On Jan. 1,2010, a new regulation regarding smoke detectors will be put into place. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services have pushed for this regulation regarding the installation and maintenance of smoke detectors in single and multi-family houses that have been built or altered prior to Jan. 1, 1975 and sold on or after Jan. 1,2010. Any building or altering of homes after Jan. 1,1975 are still governed by the State Building Code, which already poses the same regulation.
Currently, these regulations require that two different types of smoke detectors be put in place-depending upon location within the home. Areas within 20 ft of a kitchen/bath,a photo-electric sensor only smoke detector will be required. Outside this 20 ft area of kitchen/bath, both the ionization sensor and photo-electric sensor only technology must be used. And at the State level the battery/hardwire rules remain in effect and are not changing.
Why? Well it has been proven through research that the ionization-sensor smoke dectectors have caused false alarms, mainly due to the everyday fumes of cooking and from the steam of showers. Constant false alarms have caused homeowners to disconnect their alarms by removing the batteries. Due to recent concerns, the Department of Fire Services has proposed an amendment that would eliminate the requirement of ionization-sensor smoke detectors be located in areas beyond the 20 ft of kitchen/bath. If this passes then the only requirement would be the photo-electric sensor smoke detectors within the homes, and that the use of ionization-sensor smoke detectors be optional outside the 20 ft kitchen/bath zones. The Massachusetts of Realtors supports this new proposal, a unified and simple approach using only one, the photo-electric sensor, in homes. Hearings are still underway. Please stay updated.
If you are looking for anymore information regarding this or how to get your home sold, Call Cheryl Cahill, Cross Real Estate, 508-369-3809
