Carbon Monoxide

Had to go back on-line for this even though I was going to be signing off for a few days

A friend of mine is doing repair work at a house.

The guy who owns the house is giving him free room and board in exchange for labor.

The owner had warmed his car up inside of the built-in garage.

Even though the overhead door was open, the fumes filtered into the bedroom above where my friend was staying.

He furiously told the owner not to do that.

The next day the owner did it again while my buddy was sleeping and for some reason miraculously woke up just in time to call 911. They told him in a few more minutes he would have been dead.

I told the guy to call the police and report it as attempted negligent homicide then get the hell out at once.

I am worried that it may take him a few days to find some other place to move.

Since I posted recently that a friend of a friend died this year from CO

I am wondering if CO alarms should be mandatory....or does a standard smoke alarm also warn the occupants of CO

Reply to
philo
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Unless it is stated as a dual purpose alarm, the standard smoke alarm will not detect CO. As the smoke alarm is uusually mounted high and the CO is mostly low, they peobalby will not go off soon enough.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

They are mandatory in most new homes, smart people have them in their older homes too.

They do make dual smoke/CO alarms but a standard smoke alarm does nothing to help.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

They ARE mandatory in Ontario Canada, and they should be everywhere. A standard smoke detector does not detect CO - but there ARE combination detectors available.

Reply to
clare

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Reply to
hubops

Per Ralph Mowery:

That's good to know.... Thanks.

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)

I told the guy that if he does not move out today to get a CO detector for sure.

I have one in my house...it's in the basement where the furnace is.

Though we would never use our gas range for heating I wonder if it would be a good precaution to put a CO detector in the kitchen

Reply to
philo

Why do you care if it's mandatory??? If I were in that situation, I'd get my ass down to home depot and buy one. A lot cheaper than preordering a headstone with "it was the landlord's fault" engraved on it.

Would you live there for one more instant??? Not me.

Reply to
mike

I have to take that back. Carbon Dioxide is heaver, the Monoxide is slightly lighter.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

Usually outside the bedroom, but check here:

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Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Thanks. Might as well play it safe and get at least one more.

Reply to
philo

Whether it's mandatory or not I have one and will probably get another.

Considering I've heard of one death this year and one more near death...it really should be mandatory for everyone I'd think.

Reply to
philo

That's good of course but they should be mandatory in existing homes as well. I'd think the older homes would be more likely to have problems

Reply to
philo

QUICK! Let's get this passed now so that the feds will pay for them for those who can't afford them. Maybe add a penalty if the people don't comply.

Reply to
dadiOH

Would not make any difference. They are miscible. Otherwise oxygen and nitrogen would separate.

Reply to
Frank

So was the car owner in the garage or car while the car was warming up? Have you never done the same?

Despite what the MD call taker at 911 told him I personally wouldn't worry about being in a bedroom in a house where an engine was running in an open garage.

BTW, you can't smell carbon monoxide.

Reply to
dadiOH

I won't discourage an early warning system, but the most important CO detector is the one that DIRECTLY samples the air you're breathing THIS VERY MINUTE and has an alarm that you can easily hear over other ambient noise where you're currently located.

Reply to
mike

I've seen many give aways for them. Various towns or fire departments make them available for anyone that cannot afford them.

I don't know if they can make it mandatory for private homes, but rental properties are usually covered.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

My guess is the guy had an older car in need of a tune-up. Maybe an oil burning POS and the exhaust really smelled. Newer cars with cat converters don't give off a lot of CO these days, but in a closed garage, it can kill you. There were a couple of kids killed in bed recently from a car left running in a closed garage. Carelessness and stupidity are factors.

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Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Here they are required wherever there is a "fuel burning appliance" or an attached garage, next to all sleeping areas..

Reply to
clare

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