How to lower the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning?

carbon monoxide detectors high or low image

LOVER

I know it kills people silently. So how do we prevent carbon monoxide poisoning at home. Does leaving the heater on the whole night make it more susceptible to it? What are the risks?

Answer
CO is the product of incomplete combustion. If you have gas or oil heat, or some other combustion-based heat, this can certainly become an issue, especially if the ventilation is poor or blocked.

The easiest way to protect yourself is to maintain your heaters and water heaters frequently and keep them clean, for most efficient combustion. Keep them well-ventilated, and install a CO detector in your home. If it goes off, leave the house and call the Fire Department. They have gas meters, and can enter and determine the levels of CO in the home, and in some cases the areas of highest concentration.

is it necessary to have a carbon monoxide alarm?

:sigh:

I just bought a carbon monoxide alarm. I live in a single wide mobile home that was made in the 70s. The stove and furnace are both gas. The stove is fairly new but the furnace is older. I figured I should get a carbon monoxide alarm because of the natural gas. How many people actually use them? Was it even necessary? Or did I just spend 25 bucks for nothing?

Answer
The CDC recommends that all homes should install and maintain a carbon monoxide detector.

If a carbon containing substance (coal, oil, gas, wood) is properly burned, with high temperature and plenty of oxygen, mostly carbon dioxide forms. But if an appliance isn't burning properly, due to either insufficient temperature or insufficient air mixing, more carbon monoxide will form instead.

Although you're correct that older, poorly maintained appliances are a higher risk, even brand new appliances have sometimes been found by researchers to emit carbon monoxide. The detector will give you some peace of mind that your appliances are burning properly. Even if your appliances are burning properly, the detector will be handy in case someone accidentally leaves the oven on overnight, or a boneheaded house guest misuses the stove to heat the place, which could cause harmless trace levels of carbon monoxide to build up to a hazardous level.

Although it takes a relatively high dose of carbon monoxide to kill you, it's colorless, odorless, and a relatively low dose can incapacitate you and make you unable to get away from the danger. That's why we call it the "quiet killer". The detector will alert you well before you get too sick to escape. So relax, carbon monoxide poisoning is preventable, but remember to change the battery!

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carbon dioxide alarm question?

carbon monoxide detector does detect natural gas image

luvs 2 sho

can carbon dioxide alarms detect gas leaks? also another question if there is a leak how long does it take before it blows up like if a leak just happen could it blow up right there and then? what are the signs of a gas leak?

Answer
No. Natural gas or LP gas is not CO2. If you happen to mean " Carbon Monoxide" alarm, CO, same case. (CO is the typical alarm type in residential applications) CO is odorless and very toxic to us.

Natural gas & LP has an odor added to it ( for detection by our noses). It has to be in the range 2.15% to 9.60% LP mixed to air to be explosive. Anything less or anything more, and it is not . (One of the properties that makes it desirable as an engergy source for our use)

It is also 1.52 the weight of air, so gravity keeps it low.

It would need an ignition source of 154 F. Most likely explosion range mixtures would be very shortly after a leak started and would exceed the max % range fairly shortly after that - so a small "window" for potential explosion.

Main signs of leakage is the "Smell" of the commercial additive. Verifying the leak with soap/water mixture on the pipe lines to locate the leak with "bubbles" showing.
There are also "LP Gas Detector" alarms available.

Can a NON vented heater be converted into a vented heater? By making a duct to feed the fire air from out side?

Bobby

Can a NON vented heater be converted into a vented heater? By making a duct to feed the fire. With air from the out side, to the bottom of the heater. I was told the ONLY DIFRANCE between vented or (non) vented was having out side air to feed the fire.

Answer
No. A non-vented heater cannot be converted into a vented heater.
Gas heaters all work by burning gas (propane or natural) to produce heat. All of them produce some amount of Carbon Monoxide.
Vented heaters produce the heat in a sealed box with a vent or flue attached that sends the combustion gases to the outside world.
Non-vented do not. What you were told was close, but it's the exhaust, not the intake.
Non-vented, or "blue-flame" heaters produce very little carbon monoxide when working correctly. They also have sensors that turn the heater off if Co is detected.
But, when (not if) the heater malfunctions, dangerous levels of Co can build up in the living space, which can result in sickness and death.
If it isn't UL approved as a vented heater, it isn't one.
Best Of Luck
If you have a non-vented heater, get a Co detector, or two. Test them regularly.

