Thread: Furnace Problems are dangerous!

Very important to keep your furnace clean and make sure proper detectors are installed.

Speaking of which, having just converted from electric to a superb 6 burner gas range stove and convection oven (Lodge cast iron skillets yeah!), while I was looking for a more suitable range hood, I noticed they now sell natural gas detectors in addition to the standard smoke and CO detectors, bout two an installed them as well...but having a natural gas detector, makes perfect sense.

Waaaaait... ok speaking from a technical point of view co detectors should be at about 3 to 4 feet from the floor smoke and natural gas up high on the wall or ceiling DO Not get combo CO / smoke/ natural gas detectors... right placement for one is wrong for other

Originally Posted by Razorrookie01

Waaaaait... ok speaking from a technical point of view co detectors should be at about 3 to 4 feet from the floor smoke and natural gas up high on the wall or ceiling DO Not get combo CO / smoke/ natural gas detectors... right placement for one is wrong for other

Yup - smoke and CO detector in one unit, and the natural gas detector close to it in a separate unit, both on the ceiling.

Ok.... baaaad placement co will pool in lowest places in home when the air is still hence no higher then three to four feet from floor and no closer then six feet from any carbon base fueled appliance yes this includes fireplaces and wood stoves...natural gas detector highest point possible its lighter then air and seeks highest point possible and I shoulda phrased it differently.. don't get a co detector combo at all see previous statement... trust me I deal with these daily

I've got an oil/hotwater system and a carbon monoxide detector in the living room

Oil circulator like a radiator type or oil fired...boiler/ hydronic heat? Either way co detector always a plus now make certain you change the batteries.. every year for plug in wall outlet units Aaaand every six months for stand alone battery units.. and they are only made to last Seven years

I'm a lieutenant on the fire department in the city I live in. Went on a medical call this afternoon for a woman with chest pains and not feeling well.
On the way there the paramedics who got there before us called us and told us they were all set. After a few minutes they called back and told us that
a CO meter they have attached to their medical bag was going off and wanted us to start back over to check it out. Due to getting about 7 feet of snow
in the last two weeks, we hadn't even moved as we were in a standoff on a street with a Toyota Camry (they always seem to think we should be the
one to move for them).

Anyway, we got there and went in and immediately our gas meter went into alarm. Within half a minute it was reading 270ppm of CO! The area I work
is inner city and this particular house was a multi unit property. Went into the basement to the heating unit and it was close to 500ppm in the area.
Got the people out of the rest of the house and had the gas company come. The readings on his meter went so high it didn't register. Shut everything down
and surprisingly got the owner to come to the property. Two residents of the first floor both went to the hospital with CO poisoning. No CO detectors
anywhere, which in Massachusetts is a law. If the paramedics didn't have a CO meter on their bag it would've been a much different result.

John

Yes it would have co poisoning is more suttle and inconspicuous then people realize... flu like symptoms at first... and worse from there its state law here in NC as well but landlords don't seem to have any trouble (the slumlords at least) finding a loop hole

Originally Posted by Razorrookie01

landlords don't seem to have any trouble (the slumlords at least) finding a loop hole

True, but this slumlord's loophole just got closed, and he should consider himself lucky. If people ended up dying he'd be in a bit more
sh*t. I think they just don't bother installing them. No one is going to inspect them unless they sell the property or there's a
complaint.

When we mention something to a tenant about their smoke detector chirping because the battery is low or dead in it they always react
with "That's the landlord's job". I usually reply with "You can wait for the landlord to change it and hope you and your family don't get
killed beforehand or you can buy one yourself and put it in. It's up to you" They usually agree at that point. Whether they do it or
not who knows.

John

I use the same tactic it usually works well.... or If I've had enough out of the landlord an impromptu anonymously made call to the fire Marshall or city housing inspections usually does the trick