AROUND THE HOUSE: Furnace necessitates carbon monoxide detector

Dear Ken: We are in a one bedroom condo. Our furnace is in a separate room off the patio. Do we still need a carbon monoxide detector?
Lisa

Yes. The hot air from the furnace still blows into your living space, regardless of the furnace’s location. If there’s some sort of breach in the heat exchanger, you could be overcome by this insidious (and odorless) gas.

An apartment or condominium complex with a central boiler is an exception and comes under another part of the new act. In that case — as long as there are no gas water heaters, stoves or fireplaces or other appliances in the units — the only requirement is a detector in the boiler room with a central alarm notification to the manager.

Bottom line: the presence of any of the following mandates a detector, regardless of the heat source: attached garage, wood or gas fireplace or stove, gas range, water heater, boiler and, of course a gas hot air furnace.

If you’d like to read of the new Colorado bill yourself, search “Colorado carbon monoxide act” online.


Dear Ken: What do you think of those plug-in insect repellers?
C.B.

These ultrasound units don’t seem to work very long. Apparently, there is some repellent effect for a few weeks, but then things return to normal. I guess the bugs figure out how to ignore it, and it fades into the background, kind of like elevator music.


Dear Ken: AC Can you seal up a garage too tight? I’m thinking of finishing the walls and ceiling.
Blaine

I like the idea of adding insulation and sheetrock to the exterior walls and ceiling. If you think of your attached garage as just another room with a common wall to the living space, you realize that any energy saving projects out there can help with your utility bills: The higher the temperature in the garage, the less heat will flow through that common wall and the bedroom floors above.

The garage door is also a big heat waster. It’s nothing but a 16 feet by 7 feet “hole” to the outside world. An insulated steel unit is a good investment, especially if it replaces one of those older wood units.

The flip side of this approach is summer heat. If you have an old freezer or refrigerator in the garage, you’ll need to pull some outside air through the space on those hottest summer afternoons. Install a cheap bath fan in one outside wall and a grill on the opposite side to ameliorate the hot air that accumulates near the ceiling.


Dear Ken: I have a new house. Lately, there is a buzzing sound in the attic when the wind is strong. Any ideas about what’s going on and who can fix it?

It’s probably on or around one of the attic vents. They are the only holes in that space, and wind can howl through them and loosen things up. Look for edges of tar paper hanging into the vent opening. Also, louvers on the inside of gable vents (the ones in the side wall) can produce harmonic vibrations on their own. Apply a little bending pressure to the louver slats to produce some deformation that will be less susceptible to wind flow.

If you’re reluctant to ascend into the attic, call a handyman service, roofing contractor or insulating outfit who can send someone up there to perform these minor adjustments.

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Former homebuilder Ken Moon is the owner of Colorado Home Inspectors and a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors. Hear him Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KRDO 1240 AM and 105.5 FM. Reach him at www.aroundthehouse.com.