Could Your Home Be Poisoned With Carbon Monoxide?

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Story Published: Sep 4, 2008 at 5:28 PM MST

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 1:43 AM MST

By Anthony Congi

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IDAHO FALLS - Monday an apartment complex that the fire department asked not to be revealed, had a water heater not ventilating properly.

Carbon monoxide was vented into the basement which eventually made its way into some of the apartments.

This situation was resolved quickly, but carbon monoxide can become deadly before you even know you've been exposed to it.

"It's something that you're not aware of. You don't smell c.o.Your body takes it in more readily than it does oxygen so it builds up in the body and that becomes a problem. By the time you're aware of it, with headaches nausea, things like that, you've got more c.o. On board than you ever want to have," says Idaho Falls Fire Division Chief Rick Taylor.

But there are easy ways to prevent this from happening in your home.

"You want to have your stuff checked. If you haven't had your gas operated furnace, water heaters checked in a number of years, you can call and have them checked by a professional to make sure you don't have any leaks," says Taylor.

And just how ready is your apartment or home from a carbon monoxide leak?

Older buildings and apartment complexes don't require smoke detectors. But in new apartments, such as mine, both smoke detectors and sprinklers are mandatory, but not carbon monoxide detectors.

An easy fix for your home, pick up a carbon monoxide detector at any of the local hardware stores. Rocknack's sells them anywhere from about 40 to 50 dollars.

You'll also want to make sure that all your gas appliances are venting properly. The fire department tells me they don't see as many cases of carbon monoxide poisoning since many don't use wood stoves anymore.
But if you do, you'll want someone to check it out to make sure the carbon monoxide, is getting out of your home properly.

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