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What is a high number on a carbon monoxide detector?

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LINK

I have a Nighthawk carbon monoxide detector and what is a number to know so that i know it's dangerous and should get out? I know it goes off when theres carbon monoxide in the air but i wanna know the number just incase. And I just tested it to and it said 214 is that bad?

Answer
The nice thing about Nighthawk is that they have a digital readout of the CO level so that you can monitor it even if the CO level isn't high enough to trigger the alarm. Under normal circumstances, the display should always read 0. Now, there are things that could cause the reading to temporarily rise, like cooking with a gas stove or oven. But, after you are done cooking, the level should drop. If your detector is reading anything but 0 all the time, you need to find the source and have the problem corrected. I would normally red flag anything over 9 or 10 ppm. Although that is no where near lethal levels, it still indicates a problem. Long term exposure to low levels of CO is not good for you.

At what level does carbon monoxide become dangerous?

The Mrs.

After cooking on our new gas stove last night for approximately 30-45 minutes, my husband said that the carbon monoxide detector in our bedroom read a level of 15ppm. This is the highest we have seen it, generally speaking it doesn't go over 10ppm. At what point (in ppm) should we be concerned?

Answer
Any level of carbon monoxide is dangerous, it inhibits hemoglobin, myoglobin, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (which are all VERY important!).

But typically, a concentration of as little as 0.04% (400 parts per million) carbon monoxide in the air can be fatal.

Below is a chart to help elaborate on the toxicity levels of CO and its symptoms:
* 35 ppm (0.0035%) Headache and dizziness within six to eight hours of constant exposure
* 100 ppm (0.01%) Slight headache in two to three hours
* 200 ppm (0.02%) Slight headache within two to three hours
* 400 ppm (0.04%) Frontal headache within one to two hours
* 800 ppm (0.08%) Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 minutes. Insensible within two hours.
* 1,600 ppm (0.16%) Headache, dizziness, and nausea within 20 minutes. Death in less than two hours.
* 3,200 ppm (0.32%) Headache, dizziness and nausea in five to ten minutes. Death within 30 minutes.
* 6,400 ppm (0.64%) Headache and dizziness in one to two minutes. Death in less than 20 minutes.
* 12,800 ppm (1.28%) Unconsciousness after 2-3 breaths. Death in less than three minutes.

In addition, a recent report concludes that carbon monoxide exposure can lead to significant loss of lifespan after exposure due to damage to the heart muscle.

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Why is my carbon monoxide detector chirping?

carbon monoxide detector 9v image

John

Started Monday night at around 4am. Not an 'alarm,' but just a chirp as though the batteries were low. I hit the reset button and it stopped immediately. Same thing happened Tuesday night. Hit reset, stopped doing it.

Yesterday it started chirping in the middle of the afternoon, so I installed a new 9v battery, thinking that it must be low. Apparently that wasn't the problem, though, because it started chirping again this morning.

Does anyone have any ideas?
*edit: I replaced the battery yesterday with a new one, assuming the battery was the problem and that it would fix it.

Answer
Hi John, Iâm Ken with The Home Depot and have had this question before. Since you have replaced the old battery with a new one and that is not problem, your unit is probably ready to be replaced.

Some manufactures say to replace your alarm every 5 to 7 years. This is to benefit from new technology.

So I would check the age of your alarm and if it is within this time frame I would consider getting a new one. Having a proper working carbon monoxide alarm is very important. Hope this helps.

http://community.homedepot.com/t5/Parts-Care-Repair/Carbon-Monoxide-Safety/m-p/9879/highlight/true#M66

Disconnecting a smoke/fire alarm?

KW

I live in an apartment complex, and the smoke alarm in the unit keeps chirping, it's the kind that can twist off, but it hangs from the wires. There's no batteries in site for me to remove, so i'm assuming it's hardwired? I've contacted the office here, and they said I would have to wait until Monday evening to get it looked at. I've been listening to it all weekend, i'm going nuts.. I won't be able to stand 1 more night and entire day. Please help!

Answer
Very few smoke dectors are not abttery back up operated.

They are necessary for power outages, or if your electricity gets disconnected from a tripped circuit breaker, your elcetrical power lines get cut, etc...

I would go to the manufacturer's web site to see how to replacxe the battery if possible.

