How St. John's is built
- Before 1961 22%
- 1961–1990 42%
- 1991–2000 11%
- 2001 or later 26%
The rule in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador's fire regulations require smoke alarms in existing homes but contain no CO alarm requirement.
Where CO alarms go: installation rules in Newfoundland and Labrador
What the rules say about installing alarms:
- The province's fire regulations require smoke alarms in existing homes but contain no CO alarm requirement.
- For new houses, the National Building Code 2020 (Article 9.32.3.9) requires a CO alarm inside each bedroom or within 5 m outside each bedroom door when the home has a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage, an alarm in any room with a solid-fuel-burning appliance (on or near the ceiling unless the maker's instructions say otherwise), and interconnected alarms in a house with a secondary suite.
CO sources in St. John's homes
In the St. John's area, the main heating energy is oil for 12% of households (Statistics Canada, 2023). Any fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage is a potential CO source.
There's no piped natural gas for homes in St. John's, so the usual CO sources are oil furnaces, propane appliances, wood stoves and attached garages.
Single-detached houses make up 42% of St. John's's households; many have an attached garage, another reason to put an alarm near the door into the house.
What a CO check involves
- Alarms next to sleeping areas and on every storey, tested monthly and replaced by their end-of-life date (usually 7 to 10 years).
- Annual service of fuel-burning appliances by a licensed technician.
- A combustion spillage test during an energy evaluation, which catches a venting problem before it produces CO.
Our carbon monoxide guide · Combustion safety testing in St. John's
Carbon monoxide testing in St. John's: common questions
Are carbon monoxide alarms mandatory in St. John's?
Newfoundland and Labrador's fire regulations require smoke alarms in existing homes but contain no CO alarm requirement.
Where should CO alarms go in Newfoundland and Labrador?
The province's fire regulations require smoke alarms in existing homes but contain no CO alarm requirement. For new houses, the National Building Code 2020 (Article 9.32.3.9) requires a CO alarm inside each bedroom or within 5 m outside each bedroom door when the home has a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage, an alarm in any room with a solid-fuel-burning appliance (on or near the ceiling unless the maker's instructions say otherwise), and interconnected alarms in a house with a secondary suite.
How long do CO alarms last?
Most have an end-of-life date of 7 to 10 years printed on the unit; replace them by then even if they still beep when tested.