What it is:

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause sickness or death when trapped in a confined space (like a garage, kitchen, or basement).

Carbon monoxide detectors are easy to install alarms that sound a siren when CO is detected. More than 10,000 people are poisoned by carbon monoxide each year, which is why requirements for detectors have become more stringent in recent years. 

What it means:

As of 2018, 38 states in the U.S. had regulations requiring carbon monoxide detectors in homes. If your home inspector notes a missing CO detector, it could be that one is missing in a required location or that there isn’t a detector at all in the house.

How to fix it:

Installing a carbon monoxide detector is actually quite simple, as most do not require hardwiring to the home’s power supply. They can be purchased at any home improvement store and usually require just a screwdriver to install. Carbon monoxide is lighter than air, so CO detectors should be placed high up on a wall or on the ceiling.

At a minimum, one detector should be installed on each floor of the home. Details for installing a CO detector will be included in the box, or you can watch this video to see how it’s done.

Frequency:

22.4% of home inspections report missing carbon monoxide detectors

Average repair cost: 

$106