Most smoke detectors are hardwired for 2 reasons : For A/C power, and if one goes off it triggers the rest of the detectors to go off.

The hard wiring usually is to a plug that fits in the smoke detector outlet.

All smoke and carbon monoxide detectors I have owned or hooked up use 9v batteries.

It is hard to find fresh ones. Even brand new ones that ibought where to weka, that the smoke detector beeped almost immediately.

I got a Ten Year guarenteed smoke detector battery. It cost about $8, and got it at Menards. It is little ask for the peace of the smoke dectector's constant beeping, and possibly saving you from a deadly fire.

That way they do not need being replaced every year like or twice a year like the fire departments like to say when you change the clock in the spring and the fall for day light savings time.

Plus if they do not last 10 years there replaced for free!

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What is a high number on a carbon monoxide detector?

carbon monoxide detector says 0 image

LINK

I have a Nighthawk carbon monoxide detector and what is a number to know so that i know it's dangerous and should get out? I know it goes off when theres carbon monoxide in the air but i wanna know the number just incase. And I just tested it to and it said 214 is that bad?

Answer
The nice thing about Nighthawk is that they have a digital readout of the CO level so that you can monitor it even if the CO level isn't high enough to trigger the alarm. Under normal circumstances, the display should always read 0. Now, there are things that could cause the reading to temporarily rise, like cooking with a gas stove or oven. But, after you are done cooking, the level should drop. If your detector is reading anything but 0 all the time, you need to find the source and have the problem corrected. I would normally red flag anything over 9 or 10 ppm. Although that is no where near lethal levels, it still indicates a problem. Long term exposure to low levels of CO is not good for you.

At what level does carbon monoxide become dangerous?

The Mrs.

After cooking on our new gas stove last night for approximately 30-45 minutes, my husband said that the carbon monoxide detector in our bedroom read a level of 15ppm. This is the highest we have seen it, generally speaking it doesn't go over 10ppm. At what point (in ppm) should we be concerned?

Answer
Any level of carbon monoxide is dangerous, it inhibits hemoglobin, myoglobin, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (which are all VERY important!).

But typically, a concentration of as little as 0.04% (400 parts per million) carbon monoxide in the air can be fatal.

Below is a chart to help elaborate on the toxicity levels of CO and its symptoms:
* 35 ppm (0.0035%) Headache and dizziness within six to eight hours of constant exposure
* 100 ppm (0.01%) Slight headache in two to three hours
* 200 ppm (0.02%) Slight headache within two to three hours
* 400 ppm (0.04%) Frontal headache within one to two hours
* 800 ppm (0.08%) Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 minutes. Insensible within two hours.
* 1,600 ppm (0.16%) Headache, dizziness, and nausea within 20 minutes. Death in less than two hours.
* 3,200 ppm (0.32%) Headache, dizziness and nausea in five to ten minutes. Death within 30 minutes.
* 6,400 ppm (0.64%) Headache and dizziness in one to two minutes. Death in less than 20 minutes.
* 12,800 ppm (1.28%) Unconsciousness after 2-3 breaths. Death in less than three minutes.

In addition, a recent report concludes that carbon monoxide exposure can lead to significant loss of lifespan after exposure due to damage to the heart muscle.

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I cracked a lightbulb, does it contain carbon monoxide?

carbon monoxide detectors beeping image

Q. I accidentally threw something at a lightbulb that was turned on and it shattered, causing the bulb to go out. I was just wondering, does it containt carbon monoxide or any poisonous gas? Because I am scared right now. I have a carbon monoxide detector and it isn't beeping... but I am still worried. somebody let me know!

Answer
No there is nothing inside a regular incandescent light bulb it a vacuum inside.

Should I stay in my house with this carbon monoxide level?

ccokae

Firemen came to my house because the carbon monoxide detector was beeping and they said there was a leve of 5. Is this alright to sleep in if I have all windows in my room open? The firemen didn't say I should leave but I need a final opinion of what to do

Answer
If the firemen didn't say you should leave then it's probably not high enough for concern. After all, they've been trained in that field of expertise.

