# Carbon monoxide (false) alarm!



## James of Maine (Sep 8, 2005)

We had a bit of excitement in my house earlier this evening. It was a little embarrassing, especially from an SA standpoint. But I handled it OK, and it was something I had to do-- no choice, because it was a family safety issue. The carbon monoxide detector in our hallway started going off, continuously for several minutes. My wife and son and I were all home, and nobody seemed to be feeling any ill effects. But we took no chances and evacuated to my mom's house down the drive and I called the fire department from there.

Well, they showed up in about 5 minutes. An engine... a ladder truck... a squad unit... a rescue unit... several firefighters in pickup trucks too. It was kind of embarrassing to have that huge response just for a a CO investigation but, I guess it's a sleepy town we live in. They went in, took readings in the 1st floor and basement, and found it to be zero, nothing, negative, nada. They said our CO detectors were old, and the one in the hall probably had a false reading, and they both should be replaced. They said it was safe to go back in, and packed up and left.

A lot of excitement for a lot of nothing, but definitely better safe than sorry!


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## Your Lover Scrub Ducky (Jul 26, 2004)

Whoa doggie. glad ur okie. yes, better safe than dead n stuff.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

JamesOfMaine,

I don't think there is anything to worry about, especially when CO is a gas most people don't even know is there; most of the time, it's too late. The fire department would just consider it a call like a burglar alarm malfunction or something like that. It probably forced them to put down their doughnuts :eek.


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## nesteroff (Nov 14, 2003)

The exact same thing has happened to me. I was there alone house-sitting my mom's place, and the fire truck came and there were all these firefighters wandering around... 

:hide 

They said my detector was 'cheap.' Apparently if you don't pay a little extra to get a good one, they often malfunction. 

I'm glad you're ok James, and that it wasn't a real leak.


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## GraceLikeRain (Nov 9, 2003)

jamesofmaine said:


> but definitely better safe than sorry!


 :agree


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## Veggie1 (Jan 12, 2006)

WalkbyFaith said:


> jamesofmaine said:
> 
> 
> > but definitely better safe than sorry!
> ...


 :dito


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## copper (Nov 10, 2003)

When I lived out at my dads house the monoxide alarm was constanly going off one day. It was a hot summer day and I wasn't running the furnace. I had all the windows open. I figured it was all the weekend traffic on the highway. That's scary. Those cars were creating enough carbon monoxide to set the thing off. I ended up pulling the battery out of it.


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## David1976 (Nov 8, 2003)

that's what you gotta do... I have heard too many bad things on the news about CO.... and remember that most of the detectors out there need to be replaced after 5-7 years...


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## James of Maine (Sep 8, 2005)

David1976 said:


> that's what you gotta do... I have heard too many bad things on the news about CO.... and remember that most of the detectors out there need to be replaced after 5-7 years...


That's about how old they are. We bought them when we bought our first house in January 2001. We're going to buy new ones this weekend.


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## aerosmithrox (Nov 12, 2005)

Better safe than sorry James. And in my little sleepy town all the volunteers show up for every fire call. My neighbor had a fire in her trashcan a couple years ago and had about 20 people show up for it.


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## Lonelyguy (Nov 8, 2003)

We heat the shop where I work with waste engine oil. Its a very efficient and cheap heating source since its free for us. One day I was working and I started getting a splitting headache for no apparent reason and I also felt very fatigued. After a short time I discovered the exhaust on the furnace was plugged and had allowed high levels of CO to build up. We didn't have a detector because nobody ever sleeps inside the building and the doors are usually opened often enough to keep fresh air circulating, but that day it built up enough to where it was noticeable. After a few hours in fresh air I felt fine and it hasn't happened since.


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## Havalina (Dec 18, 2004)

Lonelyguy said:


> We heat the shop where I work with waste engine oil. Its a very efficient and cheap heating source since its free for us. One day I was working and I started getting a splitting headache for no apparent reason and I also felt very fatigued. After a short time I discovered the exhaust on the furnace was plugged and had allowed high levels of CO to build up. We didn't have a detector because nobody ever sleeps inside the building and the doors are usually opened often enough to keep fresh air circulating, but that day it built up enough to where it was noticeable. After a few hours in fresh air I felt fine and it hasn't happened since.


That is the scariest thing I have heard all day. Get a detector!! I should really get one too....the furance guy was amazed at the age of my furance, and highly recommended that I purchase one. Waa I really don't want to die suddenly in my sleep. :afr


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## WinterDave (Dec 5, 2003)

We had two, fairly new First Alert Carbon Monoxide Detectors start going off with continuous false alarms...At different times...The Gas Company came and checked the air...They said the battery ones are prone to do that...So now we have one that plugs into the AC, and shows a bar of how much Monoxide is in the room...That one has never issued a false warning...The only downside is that it goes out when the power is out...And that is when you are most likely to need it, if using alternative heating/cooking when the power is out...Still, I like having it along with the smoke detectors...


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## copper (Nov 10, 2003)

I have two combo natural gas/monoxide detectors and one sole monoxide detector. A house up the road from my parents blew up from a buildup of gas last year. It got me thinking it would be a good idea to buy a couple of gas alarms so I can be woke up and leave the house before it blows up. They detect both natural gas and propane. If you have natural gas you need to put them close to the ceiling and if you have propane put them close to the floor. Natural gas rises, and propane sinks.


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## WinterDave (Dec 5, 2003)

A law takes effect next week in Massachusettes which will require all homeowners to install Carbon Monoxide detectors...


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