Bel Red Energy Blog

A new Washington State carbon monoxide (CO) detector code takes effect January 1^st, 2013.  This new code requires carbon monoxide alarms be installed on each floor of a home and outside each bedroom or sleeping area of the home. 

For new construction, the code will take effect in conjunction with the new build. For existing homes and dwellings, these carbon monoxide detectors will have to be installed when major alterations, repairs or additions requiring a permit occur. This includes most HVAC or plumbing work that is done to existing homes. For now, exterior surface work such as roof or siding replacement or the addition of replacement windows or does not fall under these guidelines. This addition to the 2011 law requiring carbon monoxide detectors in new builds also extends that requirement to all existing residences, including apartments, condos, hotels, dormitories and residential institutions.

This is also something to be thinking about if you are in the process of buying or selling a new home. Some appraisers are looking for the carbon monoxide alarms and calling for them to be installed before closing on the house.  If you’re buying a home, make sure the seller is aware that this is best done prior to the appraisal.  Should the appraiser have to return for another inspection, the buyer may have to pay for the additional inspection just because of the initial lack of these detectors.

Inhaling of chemicals, also known as “huffing” has become a dangerous trend for young people looking for a cheap high. The newest, and one the most potentially deadly, trends in this epidemic is inhaling refrigerant from Air Conditioner or Heat Pump systems.

Home Energy Saver posted some eye-opening photos showing some common, hidden problems in homes on their "Wall of Shame". From missing wall insulation to improperly installed heating register boots, these problems are more common than you may think, and can have a real impact on your comfort and energy bills. In the process of conducting home energy audits, and installing heating, air conditioning, and plumbing systems, we've seen all of these issues and more. A lot of our work involves fixing problems like these in existing homes.

If you are thinking about getting a generator after the recent power outages, you have a lot of choices to make:

• Portable?
• Permanent Stand-By?
• Gas, Natural Gas or Propane?
• How many kW (kilowatts)?
• What Brand is Best?
• Etc.

We've placed some short videos from Kohler and home improvement expert Ed Del Grande on our YouTube Channel. These videos provide helpful information on generators, so you can decide what kind of generator is right for you. These videos explain the pros and cons or portable and stand-by generators, explain how they work, and provide some basic information on what features to look for in a quality generator.

If you didn't set your clocks back one hour, you are now finding out the hard way that daylight savings time is over. Don't forget to take this opportunity to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. You do NOT want to find out the hard way that the batteries in these life-saving devices have failed!

Batteries in these devices should be changed every 6 months. And did you know that, unlike smoke detectors, the sensors in carbon monoxide detectors are only designed to last 2-3 years? If it's been more than 3 years since you replaced your Carbon Monoxide detector, contact Bel Red today and ask about our low-level CO detectors - which provides the best protection available for you and your loved ones, along with a long-lasting 5-year sensor.