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Is it really possible for me to have a 'faulty' carbon monoxide alarm over and over again?

carbon monoxide detectors how long do they last image

alpster111

Here's the deal, my management company ( I live in an apartment in downtown Boston), installed a carbon monoxide alarm this past fall and since then it's randomly gone off 5 times - a month apart, each time. They claim that it's impossible for carbon monoxide to be there since the whole system isn't going off...but I mean, 5 times in 6months??? Each time I've called them and had to have someone come shut it off, take it down, and promise me they'll install a new one...and then the same thing happens. Anyone know how I can test to see if there really is carbon monoxide in my apartment? Anyone I can call? eg. fire dept This is just getting ridiculous....

Answer
They're blowing you off, so it's apparent that you need to get proactive.

Purchase a CO detector with an LED readout. Place it in the area of your existing detector (Get the type that plugs into a wall outlet) and see what happens.

CO detectors do have limited lifetimes because the sensors last only so long - you'll probably find this info on the box or, more likely, in the instructions within the box.

It is also important to realize that pollution, contaminants, paint vapors, and solvent vapors can destroy the effectiveness of a CO detector. It is wise to remove it when painting, stripping paint, spraying for insects, etc.

Good luck to you.

Should i be worried about carbon monoxide in my house?

What's up

for the last couple of days, my heater fan blower thing outside has been making loud sceeching noises.

this morining, the fan doesnt work at all. cool air was coming out of the vents.

is it possible for carbon monoxide to come into your house because of this.

do we got to keep the indows open all day long if there is any in the house?

Answer
No heat = no combustion = no carbon monoxide.

Close your windows, stay warm, and get it fixed.

And a detector is a good investment.

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How can the Carbon Monoxide detector be checked?

carbon monoxide detectors in cars image

eladyah

I am interested in a valid procedure for testing the Carbon Monoxide detector element in a typical 120v plug-in CO Alarm device. My question is with respect to the CO detector itself not the push button test feature most units have. This only checks the electrical operation of the device not it's ability to detect the gas

Answer
if it is a plug-in unit get an extension cord and hold it up to your car muffler with your car running.

Is it dangerous to sleep in the garage with a car?

Raymond

So the garage has basically turned in to a room. I was wondering if it was dangerous to sleep in the garage with the car. Some steps that will be taken are once the car is parked and off the garage door will be left open for a while to air it out and I will probably buy a carbon monoxide detector just in case.

Answer
No, it's not dangerous. Unless the car is running, then carbon monoxide can build up. You're biggest concern should be spiders... They seem to love the garage.

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Carbon monoxide alarm going off?

carbon monoxide detector 3 beeps image

Marissa

Every fire alarm has a carbon monoxide detector in our house, we also have 2 wall ones...the one in our basement (Fire alarm) is beeping 3-4 beebs every like 5 seconds, we put the 2 wall plug in ones down there and it doesn't detect anything..none of the other fire alarms down their are going off and neither are any others in the house..

What should we do? (My moms at work, i'm 16 and have no idea...I called my mom and she told me to try replacing the battery so i'm about to go buy one but still...any ideas?
If you look at it its the red light going off with CO and "move to fresh air" written next to it. My neighbor who is pretty good at this stuff is on his way over to help us out. Thanks!

Answer
I answered your question about the braces. Im 16 too! :D

And well, yeah wait till your neighbor comes over to help. I dont think there is any Carbon Monoxide in your house. It sounds like either the batteries are dead or it is a product malfunction. Sit tight and wait until your neighbor comes. He should be able to help out! If it keeps happening, replace the alarm completely. If it still goes off, there must be some carbon monoxide setting it off! But I doubt there is anything to worry about!

Carbon monoxide alarm going off?

Tic-Tac

During the day I always keep two windows open and usually the front door (I have house cats, they like to look/smell/head the outside). I'm a housewife, so I'm home pretty much 24/7 too.

Earlier this morning I was washing dishes when I kept hearing a beeping. The beeps were varied between 15 secs to 1min and sometimes came as just one or a group of about 3 beeps.
I looked for the source and found the (plug-in) kiddie carbon monoxide detector was the source of the noise. Since its a plug in, I know its not a battery issue, a small light saying to move to fresh air would flash on for maybe a second, then turn right back off.

Its never done this before and I'm a little bothered by it. Could it just have been a fluke? Maybe the alarm is old or something? (The alarm has been here since before we moved in)

It just seems weird that it would only flash on for a second. And the moment I moved the bookshelf (that's about 2ft from it) it just stopped altogether.
I was hand washing the dishes too...no appliances were on. We do have a gas oven/stove, but it hasn't been turned on since I made dinner last night.

