PSA for Christmas Day - CO Detectors

[dadsbee]

My Christmas Day public service announcement.

To all Grandparents, parents and single folks alike. If you don't have a Carbon Monoxide detector in your home get your *** out there tomorrow and buy one and if you do have one test it NOW. We were trying to contact our Daughter yesterday to find out what time they were coming over for Christmas Eve and what time to have supper ready and we couldn't get a response. Finally made contact with the son in law early into the afternoon we we able to find out they were at the hospital and had been since very early AM. THANKFULLY they had a CO detector and it went off, or the day wouldn't have been as happy as it was later in the day. Granddaughter spent 1/2 the day at the hospital on oxygen for CO poisoning, but it could have been a lot worse. Make sure your furnace vent pipes are clear, your furnace is running clean and for God's sake make sure your CO detector batteries are good! Theirs thankfully were! No way I want anyone missing something like this on Christmas Day!

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

Damn scary and glad everyone is ok !!!
Merry Christmas !

 

[Fran Blacker]

Wow that is scary! Thank GOD they're OK!

 

[mrhemi]

Glad everything turned out ok. I'll second the STRONG advice to getting CO detectors in place. Having been a victim of CO poisoning a few years back, in addition to one on every floor as per local building code, I have one in each bedroom, the boiler room and the garage. If you already have detectors, don't forget that they need to be replaced at 10 years due to the degradation of the cells.

 

[chargervert]

Glad to hear they are alright,a real Christmas miracle! Clear the snow from around the exhaust on those modern side vented furnaces! With all the snow drifts they can get buried easily.

 

[Cranky]

Glad things are ok! I have electric heat but need to test my smoke alarm since it's been awhile.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

Amen on them being OK. My son just bought an older home with gas furnace and water heater. I advised him, and helped him to install, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. The house had only one battery smoke detector in the upstairs. We hardwired in more detectors on both levels.

 

[The Rebel]

Wayne, I'm so sorry to hear this but also happy that everyone is ok. They're guardian angel was looking over them.

 

[QuickBpBp]

Glad things turned out ok Wayne. Hope everyone is feeling better now. One of the kids that my son goes to school with had a propane furnace malfunction Christmas Eve at 4 am. The blast blew the stone wall out into the highway. Thankfully they got out with their lives and their pets..Honestly someone had to be watching over them..

 

[GrabberOrange69]

Glad to hear this story had a good ending!

Im going to take that advice and check our detectors today!

Merry Christmas!

 

[DeltaV]

The life of a CO detector is around 5-7 years. So, check the dates on the label and replace as needed if you already have them.

 

[440+6]

Well that's freakin scary, thank god they will be allright.
I have several co/ smoke detector combos, including the garage, all hardwired together. As well as a standalone co not far from the gas fireplace.
A close friend passed away from co some 20 years ago......

 

[chargervert]

Weird Al lost his parents from this a few years ago if I remember correctly.

 

[33 IMP]

Weird Al lost his parents from this a few years ago if I remember correctly.

Correct. Built a fire in the fireplace with closed flue.

 

[kiwigtx]

I am pleased that everyone is safe now Wayne.

I remember about 28 years ago in a flat we had in London, the kitchen gas burner had a blocked flue. Flatmates and I, including my wife all started getting sleepy one evening while cooking....couldn't figure it out initially. I suggested we open all the windows....middle of winter. Then we realised it was a gas issue. Landlord sent a guy around the next day, and he said we were very lucky. We didn't understand how serious it was at the time, but learned a lesson really fast.

 

[Islandkent]

Yes. Thank God they are going to be Ok You just never know. Good thing they had one. Silent killer. Send them our best wishes Wayne.

 

[moparedtn]

Glory to God everyone is going to be ok, whew!
Only thing we have to be concerned about in this regard is the fireplace - a small one -
but I had it cleaned recently and it's a straight-up deal on the exhaust...
Those recent 50mph winds were scattering ashes everywhere, but once that all died down
I've had a little fire going quite a bit since.
With those revolving blackouts, it's sort of a thing I do just in case...

 

[1967coronet]

Thank the good lord they had a working detector.
We have one also, you just made me go push the test button.

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

Scary to say the least. Happy all is well.
This happened to my sister and her family 10 years ago yesterday.

 

[oldkimmer]

Very scary indeed. Glad everyone is ok. I pray there is no lasting ill effects. Kim