A tip which saved my life and maybe yours. Our house was just a couple of years old when my husband accepted a job which required him to be out of town most weekdays. Our budget could allow either new mulch in the natural areas or a security system installed.
Fortunately reason won out and I chose the security system. As an aside, the rep asked if we wanted to add a carbon monoxide detector and we said we might as well since they were going to be here. It had been installed for less than 6 months when it saved my life. I had returned from a trip, came in turned the heat up, turned on the gas logs, and settled in to catch up on the mail and newspapers as I warmed myself by the fire. I got drowsy, turned off the logs, and went to bed around 11 p.m.
I had just drifted off to sleep when a shrill siren started blasting. I was a bit disoriented and couldn't figure out what it was or where it was coming from. An ADT representative called and told me my carbon monoxide detector was activated. She called the local fire department. They quickly arrived and got a dangerously high reading on the concentration of carbon monoxide. A representative from the gas company was called. He couldn't detect if there was a gas leak or not because of the high level of carbon monoxide in the house.
All ended well. I was told to go spend the night elsewhere and leave the window in the room open, and a fan on (A kind neighbor who saw the flashing lights graciously took me in).
The next day the man from the gas company detected a large leak in the burner on the gas logs. These logs were around two years old and were rarely used! Who would have thought such a thing could happen. I certainly hadn't given it any thought. Our builder said he would never build another house without installing a carbon monoxide detector.
Please take note--there are many sources for carbon monoxide poisoning. Just because you don't use gas doesn't necessarily insure your safety. Any source of fossil fuel can produce it. I called the local paper and asked them to alert readers to this danger.
Lowe's couldn't keep carbon monoxide detectors on the shelf for the next week or so. If you don't have one already, please consider getting one. Tell your friends and family as well. I will be forever grateful that we had been safely guided through a possible tragedy.
I bought one, along with some smoke detectors, as soon as we bought this house. I never got to meet one of my aunts because she died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a car; she was only 21. So I've been paranoid about CO poisoning ever since.
Good for you, having the presence of mind to go with the security/CO detector system, instead of the mulch. Glad to hear you're safe and sound!
Excellent post! Carbon monoxide detectors are so inexpensive and you can get one you just plug into a socket. So easy and yet can save your life! Thanks for posting this great tip.
Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback (if you are a registered user). If you have not yet registered, click here to do so. It's FREE!.