Answer
If your detector has a battery, the battery may need to be changed. Our electric smoke detectors have backup batteries that need to be changed about every 18 months. It's also possible that the detector is old. You could also stop by your local fire station and ask the firefighters if they have any ideas. When we had a smoke detector that wouldn't stop beeping in the middle of the night (never during the day!), I asked our local firefighters and learned that smoke detectors only last for about 10 years. I don't know about carbon monoxide detectors.

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Water heater danger?

carbon monoxide detectors positioning image

Jennifer

My family recently turned our garage into a room fo our uncle to move in. Because of the position of the water heater, there was no way to avoid the heater not being in the room. My uncle has lived in there for the past year or so with no problems at all, but now he's moving out, and I'm being pushed out there to allow my younger brothers to have their own rooms. I am INCREDIBLY paranoid about something happening to the water heater... A fire, gas leak, or carbon monoxide leak, all which can kill me in my sleep. We already have a smoke detector in there, but I plan on getting a CO detector and a natural gas detector just to be safe. There is a window in there, which I plan on keeping cracked open at all times to allow fresh air into the room. Am I being overly paranoid? What are the chances of a water heater catching fire or leaking carbon monoxide or natural gas?

Answer
I would say just a bit paranoid.

The CO detector is an excellent idea. Should not be a problem if the heater is properly maintained, but the detector is a small expense compared to the possible danger.

Gas leaks are always possible, but not likely. There are safety features built into the heater in case of a failure in the ignition system. Gas pipes usually don't develop new leaks, so not much to worry about there.

Get the CO detector, gas detector if you must. Chill out and enjoy life.

What the hec happened to my boyfriend and I last night??

K A

This morning when my boyfriend and I woke up (in bed together) we both realized that neither one of us could remember the point in which we would've gone to sleep?! This may sound like a very simple scenario in which one would think that we simply just knocked out...but there are several weird factors:
1. Both of us felt confused when we woke up - we equally wondered how/when we fell asleep
2. Both of us could recall our last memory at the exact same point, no further - which was me asking him if he could shut off the light - neither of us remembers the point in which the light actually turned off - our memory just stops at the point where he is reaching for the lamp.
3. My boyfriend and I have certain 'routines' when we go to sleep - we do not recall any of those routines being done (i.e. we have certain sleeping positions that we ALWAYS get into, we always announce that we are going to sleep by saying "goodnight", etc)
4. Neither of us were intoxicated, overtired, we didn't have nookie - nothing!
5. This was the second night in a row that my bf experienced this memory loss at bed time (we were not in bed together the night before)
6. This has never happened to us before - we have always kind of had an idea as to when/how we go to sleep.
7. My bf was extremely fatigued the entire day (today), which is unlike him - plus he (apparently) slept the entire mysterious night - btw, I wasn't tired.
8. I had a weird dream about us last night that took place in our room that we were in - kinda sexual - in the "dream" all I remember was that he got up to go to the washroom...I think we had been making out in the dream just before he went into the washroom because I remember I wanted him to "do me" so I was getting frustrated - and I told him to hurry up and come back, and he looked at me and said hold on and closed the washroom door...that's all I remember though...but the strange thing is that the dream took place in present time and in the present location.

We're both stumped, confused and of course we start jumping to hypothetical scenarios (like alien abduction kind of stuff - as nuts as it may sound)

I know this is a long shot, but can anyone help us figure out how to solve this one??
P.S. Although the Carbon Monoxide idea is a very wise one (thank you) it is working fine.

Answer
well, aside from alien abduction, could their be any weird fumes in your room? i'd go out ASAP and get a carbon monoxide detector, and maybe an air purifier. i'm not a doctor or an environmental expert, but passing out like that can't be normal.

if you're renting, i'd go to the person/company you rent from asap and ask them to have the air quality tested. if you're passing out like that, you could easily not wake up if there were an emergency.

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Carbon Monoxide detector. Fire department?

carbon monoxide detectors readings image

J

My carbon monoxide detector just started going off and I'm wondering if I should have the fire department come take a look at it? Will they charge for coming and taking readings to see where the CO is coming from?

Answer
Our fire department tests them and our smoke detectors for free. But, I was surprised to discover that there was no CO2 coming from my house, the detectors have a life and mine were extinct. I had to replace them. (Nice guys that they were, they gave me one for free until I could replace the others.)

