Smoke and CO Detector Installation in Cherry Hill, VA

Are the smoke alarms in my Cherry Hill home past due?

Probably, unless someone already changed them. The NFPA says to replace smoke alarms 10 years after the date printed on the back. Census data shows about 68% of Cherry Hill homes were built before 2010 (Census ACS). That covers most of Southbridge and River Oaks, built from the mid 1990s to the mid 2000s, and Eagle Pointe from the late 2000s (Wikipedia).

Homes built from 2010 to about 2016 are reaching that date now. Pull one alarm down and read the date. If it is more than 10 years old, the whole linked set should be changed together, so they match and talk to each other.

Prince William County Fire and Rescue says each home should have a working alarm on each level and in or near each bedroom (county safety programs). In a three-level townhouse, that is three alarms before you count the bedrooms.

CO alarms, gas service and attached garages

Carbon monoxide comes from things that burn fuel. The county's carbon monoxide page names natural gas, propane and oil equipment, and warns about running a car or generator in an attached garage, even with the door open. It says CO alarms go in a central spot outside each sleeping area and on every level, linked so that when one sounds, all sound. Test them each month.

If your home has gas service, check which company sends the bill. Washington Gas says some Prince William County areas are served by Columbia Gas instead (Washington Gas). Either way, a home with any gas appliance or an attached garage should have CO alarms.

After a storm, run a portable generator outdoors only, away from doors, windows and vents, the county's outage page says. Never in the garage.

Renting in Cherry Hill, and the permit question

About 38% of occupied Cherry Hill homes are rented (Census ACS). The county says landlords are responsible for providing smoke alarms in rental units. Renters with questions can call the county's fire and life safety outreach line at 703-792-7736. If you own a rental here, we can replace the full set between tenants.

Is a permit needed to replace hardwired alarms? No county page says, and smoke alarms are not on the state's list of exempt swaps in USBC 108.2. Call Building Development at 703-792-6930 to confirm. Adding an alarm in a new spot means new wiring, which the county treats as new electrical work.