• Minnesota Carbon Monoxide Detector Lawfire detector on ceiling image by StarJumper from Fotolia.com
  
  Carbon monoxide, or CO, is an insidious and lethal gas that can cause sickness, brain injury and even death. In homes, CO is most often produced by faulty furnaces, wood-heated stoves, water heaters or gas heating systems. CO is odorless, flavorless and essentially undetectable without the use of a CO detector. Minnesota has laws regarding carbon monoxide detectors in homes, apartments, townhomes and other dwellings.
  
  

Installation

• According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Minnesota law states that all homes, regardless of age, must have carbon monoxide detectors installed and in operable condition. The law went into effect in 2006 for new homes and apartments, 2008 for existing homes and 2009 for existing apartments.
  
  

Location

• Minnesota law requires carbon monoxide detectors within 10 feet of every bedroom in the house, according to the MDH. If there are bedrooms spaced such that one CO detector cannot be located within 10 feet of every bedroom, then two or more carbon monoxide detectors need to be installed. This is so the alarms will have a greater chance of waking sleeping residents who need to take immediate action to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
  
  

Standards

• According to the Minnesota Department of Health, all home carbon monoxide detectors in Minnesota must be certified by a nationally-accredited health testing laboratory. Additionally, all carbon monoxide detectors in the state of Minnesota must meet or exceed UL CO detector standards, according to the MDH.