?
Get outside and stay outside. Crawl low under the smoke to get out. Call 911 or your local emergency number for help. Never go back inside for people, pets, or belongings.

What do I do if my smoke alarm sounds and it is a nuisance alarm?
Many smoke alarms come with a hush feature, a button on the alarm you push to silence nuisance alarms for up to 15 minutes.

Nuisance alarms can be caused by steam from showers or smoke from cooking.

Resources
OSFM Smoke and CO Alarm Safety Brochure
OSFM Smoke Alarm- Do Yours Work? Flyer​

Smoke Alarm Guide:
English
Spanish
Russian
Vietnamese
Chinese- Traditional
Chinese- Simplified
Download the smoke and CO alarm safety brochure​​

What is a CO alarm?
A CO alarm detects CO and produces an audible alert when CO is detected. It may be a stand-alone unit or part of an alarm system. (OAR 837-047-0110)

What types of CO alarms are available?
CO alarm: Activated by CO; Smoke/CO alarm: Activated by smoke or CO; and Gas or Explosive Gas/CO alarm: Activated by CO, propane, or natural/methane gas.

CO alarms must be battery-operated or receive their primary power source from the building wiring with a battery backup. Plug-in devices must have a battery backup. (OAR 837-047-0140​)

What is a CO source?
A heater, fireplace, appliance (furnace, dryer, or water heater), or cooking source (stove, oven) that uses coal, kerosene, petroleum products, wood, or other fuels (oil or natural gas) that emit CO as a by-product of combustion; or an attached garage with an opening that communicates directly with a living space. (OAR 837-047-0110)

Where do I install CO alarms?*
Install CO alarms on each level of your home with bedrooms (sleeping areas).
  • A CO alarm must be located within each bedroom or within 15 feet outside of each bedroom door. Bedrooms on separate floors in a structure containing two or more stories require separate CO alarms.
  • All CO alarms must be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended instructions. (OAR 837-047-0130)
*Required when selling or renting a home.

Are CO alarms required in bedrooms?
No. A carbon monoxide alarm must be located within each bedroom or within 15 feet outside of each bedroom door. (OAR 837-047-0130)

The ductwork from CO sources often goes directly to bedrooms, bypassing the hallways outside them. For best protection, CO alarms are recommended in bedrooms and hallways.

Can I replace a hard-wired smoke alarm with a combination CO /smoke alarm?
Yes. You may replace a hardwired smoke alarm with a hardwired battery backup combination CO/smoke alarm.
  • Switching from one manufacturer’s unit to another may require a power adapter plug.
  • Manufacturers advise that adapter plugs may be changed using wire nuts and may require the services of a licensed electrician.
Are CO alarms required on every level?
No. They are required on each level with bedrooms (sleeping areas). (OAR 837-047-130)

How often do I replace my CO alarm?
CO alarms should be replaced when the end-of-life signal is activated, the manufacturer’s replacement date is reached, or when they fail to respond to operability tests. (NFPA 720)

How do I keep my CO alarm working?
Test alarms monthly. CO alarms must be maintained, tested, and batteries replaced according to the manufacturer’s recommended instructions. (OAR 837-047-0150)

What should I do when the CO alarm sounds?
Get outside for fresh air and call 911 or your local emergency number for help. If anyone is experiencing CO poisoning symptoms, get medical attention immediately.
Are smoke alarms required, and where should they be installed, when selling a home?
Yes, they are required. A person may not convey fee title to any real property that includes a dwelling unit or lodging house, or transfer possession of any dwelling unit or lodging house pursuant to a land sale contract, unless there is installed in the dwelling unit or lodging house a smoke detector or the required number of approved smoke alarms, installed in accordance with the state building code and rules of the state fire marshal. (ORS 479.260)

Smoke alarms and smoke detectors in dwelling units shall be installed in each sleeping room as per the applicable requirements of the state building code at the time of construction and in the corridor or area giving access to sleeping areas according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Where sleeping areas are located on an upper level, the smoke alarm or smoke detector shall be installed in an accessible location as close as practical to the center of the ceiling directly over the stairway. Where sleeping areas are widely separated (i.e., on different levels or opposite ends of the dwelling unit) and/or where a single smoke alarm or smoke detector will not adequately service all sleeping areas, a smoke alarm or smoke detector shall be installed adjacent to each sleeping area. (OAR 837-045-0050)
  • Outside bedrooms within 21 feet of all bedroom doors.
  • On each level of the home (including the basement).
  • In bedrooms, if required by state building code at the time of construction.
  • All smoke alarms are to be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
For further information, please see the smoke alarm law overview flyer​.​
Are CO alarms required when selling a home?
If a home has a CO source, CO alarms are required before it can be sold. Effective April 1, 2011, sellers of one- and two-family dwellings, manufactured dwellings, or multifamily housing containing a CO source must have one or more properly functioning CO alarms before conveying fee title or transferring possession of a dwelling. Homes built during or after 2011 require a CO alarm regardless of the presence of a CO source. (OAR 837-047-0120)

