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QUESTION:I will be living this summer in an old cottage that has a 1950's vintage
heater and 1950's vintage stove in it. Both are propane fueled.
Previous residents have declined to use the stove and furnace out of
concern about fumes. The house has brand new, tighter windows and doors,
and it is only used for two months out of the year. Maintenance on the
stove and heater are done by the resident maintenance staff, who are not
necessarily as proficient as "commercial" furnace repair people. Asking
to have the furnace checked-over would probably mean a visit from a
repair person whose skills I might not trust my life to.
My question: If I have a CO detector installed, have I adequately
protected myself from going to bed and never waking up? Leaving windows
open kind of defeats the purpose of the heater, and I would like to use it
on cold nights. I would also like to use the stove if I can.
ANSWER: Get one of the more expensive CO detectors that actually displays a
number. ALSO, get a couple of the cheap chemical spot detectors
(electronics can fail, you know). Check all of these regularly and stop
using the appliances at the first sign of CO. (Also be aware of the
symptoms of CO poisoning -- a weak, flu-like feeling, headaches, etc.)
Check the heater yourself. Is it vented? (If not then it's highly
suspect.) Is there any sort of makeup air supply for the heater? When
it burns, does the flame burn blue, or is it more yellow in color
(especially after burning for awhile)? (Blue is good, yellow bad.)
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