Another Annoying New Law

[+ Lucky]

Yes, I use a seat belt all of the time I drive. No, I don't need a law to make me do it.

Somehow I have managed to live without a carbon monoxide detector all of my life.

But now, California requires that I have...one?

 

No, one in each bedroom, and one on each level of my house.

Some $260 million dollars will be spent complying with the new law.

Bribes must have been wide and deep in the legislature to force this

law through.

 

Perhaps 30 people die from carbon monoxide each year in California.

30 million people don't.

 

But I have to buy these damn things whether I want to or not.

That's democracy, right?

 

http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20100803_calilaw.htm

[MsGuy]

Bribes must have been wide and deep in the legislature to force this

law through.

 

Legislators gotta live too, Lucky.

[bigvalboy]

What worries me more than 30 - 40 death a year is the number of people who did get carbon monoxide poisoning, who didn't get killed by it, but who still suffer from the poisoning.

 

Depending upon the level of the poisoning carbon monoxide blocks more or less of the oxygen transport in the blood stream. While someone suffers from the poisoning, the brains will get too less oxygen and parts of the brain can die. When parts of the brain have died, brain functions will be gone forever. I once saw a documentary about carbon monoxide poisoning. If someone gets poisoned but survives, he/she risks to be living like a vegetable for the rest of his/her life. If someone has suffered from less poisoning so he/she is not a vegetable, body functions like moving an arm, reading a newspaper, or even talking to someone can be severely disrupted.

 

It may sound hard, but those who die from carbon monoxide poisoning may be better off than those who survive.

 

My place in Amsterdam was a concrete building, recently built and well maintained. Although the heating had been inspected regularly and while it was in a separate closet it happened once that I woke up in the middle of the night with an incredible headache and and enormous desire for fresh air. It was in the middle of winter, but I opened all windows. That wasn't enough, I wanted more fresh air and I went outside. I left all windows open and after a walk of 20 minutes I went back inside. Things seemed safe.

 

I bought a carbon monoxide detector the next day.

 

Sincerely, Anton.

 

PS: I'm not telling anyone what to do or how to behave. I'm only presenting my own experience, plus adding what I saw in the documentary.

 

Same thing happened to me several years ago Anton. I had a fairly new heating system, but no detector. I began waking up in the middle of the night with massive headaches. This went on for several weeks. I assumed it was something wrong with me physically. I got so sick one night that I started blacking out, I live alone and got scared so I called the paramedics, when they arrived they called the Fire Dept. and they searched all over the house for a chemical leak of some kind. Went all through the attic and under the house. After sometime, one of the guys suspected the heating system and called the Gas Co. What was discovered was a defective heating system. I could have very well not survived the night. I spent a couple of days in a hotel to air out the house and have the system repaired.

 

Scared the hell out of me. Now regardless of how cold it is outside I always leave a window open and the heat on of course, but plenty of air flow.

[Diverdan]

Recently in Chicago the tenants of a high rise building had the heat shut off because of chimney blockage and an incredibly high build up of carbon dioxide. Many people stayed in the building without heat, bought electric space heaters, etc. The owners said it would take a couple of weeks to fix, the court ordered that it be fixed in five days. They are very lucky that no one died and thus far there are no serious injuries, but it remains to be seen if there are any residual effects. When I bought a house in 2001, I had a new security system installed that features smoke, fire and carbon dioxide sensors installed throughout the house, but the most important ones are in the furnace room, kitchen and garage. Well worth the price, and it lowered my annual homeowners insurance as well.

DD

[+ Lucky]

Anton, not to worry. You are being very tactful and informative. Do you currwently have carbon monoxide alarms in your residence?

[bigvalboy]

The second, the carbon monoxide is the result of an incomplete burning process.

 

That is exactly what the Gas Co. told me the problem was with the furnace, there was an incomplete burning process..

[+ Lucky]

If I lived in an apartment building where I entered from an inner hallway, I might not get much fresh air, but living in the desert, in a house, the windows are open 9 months of the year. Even carbon monoxide leaves the desert in August!

[OneFinger]

...Somehow I have managed to live without a carbon monoxide detector all of my life.

But now, California requires that I have...one?

 

No, one in each bedroom, and one on each level of my house...

I recently bought a second home in Portland. When having a home inspection (prior to purchase) they noted that the lack of carbon monoxide detectors. But, they also pointed out that it was law that they be in every bedroom AND that they must be hard-wired or have 10-year batteries. Stupid me, I didn't know they had 10-year batteries for these things.

 

In short, I went to the local hardware store and purchased the required detectors for about $50 ea.

 

Was I happy to have to fork out this money?? Not really. But, do I regret having this level of protection? NO. It was a minor inconvenience but I'm very happy now knowing that I have this additional protection. I even test them monthly to ensure they're still working.

 

IMHO, it's a small price to pay for personal safety.

[Diverdan]

ALERT... not sure what I was thinking about yesterday when I added to this thread... it is a carbon monoxide detector I was talking about, NOT carbon dioxide... maybe I had some of both in the apartment that I am currently staying in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DD