CO Scare

Dan Foley

I got a call this morning. The CO monitor had alarmed last night so my client shut down the boiler. The high reading was 100 PPM.

I sent Brian out today to check out the Buderus cast iron atmospheric draft boiler we had installed about 12 years ago.

The chimney was drafting, burners were clean and the sections were clear - no soot.

Three of the chambers were reading within specs, less than 100 PPM CO. The fourth chamber spiked over 2,000 PPM CO.

After re-checking everything, Brian finally found the cause. He took apart the in-shot birners and found this dead snake inside. It was fouling up the fuel-air mixture creating the high CO. This could have ended up bad.

Steamhead

At least it didn't bite him............

Nice catch!

Mike_Sheppard

Wow! Thank god for CO meter. I started carrying a personal CO meter with me years ago and I was amazed at how many boiler rooms had CO in them. Worst one I walked in on was 4,000 ppm. 2 million btu atmospheric American Standard boiler. Customer said the boiler room was too cold and cinder-blocked in the combustion air openings.

STEVEusaPA

Yes always have the personal CO meter 'on' after my scare.

Dan Foley

Mike and Steve,

Which personal CO meter are you using?

STEVEusaPA

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/3118ZVK0ATL.jpg


https://www.amazon.com/Tough-Waterproof-USA-Made-Intrinsically/dp/B00DRJ1KQO/ref=asc_df_B00DRJ1KQO/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312114659020&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16041360409347625351&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1024699&hvtargid=pla-569855003664&psc=1

Mike_Sheppard

I have the one Steve posted and also the Testo one. They both have been great. Testo rides around in my tool bag and takes a beating. Still works great. I check it every now and then with a CO test bottle.