DO YOU HAVE A GARAGE CO DETECTION SYSTEM AND IS IT FUNCTIONAL?


IT IS COMMON FOR MANY PROPERTY MANAGERS NOT TO KNOW IF THEY HAVE A CARBON MONOXIDE (“CO”) DETECTION SYSTEM IN THE ASSOCIATION GARAGE. THE BUILDING ENGINEERS MIGHT KNOW, BUT IN MANY CASES THE CO SYSTEMS HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED FOR MANY YEARS (IF EVER) AND WITH ALL THE OTHER PRIORITIES PILING UP, THE CO SYSTEM IN THE GARAGE FADES INTO THE BACKGROUND.


If you have an indoor parking garage, chances are you have these CO sensors. An indoor garage requires large amounts of exhaust air and fresh air to flush and ventilate the space. Many buildings were originally designed so garage fans run 24/7; a huge but necessary energy expense. During the 1980s, CO sensors became commercially available allowing the ventilation system to run only when high concentration of CO is present. In many garages, the CO system activates


36 | COMMON INTEREST®


the fans in the morning rush for approximately 30 minutes, and the same occurs during the evening rush. All the rest of the day and all night long the fans are OFF. The majority of newer properties with indoor garages have these sensors installed as part of the base building design, and in older buildings the sensors likely would have been retrofitted over the years to take advantage of energy savings.


A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter


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