A new law in the State of New York requires carbon monoxide alarms to be installed “within each dwelling unit or sleeping unit having a sleeping area.” The law, which went into effect Feb. 22, also requires carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in all units on any story where a carbon monoxide source is located, for all buildings constructed on or after Jan. 1, 2008.

The law stipulates that one carbon monoxide alarm will be sufficient when installed on a story of a dwelling unit or sleeping unit having both a sleeping area and a carbon monoxide source.

The law also requires that carbon monoxide alarms be interconnected within each unit, so that when one alarm is triggered, all of the alarms in the unit sound. However, battery-operated alarms, where their use is permitted, are exempted from the networking requirement.

For information visit http://dos.state.ny.us/code/COAlarm.htm.