carbon monoxide detector going off intermittently image
Melissa
We live in the middle of a block of rowhomes in Baltimore City. For the second time in a month, the CO alarms have gone off at the houses on either side of us. This time, I was the only one of all of us who was awake. I had used hot water for a shower and washed a few dishes about an hour before. Firefighters checked our three homes, as well as the two other houses adjoining my neighbors. Readings were 30 ppm in one of the alarm houses and 90 in the other; zero in my home and the two other neighbors. When the firefighter turned on the hot water and held the meter next to my water heater for ten minutes, the highest reading he got was 8 ppm. We immediately replaced our CO alarm with a detector with a constant display, which is still showing 0 ppm after two hours in the room with the furnace (not running) and the water heater. The alley behind our homes is too narrow for a car or truck. We are at a loss for the source. Any ideas?
We have a Weber kettle grill and a Weber smoker, which we haven't used yet this year because we are having a particularly rainy summer. The alarm houses have gas grills, but this was 4.30 in the morning. Even if they both happened to have faulty tanks, they would have had to have been lit sometime around the time of the alarm, right? The 30 ppm house was gutted and rebuilt last year. The contractors were questionable, but the HVAC sub-contractors are reputable, as far as we know.
Answer
CO comes only from incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons (including charcoal), and not from any other sources. It is also lighter than air, and so may build up well away from where it is generated.
As you are in a row-house - if you share a chimney with a neighbor, and their flue is partially or entirely blocked, that CO may penetrate into your flue/house from next door. It is also possible that you may even share a flue, although that is unlikely.
Other sources might include a charcoal-fired grille near an open window or intake fan that might draw CO into the house. A partially blocked flue - or one that is blocked intermittently by a nest, or a loose brick or something similar such that the CO builds up at odd times.
I suggest that you check all your flues - all of them - and make sure that they are clear, free of any obstructions and draw properly. I suggest that while you are at it, you check any flues on your common walls and any that may vent near any of your windows at any level. You should also (if at all possible), see if your neighbors might be operating a charcoal device such as even a small hibachi inside their house - or may be using some other device such as a still, retort or other equipment that uses a fairly large flame, but may be in an area with restricted air intake.
NOTE ALSO: if you have your water heater in a tight basement, closet or other area without free access to outside (fresh) air in quantity, it might operate perfectly normally with the fire department standing around (all the doors open), but when you close the doors and restrict air-flow to it, start to produce CO in quantity.
You have done the right thing with the detector. Good luck with it in general!
CO comes only from incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons (including charcoal), and not from any other sources. It is also lighter than air, and so may build up well away from where it is generated.
As you are in a row-house - if you share a chimney with a neighbor, and their flue is partially or entirely blocked, that CO may penetrate into your flue/house from next door. It is also possible that you may even share a flue, although that is unlikely.
Other sources might include a charcoal-fired grille near an open window or intake fan that might draw CO into the house. A partially blocked flue - or one that is blocked intermittently by a nest, or a loose brick or something similar such that the CO builds up at odd times.
I suggest that you check all your flues - all of them - and make sure that they are clear, free of any obstructions and draw properly. I suggest that while you are at it, you check any flues on your common walls and any that may vent near any of your windows at any level. You should also (if at all possible), see if your neighbors might be operating a charcoal device such as even a small hibachi inside their house - or may be using some other device such as a still, retort or other equipment that uses a fairly large flame, but may be in an area with restricted air intake.
NOTE ALSO: if you have your water heater in a tight basement, closet or other area without free access to outside (fresh) air in quantity, it might operate perfectly normally with the fire department standing around (all the doors open), but when you close the doors and restrict air-flow to it, start to produce CO in quantity.
You have done the right thing with the detector. Good luck with it in general!
What does a fire alarm sound make compared to any other alarm in the house? Very confused?
Elizabeth
I live in New Jersey so as you know, Sandy hit and we just got our electricity back on at like 2 PM today ... it is now 6 23 PM and I was in the shower and a really loud scary noise. Not beeping...it sounded scary and loud was coming from I believe the fire alarm ???
Is that it just like...resetting itself from the electricity being out or should I be alarmed ?
It freaked me out so bad, I jumped out of the shower into the hallway and looked up and it seemed to be coming from the alarm...and then it stopped.
It wasn't the carbon monoxide right ? THAT beeps...
Any input pleasesss ???
EDIT; It kinda sounded like vibration up against something else REALLY LOUD
Answer
Well, smoke detectors beep intermittently. CO detectors are usually similar. Telephones, left off the hook, will emit a beep that does not stop. All of these sounds are REALLY difficult to locate.
Walk around the house, listening and smelling, check your land line phones, smell for smoke.
If you have a moisture detector somewhere that could be it.
If you can't find anything, go to the circuit breaker panel or fuse box and turn off the circuits one by one, checking for the sound to go away.
Once you find the circuit that controls whatever is making the noise, it will make it easier to find in the morning.
Well, smoke detectors beep intermittently. CO detectors are usually similar. Telephones, left off the hook, will emit a beep that does not stop. All of these sounds are REALLY difficult to locate.
Walk around the house, listening and smelling, check your land line phones, smell for smoke.
If you have a moisture detector somewhere that could be it.
If you can't find anything, go to the circuit breaker panel or fuse box and turn off the circuits one by one, checking for the sound to go away.
Once you find the circuit that controls whatever is making the noise, it will make it easier to find in the morning.
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