Everyone should have a Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector, and change batteries as needed

[pearlsngems]

I just read that Gene Hackman as well as his wife and their dog were found dead in their home today, and that foul play is not suspected.
While no cause of death has been reported yet, an obvious possible cause is carbon monoxide poisoning. CO is odorless. It competes with oxygen to bind with the hemoglobin in your red blood cells. People basically die from lack of oxygen.

Whether that was the cause or not, this is a good time to remind folks that CO detectors can be life saving, and everyone should have at least one.
If you have one and have not changed the batteries this past year, consider doing it now.

 

[MissGotRocks]

We just replaced our old one due to age. A simple thing to have that saves lives

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

do we need one if we have no gas appliances inside, have a very drafty house in a tempertae climate and there is a good distance between our house and driveway and the neighbour's

when i worked in a hardwear store we had them but i never sold a single one ?
i just dont see the need in our situation

 

[pearlsngems]

How do you heat your home? I assume there are times of the year when you need to heat your home.

CO comes from combustion.

If you use any kind of combustible fuel (propane, natural gas, heating oil, charcoal, or wood),to heat your home, or if you have an attached garage and your car has a combustion engine (not an electric vehicle), you need a CO detector.

If a near neighbor uses any kind of combustible fuel for heating their home or has a gasoline powered car, their CO could enter your home. So then you would need a CO detector.

From the Internet:

"Carbon monoxide is generated during the heating process. Its invisible and odorless nature means it can't be detected by smell or sight. If your home uses propane, natural gas, heating oil, charcoal, or wood, installing a carbon monoxide detector is critical to ensure safety.Oct 7, 2024

Carbon Monoxide Detector: What To Consider - Noonan Energy

Use A Carbon Monoxide Alarm & Stay Safe. Noonan Energy Offers Trusted HVAC Services, Heater Repairs, & More. Free Consultations. Call Now!

www.noonanenergy.com

If you use a heat pump system to heat your home, there is no fuel involved and a CO detector is not needed-- but you could still get CO from your neighbor's home or car.

https://www.doityourself.com/stry/does-a-heat-pump-system-need-a-carbon-monoxide-monitor

Same goes if your home is 100% heated by electricity. That won't generate CO, but CO could still drift over from your neighbor's home or car.

https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/t0uv7v/do_i_need_a_carbon_monoxide_alarm_in_my_home_if

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

phew heat pump here !

 

[pearlsngems]

Now it's looking like CO may not have been what caused Hackman's death.

 

[pearlsngems]

phew heat pump here !

If you also don't have an attached garage, you should be okay without a CO detector, given that your neighbors are not close by.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Now it's looking like CO may not have been what caused Hackman's death.

its very odd
the dog was stashed in a cupbaord poor thing

 

[Karl_K]

do we need one if we have no gas appliances inside, have a very drafty house in a tempertae climate and there is a good distance between our house and driveway and the neighbour's

when i worked in a hardwear store we had them but i never sold a single one ?
i just dont see the need in our situation

10 year battery combo co/smoke per floor is ideal.
I would at least have one in the living/sleeping area no matter what heat source.
Some types of fires the co will kill people before the smoke detector is triggered from the smoke of the fire.
Some furniture fires in particular the flame retardant keeps the smoke down but the smouldering foam puts out a ton of co.
I have heard first hand stories of firefighters going into a house and finding entire families dead not a mark on them and the only sign of fire was a slightly chard couch.
They had working smoke alarms that finally went off and someone heard them and called the fire department.
It was hours too late.

 

[tyty333]

its very odd
the dog was stashed in a cupbaord poor thing

And they said another dog was ok (not dead).

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

And they said another dog was ok (not dead).

it gets weirder and weirder

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

go

10 year battery combo co/smoke per floor is ideal.
I would at least have one in the living/sleeping area no matter what heat source.
Some types of fires the co will kill people before the smoke detector is triggered from the smoke of the fire.
Some furniture fires in particular the flame retardant keeps the smoke down but the smouldering foam puts out a ton of co.
I have heard first hand stories of firefighters going into a house and finding entire families dead not a mark on them and the only sign of fire was a slightly chard couch.
They had working smoke alarms that finally went off and someone heard them and called the fire department.
It was hours too late.

good point about furniture inners

 

[pearlsngems]

Put it this way: Why not have one? Play it safe.

 

[Lookinagain]

My CO detectors can be plugged into an outlet and also have a battery backup. I test them occasionally, but they are always plugged in. When I lose power, I go to to a hotel!

 

[dk168]

I don't have one at home, however, I have one in my van, even though I do not use gas/LPG for cooking and heating.

I use diesel from the fuel tank of my van/RV for heating and hot water, and there is a low risk of CO leaking into the van, and was advise to have CO monitor in the van in case there is a leak in the exhaust pipe.

I also carry spare batteries for the fire alarm in the kitchen area and also the CO monitor in the living area.

Both would beep when the batteries start to fail, which was no fun the first time when that happened with the fire alarm in the middle of the night!

DK

 

[missy]

100%. We replace the batteries in the carbon monoxide detectors (we have 9 of them) every six months. We have them doubled up. We have a set hardwired to the house and separate ones connected to our security company so in case of any malfunction we should be covered.

 

[dk168]

BTW, I read in the UK's Times that the investigation is still ongoing for the death of Gene Hackman, his wife and one of their 3 dogs, and CO poisoning was unlikely to be the cause, etc. etc...

DK

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

For any animal love who hasn't read up on the deaths, I advise you caution. I wish I hadn't due to this.

 

[VRBeauty]

My husband is Norwegian - we always have windows cracked open… or tent vents, when applicable… no matter what the outside temp might be. And we have CO detectors in hubby’s house, in the trailer, and even in the plane. BUT the detector in my house is still in its plastic bubble due to my procrastination. It will be unpackaged and on a wall within the hour, I promise!

ETA - ok, I misspoke (aka lied). The detector in the package is a smoke detector, and the reason it’s not a CO detector is that we didn’t like the big box store options and I was going to order one online but forgot. So, @pearlsngems, thank you for the reminder to take care of this!