Carbon Monoxide

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.

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.

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.

Per Ralph Mowery:

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

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

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.

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

Usually outside the bedroom, but check here:

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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