Are CO alarms required in new home construction or remodels?
Yes. The CO alarm requirements for new construction, reconstruction, alteration, and repair are applicable regardless of the presence of a CO source. (Oregon Residential Specialty Code, Carbon Monoxide Alarms)

Can I have battery-operated CO alarms in new construction?
Yes. Section R315.4.1 of the 2011 ORSC states “Single station CO alarms shall be battery operated, or may receive their primary power from the building wiring system.” If a homeowner chooses to install the electrical plug-in type, they need to have a battery backup feature.​

More info: carbon monoxide alarm ​​law overview flyer
Are smoke alarms required in rental dwelling units?
Yes. The owner of any rental dwelling unit or the owner’s authorized agent shall be responsible for supplying, installing, and maintaining the required smoke alarms or smoke detectors and shall provide a written notice containing instructions for testing of the devices. The notice shall be given to the tenant at the time the tenant first takes possession of the premises. (ORS 479.270)

If a smoke alarm is battery-operated or has a battery-operated backup system, the landlord shall supply working batteries for the alarm at the beginning of a new tenancy.

What are my obligations as a tenant?
It shall be the responsibility of the tenant of any rental dwelling unit to perform such tests on the smoke alarms or smoke detectors (located in a part of the dwelling unit that the tenant is entitled to occupy to the exclusion of others) as are recommended by the manufacturer’s instructions and immediately notify, in writing, the owner or authorized agent of any deficiencies. Testing intervals shall not exceed six months. It shall also be the responsibility of the tenant during the tenancy to replace any dead batteries, as needed.

A tenant must test at least once every six months, replace batteries as needed in any smoke alarm provided by the landlord, and notify the landlord in writing of any operating deficiencies. (ORS 479.275)
A tenant may not remove or tamper with a smoke alarm. Tampering includes the removal of working batteries. (ORS 479.300)
Are CO alarms required in rental dwelling units?
 If you have a CO source, CO alarms are required in rental dwelling units. Effective April 1, 2011, landlords must provide properly functioning CO alarms for one- and two-family dwellings or multifamily housing containing a CO source. The landlord shall provide a new tenant with alarm testing instructions. If a CO alarm is battery-operated or has a battery-operated backup system, the landlord shall supply working batteries for the alarm at the beginning of a new tenancy. (OAR 837-047-0120, 0160)

What are my obligations as a tenant?
A tenant must test, at least once every six months, and replace batteries as needed in any CO alarm provided by the landlord and must notify the landlord in writing of any operating deficiencies. (OAR 837-047-0160)

A tenant may not remove or tamper with a CO alarm. Tampering includes the removal of working batteries. (OAR 837-047-0170)

What if I am renting and have a CO source, and my landlord has not provided a working CO alarm?
A tenant must notify the landlord in writing of any operating deficiencies. (837-047-0160)

If the landlord receives written notice from the tenant of a deficiency in a CO alarm, other than dead batteries, the landlord shall repair or replace the alarm. (ORS 90.317)

Low Frequency Smoke Alarm
A typical smoke alarm makes a high-pitched, piercing sound; however, for many people with hearing loss, this sound is beyond their hearing range. The low frequency smoke alarm is designed for people with high frequency or high pitch hearing loss. It provides a loud, low frequency tone which is much easier for people with hearing loss to hear.

Strobe Smoke Alarm
This type of alarm has both a visual and an audible smoke alarm. The smoke alarm may be hard wired with a battery backup to maintain the audible alarm, or may be stand alone, battery powered, or may plug in to an electrical outlet. These alarms use a flashing strobe light to provide a visual alarm as well as an audible alarm.

Smoke Alarm with Bed Shaker
A low frequency (audible), light or text (visual), and shaker (tactile) smoke alarm system. This type of alarm plugs in to an electrical outlet, and the shaker is placed under the pillow or mattress. It shakes when activated, produces an audible, low frequency alarm, and some models can also visually signal users of activation.

 





Contacts

Fire and Life Safety Education Hotline
503-934-8228
osfmce@osp.oregon.gov

Consumer and Business Services
Building Codes Division
Building Department Lookup
Phone: 503-378-4133
bcd.info@oregon.gov

Real Estate Agent & Property Manager Training

Upcoming training
To host or request a training

Smoke Alarm Resources

If you need smoke alarms, contact your local fire agency or the American Red Cross :