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Four nations, four rule sets

CO alarm requirements checker

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each set their own carbon-monoxide alarm rules — and the exclusions differ by nation AND by fuel. A gas cooker is excluded from the landlord duty in England but not in Wales; an oil-fired Aga triggers the duty in Northern Ireland. This checker shows both duties — the installer’s (building regulations) and the landlord’s (tenancy rules) — for any appliance, in any UK nation.

Indicative guidance for competent persons

This tool gives indicative guidance only. It is not a substitute for the engineer’s own on-site assessment, the official standard, or the judgement of a suitably qualified, registered competent person. Gas work must only be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. This supports a job-card decision — it is not a compliance certificate or formal regulatory opinion, and fitting an alarm is good practice even where no duty applies.

The four UK nations have different rules AND different exclusions — never assume England's rules apply UK-wide.

'Cooking only' means solely cooking — the exclusions differ by nation and by fuel.

Matters in Wales, where unflued appliances are excluded from the installer duty.

Basis: Installer duties: Approved Document J 2022 (England, paras 2.34/3.43); Approved Document J Wales (in force 6 January 2025); Building Standards Technical Handbook Domestic Section 3.21 (Scotland); Technical Booklet L clause 2.51 (Northern Ireland). Landlord duties: SI 2022/707 (England); the Tolerable Standard (Scotland, from February 2022); WSI 2022/6 (Wales); NISR 2024/123 (Northern Ireland). Each result links its primary source.

PipeworkHQ prompts the right CO-alarm rule on every job card

The same rules engines behind this free tool are built into PipeworkHQ, saved to the job and the certificate trail. Start free — no card, no contract.

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