Is Carbon Monoxide going to kill me?

Kelsey M

Like 45 minutes ago a Carbon Monoxide Detector in our basement started going off, but our other ones didn't. Not even the one right nest to it.
We just had some police person come over to check it out and they got no readings.
He also said that our detector was old.
Am I in danger?

Answer
Since the police came and found no readings and discovered that your detector was old and obviously faulty, I would say that you are not in any danger due to CO being present at this time. The detector could be going off to tell you to replace it. I know that mine starts to chirp when the batteries need replacing.

You would be endangering yourself if you don't replace that detector with one that actually works, because if there were a CO leak, it may NOT detect it, and then it would be too late.

You should have one working detector on each floor of your home. Don't rely on the other floors to alarm you in time. As you may already know. CO is a silent and deadly killer with no warning of it's own.

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What is this loud beep in the house?Fire Alarm?

carbon monoxide detector reading 8 image

OWL

Every about five minutes a loud quick beep hurt my ears,I think I once heard that it might be the fire alarms low on battery can it be this? I heard it in many other houses too.like my Grampa's House and friend's houses.What can this be?It's driving me NUTS!

Answer
READ EVERY WORD FIRST, ALL OF THEM, PLEASE!!!!
Well that's an easy one, I am assuming you are young since you reference Grandpa. Note the beep has to be from something electronic Possible sources: Burglar Alarm company backup battery to the main system is weak, the remotely located wireless window/door sensors have batteries that when dead make the Alarm console beep.

A smoke detector is likely. I have some that mount directly to the wall and some to a bracket that is mounted and you turn the "front" of the detector CCW or CW to remove from the bracket. You need to know if the smoke/fire alarm is a battery unit (CLUE: IF YOU CAN TAKE IT OFF WHERE ITS MOUNTED AND IF IT HAS NO WIRE INTO THE WALL/CEILING ITS BATTERY, NOW TURN IT OVER TO THE "WALL SIDE", MAYBE THERE IS A VISIBLE 9V BATTERY COMPARMENT SPOT RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU), if not it might be a open the cover unit, so, open the cover by looking, AND THEN LOOKING AGAIN, you might have to pry a "tab" or unscrew a screw before opening, when you see the 9v battery you will be half done, (if YOU DON'T ABSOLUTELY KNOW WHAT A 9V BATTERY LOOKS LIKE STOP SEE TEST BUTTON BELOW). PLEASE don't mess with the "120" volt smoke detector, call the company if it's the "beeper" [all non battery smoke detectors may not be "120" volt but they may be 12-24 volt AC or DC so they still might be dangerous] (I say that more for those who might nitpick me).

If it really beeps every five minutes it wont hurt to pull the 9volt battery and wait 7 minutes. TEST SECTION: If you can't wait, be brave, re-read above and extract the battery, put the 9v battery to your tongue, if it mildly tingles it's a dead battery, if it smarts put it back in and wait the "5" minutes. NOTE YOU CAN'T DIE FROM THIS EXCEPT MAYBE IF YOU HAVE A PACEMAKER OR BUILT-IN HEART DEFIBRILLATOR SO THOSE FOLKS DON'T "TONGUE" IT.

Or best of all, get a volt meter from an electronics pal. 9 volts minus 1.8=7.2 volts = battery no good (if the battery is low by 20% its dead, this even applies with 6 volt, 1.5volt etc.( -20% is my guide for alkaline batteries),

Also if you are afraid just press the TEST BUTTON, on the smoke detector, if it has one, buy a new one if it doesn't have a test button, its too old or the owner was too frugal. [IF IT WONT SOUND OFF UNDER TEST ITS DEAD, IF IT DOES SOUND THEN YOU CAN NOW KNOW IF ITS "YOUR BEEP"] Now identify if its a 9v battery by taking it gently off its mount or bracket mount also see above again. See the test section if you feel braver.

If you succeed in removal AND REPLACE THE 9V note that I put all my detectors on a wall AS CLOSE to the ceiling on a 3-4 inch bread twist tie or better "wire" to a screw or thumb tack [ yes it looks fine if you do it right] for easy removal of batteries and no loss of sensitivity. Generally smoke rises driven by the heat, so the closer to the ceiling the better.
(this wire mount idea is at your discretion, I'm sure some fire guy is gonna disagree but in my experience of an actual house fire in 1987 with the detectors mounted as such, they saved my sleeping wife and cat!)

