Get a detector

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-27-2003
Get a detector
6
Tue, 10-21-2003 - 12:12pm
Hello ladies~~~

We had a scare yesterday that really brought home the need for a Carbon Monoxide detector in the home.

To make this a short story, DH went downstairs yesterday morning to iron his pants (Yes I am lucky he does that for himself!) only to smell gas fumes!! So needless to say we called the gas company. CARBON MONOXIDE in the basement!!! DH & I called in to work so we could wait around for the gas company to come back & thoroughly check out the furnace.

Very chilly in the house as we aired it out. The gas guy came back & after 2 1/2 hours cleaning & inspecting he tells us that he cannot allow the furnace to run!!!!! EEEEKKK! It gets cold in fall here in New England! Luckily he put us in touch with another guy that came out & could install a new furnace last night. Plumbers in my house until 9pm, soot and water all over my basement floor, and a new furnace boiler later - no noxious fumes. PHEW!!!

Ladies ~~~ if you do not have one, please get a carbon monoxide detector! We were lucky that the soot buildup in the furnace produced that gas smell or we would never have known Carbon Monoxide is clear and has no smell).I always planned to get one, but just didn't get around to it. We're picking one up tonight!!

I don't want to scare anyone, but I thought maybe a *personal* account may be worth more than just hearing it from the news.

Take care!

Teera

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-01-2003
Tue, 10-21-2003 - 12:15pm
Teera, I'm so glad you two are alright! We have 2 smoke/carbon monoxide detectors in our house and I feel much safer with them-especially having an older furnace. You can get them pretty cheap at Lowe's/Home Depot. All you ladies need to go out and get one if you haven't already!

Jen



 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-29-2003
Tue, 10-21-2003 - 12:45pm
Teera,

I'll add my 2cents since we had a similiar scare on Monday. We had a heating company come to inspect our (gas) furnace (not something we usually do - but there was a coupon in the paper and we thought why not - it can't hurt) and they found cracks in parts of the furnace which leak carbon monoxide when the furnace is on (thank goodness we didn't have it running yet this year). We don't have a carbon monoxide detector (although we are getting one now) and if we wouldn't have had the inspection - I don't even want to think about it.

So get a detector and have your furnaces checked & cleaned (most companies offer coupons).

Jen

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Tue, 10-21-2003 - 12:49pm
That is SO very scary! Thank goodness for the odor, or you might not have woken up! I'm so glad that, in the end, everything is okay.

It must have been a very cold day for you -- it was very very chilly up this way yesterday, and the wind was a whippin!

-Jennifer

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-05-2003
Tue, 10-21-2003 - 12:53pm

Wow, Teera,


I am so thankful to hear that you and your DH are okay!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-27-2003
Tue, 10-21-2003 - 3:21pm
*Bump*
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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-10-2003
Tue, 10-21-2003 - 4:19pm
Hi ladies, After reading this post I went online and found this link:

http://freenet.msp.mn.us/people/guestb/pubed/cofaq.html

I suggest taking a look at it and familiarizing yourself with Carbon Monoxide and it's symptoms of poisioning. It's a very informative website. It also talks about the different detectors.

I'm getting one this week!

~Shawn