Carbon Monoxide Detectors
We had some friends visiting recently. They told us a story of living in Colorado and suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. The building had no carbon monoxide detectors. According to Craig Press, “Every year in the United States, more than 20,000 people visit the emergency room, more than 4,000 people are hospitalized, and more than 400 people die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning.”
The colorless, odorless gas is undetectable to human senses.
My friends said it was about 2:30 am, and Rick and Pat were asleep when their two cats jumped on Rick’s chest and awakened him. He couldn’t figure out where he was and his legs wouldn’t support him. He turned to Pat and tried to wake her. Rick rolled her off the bed, and the fall to the floor roused her. He called 911, and the operator said to get out of the house immediately. Rick said he wasn’t leaving without his wife. Soon fire and rescue vehicles were outside. They pronounced his wife dead but continued trying CPR. The rescuersy even asked for the others to bring a body bag. They measured the house for CO and said they had never seen a house registering this high.
Luckily, the rescuers brought her back, and she spent a month in the hospital. Rick recovered also. The cause was a simple case of a malfunctioning heating pipe leaking CO into the house.
Rick and his family will make sure any house they stay in has carbon monoxide detectors.
Dizziness, headaches, and nausea are three of the most common symptoms, but one in six people wrongly think a metallic taste in the mouth is also a sign. Check Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – What are the symptoms?
You can see smoke, and we are required to have smoke detectors. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect, yet the effects are deadly.
Do you need carbon monoxide detectors?
Once again, I am warning about CO and the need for buyers of real estate to check if there are carbon monoxide detectors. They are inexpensive and will save your life if there is a leak in your heating system.
As of January 2017, 32 states have enacted statutes regarding carbon monoxide detectors, and another 11 have promulgated regulations on carbon monoxide detectors. Alaska requires detectors approved by the state fire marshal be installed in all dwellings. Connecticut requires them in all new construction, as does New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. Florida also requires them in new construction, and in every room with a boiler. They are inexpensive; only about $30.
Kansas and Missouri do not have laws requiring carbon monoxide detectors except Missouri requires the detectors for lodging
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