Check for a carbon monoxide detector and again make sure its not "120" volt, press the test button. A UPS on your computer with a near dead battery makes beeps. A medical device for "Gramps" may be at fault. a cell phone or cordless home phone beeps when near dead. A microwave or new fridge with the door open can beep. An AC alarm clock can beep when its 9volt battery gets weak.. Get the common thread?

If after all that you can't isolate it, invite some other young folks over for sodas, [statistically better at hearing high pitched beeps] put the battery back in the smoke detector and have the young'uns stand at different parts around the seeming sound area to pinpoint the beep. Keep in mind that some beeps are so foxy that they are like a ventriloquist and "throw their voices" so move around like musical chairs till every one agrees. Need I say more?? Good Luck! WHEW

is my pregnant wife ok after our carbon manoxide detector went off, and we found a gas leak in our fireplace?

john jay

my wife is 8 weeks pregnant, and this morning our carbon manoxide detector went off with a reading of 57, which from what i read is low. i immediately opened all the doors and the level went to normal again. i realized i turned the fireplace pilot on last week as well, and i shut that off. we called the gas company who sent the fire dept and they said their indeed is a leak in the fireplace and not to turn it off. They did not mention where the carbon manoxide came from, and why the low level was detected only now after a week of turning the fireplace on.

would low levels of natural gas and the fact we detected slight carbon manoxide be harmful to my wife? shes on the way to the ER as a precaution now, but im just curious...and worried!

Answer
Those levels are extremely low, and inconsequential to your health. If the two of you aren't feeling symptoms of the exposure to carbon monoxide (headaches, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, blurry vision, etc.) then the baby wasn't exposed either. I don't think a trip to the ER was really necessary. . . a call to her doctor probably would suffice.

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How can I get out of my apartment lease? If I go to court, do I have a strong case?

carbon monoxide detectors new york state image

Lyss

Beginning:
I picked the apartment in the middle of june, the landlord said it would be ready on August 1st. We moved in Aug. 3rd, with a lot of work needing to still be done. He said it would only be two more weeks, and that it is live-able because we have a working bathroom, although it was not completed.

Middle: Over the course of 3 months (We've been living there), he has been in and out of our apartment a number of times.. he would come to work on things for a few days, and disappear for a week or two, and come back when he's ready. Also, we asked that he comes in the day time so he's not to disturb us after work, he comes usually while we are there, after 8pm, and doesnt leave till we are trying to go to sleep.

He is always asking for me, and refuses to discuss problems with my roommate, she has a temper, but he started before she lost it. He only comes to work on the apartment if I'm there... which ive been trying to stay somewhere else, because he's there.... and he will even come late if there was work to be done, in my room.

He does everything himself to avoid paying more. He finds cheap (time consuming) ways to work on the apartment. He will hire people to work for the day. And sometimes creates more work for himself to do later (most of the time through using the wrong paint, causing bubbles, or when he installed my ceiling fan, he drilled holes to look for the beam, instead of using a beamfinder...things like that). Another reason I want to move, is that I live in a crappy, "Crackhead-filled" neighborhood. It isnt safe. I dont like to leave after I get home from work.

Now:

I should mention that my roommate and I are two 20 year old females, and he does have wondering eyes.. So I see that he would want to pro-long his work. It is getting ridiculous, we waited a month and two weeks to move in, and then, it's been 3 months now we've lived there, and we still need smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector. He needs to put door moulding on my closet and a new front door and windows which he has already purchased. There are other things he's promised, and not provided, A micro-wave to go with our stove, bathroom cabinet knobs, the doors dont open without them.. New ceiling fans and light fixures, in my roommates room, and living room and kitchen. New Toilet... His excuse is (HE HAS MANY) He relies on the other tenents rent to pay for things for the apartment, (and at one point for oil, for our heat), and when they dont, we get screwed. That sould NEVER be an issue.

It is starting to get cold now, (I live in Brooklyn NY, by the beach, coney island), and it isnt even winter. Our heat has been a problem the whole time. He turns it on for only a half hour or so, and then it shuts off. My roommate has Lupus, and she gets cold and sick easily, she can do what she can to keep warm but sometimes it isnt enough. He came one day, because we told him to patch up tiny cracks and holes in our walls that the wind from outside has come in. It is a 120 year old building. He always says that he isnt, "One of those landlords who dont care". And tells us that if we are still cold, we can turn on our stove (which is dangerous, for us, and we have two small active dogs, and did I mention, WE PAY THE GAS.)


