Vermont CO Tragedy

Mark Eatherton1

Tough call Mark...

I had situations where the HO was a single mom with a house full of rug rats and it was colder than a witches you know what outside, and she had the plastic crap for a vent. If I shut her down, I cause her a LOT of trouble. I understand the need for due dilligence, but do I really want to put the family on the street? If I had tested her appliance and found it to be producing deadly amounts of CO, it would be another thing. I can usually fix that in a heart beat, but to move the woman out with a properly functioning appliance with plastic pipe that hasn't yet failed, I gotta think twice. I made her sign a piece of paper stating the fact that she was aware of the CAP program and that she needed to act immediately to get it replaced, in fact I called and registered her using her phone, and lined her up with a CAP replacement contractor. I refuse to do the CAP work because of their rediculously low pay scale.

Key word "properly functioning appliance". If it couldn't be made to run reasonably clean, I'd have made an attempt to find a place for them to stay (Red Cross or Human Services) and figured out a way to get the appliance repaired or replaced.

We agree that these lives could have been saved if someone had performed a test and realized how far out of adjustment these appliances were. If they had been set up correctly by a qualified properly trained technician, they wouldn't have backfired, and the pipe would not have seperated and no one would have died.

I can only imagine the guilt that the last technician is feeling. I'm not sure I could live with myself with that on my conscience.

Folks, if you don't test, you don't know, and as can be seen from the above thread, someone could die because of your inactions. Take the time to purchase the equipment necessary (less than $1K) and then take the time to be properly trained in how to use and diagnose problems. Just owning the tools is not enough.

I'd bet a box of donuts that the service company that worked on the appliance last has a combustion analyzer in one of their vehicles someplace, but nobody knew how to use it...

TEST TEST TEST, TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN. Someones life is depending on it...

ME

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Mark Hunt

I agree


Perhaps I generalized too much.

In that situation I would have tested the equipment to make sure it was operationg within safe parameters and would have left a low-level CO monitor there. I would then contact the CAP asap. Due diligence.

No two cases are exactly the same and we need to use our best judgement in each case. You are also correct about testing and TRAINING. Training allows us a better position to make those judgements from.

Thanks ME!

Mark H



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Dave Yates (PAH)

CAP is a PITA

But we're the only one who will tackle the work in our area. There is a way around the CAP pay scale. E-mail me if you want that info.

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Firedragon_4

Although I agree

with all of these comments I do teach in Vermont, a lot! I'll be there next week for three seminars in fact!

The HVAC company is almost at all of my seminars and I know they attend as many as they can in the HVAC field, FACT!

I also know the tech and that he is a very nice young man and a good student.

This is in fact a sad situation as I have already stated several times.

I truly believe that if given the chance, and the truth is not run over by the lawyers, that this company will be proven for what they are.

IMO, that is a competent, well trained organization that was caught up in a mess. I'm in hopes of learning more next week and really don't want to 'airmchair quarterback' this anymore.

All the good intentions and words on the planet will not save all of the victims of this tragedy, FACT!

Sweet_2

I feel so bad for everybody involved

not sure how I missed the original thread but this is truly sad. A service tech's worst nightmare, a parents worst nightmare. Damn.

Rodney Summers

60 minutes

Someone ought to draw "60 minutes" attention to
this problem with CO detectors. It's the type of
thing they do pieces on.
Joe K

Darin in Michigan

Two thoughts

A chief mechanical inspector once told me it was ruled by a judge in a lawsuit against the contractor that even though the ho showed signs of CO poisoning(red puffy nose, sore throat, flue like symptoms, tears), the contractor was at fault for shutting of her furnace and causing her pipes to burst. Ain't that a slap ion the head. No. 2- it reminds me of the day I walked in to an apartment complex that one of the maintenance men Jumpered the baso switch on a 15 unit apartment complex near MSU. I guess it was easier to do that than clean the pilot and repl the T-couple. Stay Safe All

Gary Reecher

If not 60 minutes how about making a writeup to Consumer Product Safety Commission.