Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in DFW

A man is in the Hospital here in DFW from carbon monoxide poisoning.  He got it from the heater in his travel trailer.  His son found him in the morning.

Please all, check your CO detector, make sure it's working.  This is very important, they said he did not have a working CO detector in his camper.  He was lucky/blessed that his son came out and found him when he did, or he wouldn't have made it.  Just a friendly reminder.

How does one check their CO2 detector to see if it is functioning correctly?  Mine has a light that shows power going to it but not sure how to test it?

First level test is the test button.  The second level is to hold it in an exhaust flow but in most cases the cause of failure is either

2: Old age (five years replace it) or  1: Dead batteries, Replace when you jump forward or fall back every year  (Start/end Dumb Stupid Time).

When I post warnings abut the dangers of non-vented fuel burning heaters people keep telling me "Never happens"  Guess what. It just did.

This is why I use portable ones that I get from Sams Club, but I've seen them at Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart.  I think the brand I have is Kidde.  It's a little round disk that I set on the table next to the bed, near my head.  I check it often by doing as JFD said, put it in the exhaust flow and hear it blow!  I can't do that with the one in the cabin. 

This is ones life we're talking about.  And my MH detector is near my refrigerator, I sleep in the back bedroom.  I want the detector near me.  There are two doors between me and the MH detector, if it went off, would I hear it?  I don't want to take a chance.  Not when I can have peace of mind for under $30!

Here's a link to many under $30 from Amazon.

That's a long link, I don't know if it will work.  So here's a link for Wal-mart, there's probably a store near you.  Some under $20: http://www.walmart.com/cp/Carbon-Monoxide-Alarms/1083644

Edit: Shortened link.

As John said, many don't know you should replace them at five years. Since they are not that costly, thats what we do. Make it a x-mas present to yourself.

We have three CM detectors in "The little house", the built in that came with the Winnie and two portable ones that I can remove replace the battery and check by moving it close to the exhaust.

As a volunteer EMS I have seen the results of not having good detectors for FIRE and Carbon Monoxide..

Although it it is too late in life for me, there is an app on the phone to warn of impending "time of the month" for your partner. There Ya Go  3 great life improving and life saving detectors...

99WinAdventurer37G said:

This is why I use portable ones that I get from Sams Club, but I've seen them at Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart.  I think the brand I have is Kidde.  It's a little round disk that I set on the table next to the bed, near my head.  I check it often by doing as JFD said, put it in the exhaust flow and hear it blow!  I can't do that with the one in the cabin.

Click to expand...

My motor home came with an Attwood CO detector, wall mounted,  I can do exactly as you do with it (Take it down and expose it to concentrated exhaust)

Oh, by the way, though the label said Attwood, it was a re-painted Kiddie, and the replacement which fits perfectly on the same wall mount, is also a kiddie. The only difference was a label on the battery cover that explains the alarm modes.

And the battery cover... Fit perfectly too. (So it got moved ot the new one).

Yep, I'm pretty paranoid about this too.  I have two detectors up near our bedroom.  The first is the one built into the camper that runs off the house battery, and the second is a unit I purchased at Home Depot that runs off of AA batteries.  I figure, if one fails, the other will be there to do the job.

Greg.. You are NOT paranoid.  You are being smart..  You see, CO is out to get you if you give it a chance.. By doing what you are doing, you deny it that chance.

99WinAdventurer37G said:

A man is in the Hospital here in DFW from carbon monoxide poisoning.  He got it from the heater in his travel trailer.  His son found him in the morning.

Please all, check your CO detector, make sure it's working.  This is very important, they said he did not have a working CO detector in his camper.  He was lucky/blessed that his son came out and found him when he did, or he wouldn't have made it.  Just a friendly reminder.

Click to expand...

The detectors are fine as far as they go.

Better advice would be to keep catalytic heaters, and other unvented heaters, out of the RV, and inspect the furnace annually.

Jammer said:

The detectors are fine as far as they go.

Better advice would be to keep catalytic heaters, and other unvented heaters, out of the RV, and inspect the furnace annually.

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From what I understand, he got the carbon monoxide poisoning from the built in heater in his RV!  No portable heaters in the unit.  It could actually happen from your refrigerator if it's not vented properly.

This did NOT happen.. but it could have.. (Well what I'm about to tell you did happen)

At my Sticks & Bricks I decided to "Upgrade" the HEVAC, new more efficient furnace, centeral air...

We had CO detectors and no alarms, I also have no symptoms of CO poisioning to report but it turns out that there were several good size holes in the heat exchanger onb the old Furnace, only rust scales were sealing them.. I do not think it would have lasted another season without an issue.

Of course since it was lying in the driveway on it's way to a scrap yard when I found those holes.. No damage.

But that said.. This is a vented furnace.. And it almost happened with that.

With a NON-VENTED furnace. there is a 100% guarantee of CO being released into the room,  100% if the non-vented heater is operating.  100%.

Of course if you have ENOUGH fresh air venting, you are ok,,, But do you have enough?  You don't know till the answer is NO, and then... too late.

Had an interesting thing happen with the ones in my house....one CO detector chirped what I thought was the "battery low" chirp.  Replaced batteries, but it gave a failure code chirp.  The following day, my other CO detector did the same.  New batteries, same result.  I looked at the build date on them, and they were both exactly 7 years old.  I'm thinking the manufacturer put some kind of "self destruct" mechanism in them when they have reached the age where they should be replaced.

At any rate, a trip to Lowes, and two brand new CO detectors later, all is well.

Frizlefrak said:

Had an interesting thing happen with the ones in my house....one CO detector chirped what I thought was the "battery low" chirp.  Replaced batteries, but it gave a failure code chirp.  The following day, my other CO detector did the same.  New batteries, same result.  I looked at the build date on them, and they were both exactly 7 years old.  I'm thinking the manufacturer put some kind of "self destruct" mechanism in them when they have reached the age where they should be replaced.

At any rate, a trip to Lowes, and two brand new CO detectors later, all is well.

Click to expand...

On my new unit, the instructions states 7 years after it is powered up  it will beep every 30 sec. and it will not detect CO. in this condition.

Frizlefrak said:

Had an interesting thing happen with the ones in my house....one CO detector chirped what I thought was the "battery low" chirp.  Replaced batteries, but it gave a failure code chirp.  The following day, my other CO detector did the same.  New batteries, same result.  I looked at the build date on them, and they were both exactly 7 years old.  I'm thinking the manufacturer put some kind of "self destruct" mechanism in them when they have reached the age where they should be replaced.

Click to expand...

Yes they do.  It conveniently limits any product liability claims to the 7 year period.

It may have something to do with the detector losing sensitivity at that point, but I'm skeptical.

Here is another idea.  We were with RV Forum friends and the subject of Blood Oxygen level came up and a couple of folks bought a "Pulse Oximeter." So, being a copy cat we bought one too.

It fits on your index finger and shows the oxygen percentage in your blood.  As I am writing this mine is varying between 97 and 98%.  The case says Clinical Guard.com and that's were I purchased it.

Now, on to my point.  If you had one of these and wondered if the CO level was high enough in your coach to affect you, you could immediately test the oxygen level in your blood especially if you heard your CO Detector chirp!

First of all I  believe in CO Detectors but "maybe" a "Pulse Oximeter" might be a nice thing to own.  Just a friendly idea.

JerryF