Another issue, We have Mold in our bathroom, (Which he worked on when we were moving in, so he should know that it was there, and chose to stay quiet, and collect)

I know that he would want to go to court, please be aware of what he might say,
* My roommate was late with her half of rent twice but only by a week
* My roommate's boyfriend has been staying there, the whole time. (Mostly because he doesnt feel comfortable leaving us with him always in the house.) And he has threatened to raise the rent, because of the boyfriends presence.
* He spent time building me a bigger closet, but still had plenty of time to work on other things in the apartment after, and before we became upset.
* He may say that we told him, "no it's okay, take your time, we want it done right"... But we didnt mean 4 months, for something that should only take 2 weeks. And a few times we turned him away, because it was too late and we had work in the morning.. Or we just got tired of seeing him in our apt.

So this is the most I can think of... What do you think? We only want to break the lease and get the F#%K out!!


If it helps, I live in New York City... those laws would apply.

Answer
By law, building owners must provide all tenants with the following levels of heat (During the heating season, October 1 through May 31):

Between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., heat must register at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit when the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees;
Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., heat must register at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit when the outside temperature falls below 40 degrees.
Tenants in New York City with heat and/or hot water complaints via the City's Citizen Service Center by dialing 311 and ask for the NYC Central Complaint Bureau's Hot Line.

In addition, rent stabilized and rent controlled tenants can file a complaint with the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (718-739-6400) if the landlord is violating the above rules. For more details, see the relevant fact sheet on our web site.

If you find that the landlord IS in fact meeting the heating standards but it still feels cold to you, you might talk with the landlord about repairing windows or other openings that are allowing drafts to enter the apartment. Sometimes some caulking, tape or insulation around windows will provide tremendous heat saving benefits.


New York City Housing Maintenance Code requires landlords to provide and install smoke detecting devices in each apartment unit. Renters are responsible for maintenance and repair of the smoke detector(s) (i.e.; installing batteries, etc..). If the smoke detector is battery operated, the owner may charge the tenant up to $10 per smoke detector. For more information, see the Attorney General's guide on smoke detectors.

Landlords are also required to provide and install at least one approved carbon monoxide alarm within each dwelling unit. The landlord may charge the tenant $25 per carbon monoxide alarm. More details can be found on the NYC HPD website.

For more, visit this website: http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/faq/quality.html#dreading

Also, now make sure your landlord knows that you KNOW the laws. Tell him if he doesn't comply with the laws, you will report him. So, if he wishes not to comply and he wants to avoid the hassle you are going to cause him, tell him he can let you guys out of your lease without penalty (and be specific here, with 30 days notice to find a new place, full refund of your deposit, etc. and GET the agreement in writing). So, basically, learn the laws, threaten him, give him choice to be compliant or to terminate the lease for you.

HELP I dont know where to find out if this is true or not?

EVANS HERE

I was told today that all apartments should have carbon dioxide detectors. that the person believed it was in the housing law (just like every apartment must have fire alarms and an extinguisher ) Now I live in New York State. In the city of Syracuse. I need to know if its true before I call and demand that they instale one. We bought one to put in the nursery for the baby (when he comes LOL I have to get everything done now so I know its done) Thanks for the help.
hahah rolfl I did not catch that I typed dioxide instead of monoxide. LOL thanks for pointing it out!!!

Answer
Not true! If you have electric heat, range, etc. there is no carbon monoxide unless you light your furniture on fire!

New York
N.Y. Exec. Law § 378 â Standards for New York state uniform fire prevention and building code.
Requires New York Fire Prevention and Building Code to adopt standards for installation of carbon monoxide detectors requiring that every one or two-family dwelling constructed or offered for sale after July thirtieth, two thousand two, any dwelling accommodation located in a building owned as a condominium or cooperative in the state constructed or offered for sale after July thirtieth, two thousand two, or any multiple dwellings constructed or offered for sale after August ninth, two thousand five shall have installed an operable carbon monoxide detector of such manufacture, design and installation standards as are established by the council. Carbon monoxide detectors required by this section are required only where the dwelling unit has appliances, devices or systems that may emit carbon monoxide or has an attached garage.

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