Detecting carbon monoxide

[Here is one (of many) personal experience with carbon monoxide and CO detectors. Great real-life story with thankfully a happy ending!]

This is an excerpt from a personal e-mail I sent to friends and family with regard to a personal experience. I am sharing it in the hopes that it can and will potentially save lives.

I went home for lunch one day. As I approached the back door, I could hear a high-pitched sqealing noise. Thinking it was our smoke detector, I walked through the house with my hands over my ears. Main level and basement detectors checked out fine.

As I climbed the staircase to our second floor, the noise was deafening. It was our carbon monoxide detector. We've had it for eight to 10 years. We had plugged it in and never really given it a second thought. Thinking it was a problem with dust, I unplugged it, blew into it, hit the reset and plugged it back in. Voila - no more noise.

I called the Cambridge Fire Department to be on the safe side and they explained to me that I had done the right thing (vacuuming the unit is preferred). If it started to beep again, I was to call back immediately. I went back downstairs to the kitchen and made lunch. About 10 minutes later, I could hear audible beeps coming at regular intervals.

I called the fire department and explained my situation. At this point, it was advised that I leave the house immediately and close all doors behind me. They would send a crew as soon as possible. They also advised I take any pets with me. I briefly thought about my son's lizard, but felt the -18 C would have been a far worse fate. The dogs, oblivious to my concern, thought they were going for a midday walk. They were disappointed to only stand and wait in the driveway.

Not five minutes later, the fire deparment arrived (thankfully without lights and sirens). As one of the firefighters walked up the driveway, he gave the furnace vent a knock and some ice fell out. The furnace vent had been replaced three years ago, along with a new boiler. They proceeded into the house to take readings.

Sure enough, the numbers indicated carbon monixide was present. Not seriously high numbers, but a safety concern nonetheless. Had they continued to rise undetected throughout the night, we may not have woken up in the morning.

The house was aired out and the levels monitored. It was felt that the ice build-up on the vent was enough to cause the carbon monoxide to not vent properly. For once, having a century home was a blessing - the drafty basement had allowed for some ventilation in the basement.

One needs to remember that this gas is odourless. Symptoms include headaches and nausea, and are often passed off as a bug. If you're asleep, you can't recognize the symptoms.

A huge thank you to Cambridge Fire Department - saving lives on a daily basis through action and education.

Sandi Nicholls Hill
Cambridge