The Story Behind Why Justin Takes This Seriously
After Winter Storm Uri, Justin got called to a job in Bulverde where a family had been running a 5,500-watt portable generator inside a closed garage during the outages. No CO detector in the house. The generator was venting directly into the structure. He installed hardwired interconnected CO detectors throughout the house and explained the 15-foot rule for generator placement. They sent a Christmas card that year. Justin keeps it on the workbench.
Detector Types for New Braunfels Homes
Hardwired Smoke Detector
120V hardwired with battery backup. When one alarm sounds, they all sound. Per NFPA 72, smoke detectors must be replaced every 10 years. If you don't know how old yours are, check the manufacture date printed on the back — not when you hung it on the wall.
Combination Smoke + CO Detector
One unit, dual protection, distinct alarm tones so you know which threat you're dealing with. Smart versions like the Nest Protect connect to your phone and send alerts when you're not home. Best value if you're doing a full installation — fewer units, same coverage.
Carbon Monoxide Detector
Electrochemical sensor — the most accurate type available. CO detectors have a 5–7 year lifespan and must be placed near sleeping areas and within 10 feet of gas appliances. If you have a gas furnace, water heater, or attached garage, Texas law requires CO detection.
Ionization vs. Photoelectric — Which Do You Need?
| Type | Best For | False Alarm Risk |
|---|
| Ionization | Fast, flaming fires (kitchen, curtains) | Higher near cooking |
| Photoelectric | Slow, smoldering fires (electrical, furniture) | Lower near cooking |
| Dual-sensor | Both fire types — what we install by default | Lowest |
The USFA recommends dual-sensor units or installing both types. We install dual-sensor by default unless you specify otherwise.
Where CO Comes From in New Braunfels Homes
CO is invisible and odorless. By the time symptoms show, you may not be able to get out. These are the six most common sources in Comal County homes:
Generac Standby Generator
Produces CO during every operation — including the routine weekly self-test that runs while you're asleep. Wind patterns can carry exhaust through vents and windows into living areas. If you have a generator, CO detection is not optional.
Gas Furnace & HVAC System
A cracked heat exchanger — the most common furnace failure we see — silently leaks CO into your air supply. Annual HVAC service catches this. Skip the tune-up and you skip the inspection that finds the crack.
Gas Water Heater
Improperly vented or aging units build up CO in utility rooms and connected spaces. Water heaters don't announce when their venting degrades.
Attached Garage
Running a vehicle in an attached garage — even briefly — produces CO that seeps through door gaps, vents, and shared walls into living areas. A CO detector inside the living space next to the garage entry is required code.
Gas Range & Cooktop
Older ranges and misused burners produce CO, especially in poorly ventilated kitchens. Keep a CO detector near the kitchen entry, not directly above the stove.
Fireplace & Wood-Burning Stove
Blocked flues and improperly vented units can backdraft CO into living spaces. South Texas seasonal use means annual checks get skipped — flues accumulate debris over the off-season.
Texas Code Requirements
Texas Property Code requires smoke detectors in each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on each level of the home. New construction and permitted renovations require hardwired, interconnected detectors with battery backup — battery-only is not compliant for new work.
CO detectors are required in all Texas homes with gas appliances or attached garages, placed near sleeping areas and within 10 feet of gas appliances.
If you're selling your home, detectors are one of the first things Comal County home inspectors check. Wrong placement, expired units, or missing detectors flag the report and can delay closing.
Placement Guide
| Location | Smoke | CO |
|---|
| Each bedroom | Ceiling or high wall inside room | Near sleeping area |
| Hallways outside bedrooms | Ceiling center, within 15 ft of bedrooms | Within 15 ft of bedrooms |
| Kitchen | At least 10 ft from stove | Near kitchen entry, not above stove |
| Garage entry | Inside garage near door | Inside living space next to entry |
| Utility/furnace room | Within 10 ft of gas water heater | Within 10 ft of furnace and water heater |
| Each floor level | Minimum one per level | Minimum one per level |
When to Replace
- Smoke detectors: 10 years maximum per NFPA 72. Check the manufacture date on the back of the unit.
- CO detectors: 5–7 years. Electrochemical sensors degrade faster than most people realize.
- Batteries: Test monthly, replace annually — or go hardwired and skip the guessing.
What Moorhead Installs
- Hardwired smoke alarm installation — All Texas-required locations, 120V with battery backup, fully interconnected throughout home
- CO detector installation — Near all sleeping areas per Texas code, adjacent to gas appliances, inside garage entries, near generator areas
- Smart detector installation — Google Nest Protect and First Alert Onelink with smartphone alerts and voice notifications
- Detector replacement and upgrades — Manufacture date verification, battery-to-hardwired upgrades, expired unit replacement
- Pre-sale safety inspection — Full home detector audit, compliance verification, written documentation for your realtor
- Combined HVAC + detector service — CO detector test plus furnace heat exchanger inspection in one flat-rate visit
Why Moorhead Instead of a Straight Electrician
Every other electrician in New Braunfels installs the CO detector and leaves. Moorhead is your HVAC contractor and your electrician — which means we can actually inspect the gas furnace, water heater, and generator that produce the CO in the first place. One call, one visit, one flat-rate covering both the detector and the inspection of its source.
Pricing
| Service | Notes | Price |
|---|
| Full home installation (smoke + CO) | All units, hardwired, interconnected | $450–$900 |
| Single detector replacement | Manufacture date verified, hardwired | $95–$175 |
| Smart detector installation | Nest Protect or First Alert Onelink, per unit | $175–$275 |
| Pre-sale safety inspection | Written documentation, realtor-ready | $149 flat |
| HVAC tune-up + CO inspection | Furnace heat exchanger check included | $99 flat |
All prices flat-rate, all-in, written and approved before work starts.
Texas code compliant