interesting co story

curiousity kills

I got a call from a customer we installed a gas furnace for. He also purchased a co experts alarm and just decided to take it out of the box and use it for the first time sunday morning. After installing the batteries he put it in the kitchen and it went to 11 ppm and sounded the alarm. He called the fire dept. When they arrived they aired the home and then started the furnace and was reading co from out the register. They said our furnace was creating co and to call us.When I arrived I ran the blower with my testo in the ductwork and picked up 0. I then fired the furnace and picked up 0. I saw the garage door off the kitchen near where the monitor was.Iasked the customer if the car was running this morning and he said for a minute with the garage door open.I asked if he had the kitchen door open and his wife said she came back in to get something then after she left the alarm went off.I had him start the car with the garage door open and the kithen door half open.Within ten seconds I was reading 40 ppm.The alarm sounded and as I went into the garage I was reading 450ppm. This was with the garage door open and the tailpipe witin 2 feetof the garage door.I was happy to find this for him and not be from our furnace.

Unknown

Good catch

it shows the importance of a good low level CO alarm. You need to instruct the customer to call you next time instead of the fire dept. That is the advantage of the low level alarm it does not always need a first responder.

I hope the homeowner also sees the importance of not letting the car run with the door open.

Wayco Wayne_2

Thanks for the story.

One of the great things about this forum is that it has raised my awareness of CO and associated problems and issues. All of my customers get my rant about CO and hopefully I move them to get a detector. Tim, could you share your info about low level CO detectors please? I grabbed a sheet at your table at Wetstock but have misplaced it. BTW, got the book. Thank you. WW

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Constantin

It's just amazing...

... how bad the combustion in vehicles can be when they're cold. Reason enough never to have any physical connection between the garage and the house. Wow! Thanks for the story!

Mark Hunt

I've gotten


at least a dozen stories about this. A woman and her son were killed recently when she forgot to turn the car off after she parked in the garage. 6 people were killed in Florida the same way.

Understanding building dynamics can help you find CO sources that would otherwise be associated with heating appliances.

Two years ago I was called to a home for a CO alarm(CO experts), and found that the son had started his new dirt bike in the garage. (Dad had to pry it out of him)

In any case, customers should be told to leave the home immediately should the CO alarm sound. If they call the fire department, they should request medical attention to determine the amount of exposure, ESPECIALLY if the CO alarm was UL listed.

If the source was in fact a heating appliance, then a contractor that understands combustion and venting should be called to repair the problem.

As temperatures drop outside, stack effect increases inside. Pressures near the lower floors will be negative while upper floors will be positive. This doesn't go away in the summer, it's just lessened.

Good eye!

Mark H

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Unknown

Wayne, I will send

you some info in the mail.

Dave Yates (PAH)

On the radio this morning:

Zamboni malfunction sent half of a hockey team to the hospital with CO poisoning.

Had another CO call this AM to check a vent-free gas log set that was setting off the owner's CO alarm. Vent-free unit was also shutting off by its ODS! Personally, I think vent-free units are for the birds. Then again, birds are mostly lungs and hyper-sensitive to things like CO and phosgene gas. Wish I didn't know that about $4,000.00 exotic birds, but that's a story for another day.

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curiousity kills

co

After I left the call I called the fire dept. that responded to the call to let them know the result.I was very respectful because I do respect what they do however he did agree he told my customer it was our furnace causing the co alarm to go off.When I told him what I found he was shocked it could happen so quickly from the car but would use this info for future use.I think it is important on this forum to share these kinds of stories so it will give others things to look for on future calls.

John R. Hall

\"Wall\" for firefighters?

Maybe if we found out where firefighters exchanged ideas, we could "invade" their forum with our CO postings. Worth a look-see.

billygoat22

Worked with one guy on a const site. Found out he had a furnace go bad in his home. The CO killed all his salt water fish and sharks he had.

S Ebels

Hmmm 1+1+1=a story?

Let's see.........

Phosgene gas; given off when refrigerant or similar chemicals are burned. Fairly toxic stuff. That's 1.

+

Dave knows the price of an exotic bird. That's another 1

+

Dave's company could very well be in a situation where the above mentioned gas was released. That's the third 1

=

I'd guess there is a dead bird involved here.

Murphy's 1st law (anything that can, will) hard at work wherever there are people .

Tom_35

CO through window a/c

A HVAC contractor in Illinois' mother nearly died when she forgot to turn her car off in the garage. Her room air conditioner was mounted through a wall that connected to the garage. The fresh air vent picked up the CO from the car.

She spent a couple of weeks in the hospital, hyper-baric chamber, etc. Now has to live with assisted living care.