Get a CO detector

[wby257]

I copied this off Hotspot Outdoors

Another needless tragedy, not far from me. I preach about this every year.....get a CO detector for your permie AND portty!!!!
I used to teach this stuff as a certified EMT Instructor, dealt with it while I was a LEO, and have seen the results first hand. To keep it brief and to the point: The low oxygen (O) sensing buddy heaters ARE NOT good enough to protect you'; the concentration of CO can be enough to affect you long before that pilot goes out on those heaters. I proved that in a test with a friend in my porty, closed up. Heater was just starting to fail, and CO levels were already way high. (350 PPM on my meter) That O sensor is not a dependable source of "info" or safety; I liken it to putting a top on a jar candle...when the oxygen's all used up, it goes out. If you experience any type of headache, tiredness, nausea, burning eye, GET OUT NOW!! And ALWAYS keep a door cracked in that porty (or perm) for fresh air (perm's usually have a fresh air vent) I always partially unzippied the top of one door, and the bottom of the other door in my porty. Helps with condensation, too. It's code in a house for your furnace, now imagine a space twenty times smaller...even more important. So people, PLEASE pop the $20 for a CO detector, and save your life. If you ever have to pull a body out of somewhere that's died from CO poisoning, you never forgot the cherry red of them caused by the CO bonding to the hemoglobin in your blood, preventing it from carrying any oxygen. You literally die of oxygen deprivation. So guys, please stop by that box store today and grab one, will you? Is your life worth $20?




21-year-old woman dies from CO poisoning at ice fishing house


1
By Shannon RousseauCONNECT
Posted: Jan 15, 2017 9:40 PM CST


Lake Wilmert, Minn. -

The Martin County Sheriff's Office said a woman died and four other people were hospitalized after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning Sunday afternoon.

It happened in an ice fishing house on Lake Wilmert in rural Martin County, which is two hours west of Rochester.

The 21-year-old female died at the scene around 2 p.m. Sunday.

A 20-year-old man was taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester.

Three other adults were treated at local hospitals.

Police have not released the woman's name. The cause of death is still under investigation by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's
Office.





Carbon monoxide levels in the air
What is normal? What is dangerous?

Carbon monoxide levels in the blood stream cannot easily be measured outside a medical setting. Carbon monoxide levels are often shown as concentration levels of parts per million (PPM) in the air and length of exposure.


Carbon monoxide
Parts Per Million

(PPM) Time Symptoms
0.2 PPM - Natural carbon monoxide levels in the air
35 PPM 8 hours Maximum exposure of carbon monoxide levels allowed by
OSHA in the workplace over an 8
hour period
200 PPM 2 to 3 hours Mild headache, fatigue, nausea
dizziness
400 PPM 1 to 2 hours Serious carbon monoxide headache, other symptoms intensify
Continued exposure: Life threatening after 3 hours
800 PPM 45 minutes
Dizziness, nausea, convulsions
Unconscious within 2 hours
Continued exposure: Death within 2 to 3 hours

1,600 PPM 20 minutes Headache, dizziness, nausea
Continued exposure: Death within 1 hour
3,200 PPM 5 to 10 minutes Headache, dizziness, nausea
Continued exposure: Death within 1 hour
6,400 PPM 1 to 2 minutes Headache, dizziness, nausea
Continued exposure: Death within 25 to 30 minutes
12,800 PPM 1 to 3 minutes Death

 

[guywhofishes]

Saw that this morning. Made me wanna hurl. Good post!

 

[Fish whisperer]

I actually have 2 in my permanent just for extra safety in case one quits working or the batteries die. Money well spent in my opinion.

 

[Ericb]

Just picked a couple up a Lowes yesterday $20.

 

[Vollmer]

I am scared to sleep overnight in one, even with my vented heater.

 

[guywhofishes]

I am scared to sleep overnight in one, even with my vented heater.

Get two CO detectors and sleep like a baby - unless one goes off. Good lord are they loud!

 

[Vollmer]

Im a chicken after having kids. When I was younger I'd run in the Enduro races, with my arm hanging out the window like I was out for a Sunday drive. After kids, I was too worried about ... everything. Getting better now that they are getting a little older.

 

[Kickemup]

I used to sleep in my portable 5 or 6 time a winter. After having kids not anymore.

 

[PrairieGhost]

Before I got the vented furnace in my hunting trailer I used a Heater Buddy for one fall. It went out at about 2:00am and I tried to relight it. It just would not light. Then I opened the door and pooof it light right up. Went back to bed with it running and perhaps lucky to be typing this today. In my smaller trailer I drilled a two inch hole in the floor by the Heater Buddy and opened the roof vent after having the same thing happen. I didn't think it would happen with a small heater in a 17 foot trailer. With the thermostat furnace I sleep in it now maybe ten nights per fall for the past ten years.
After reading this post that trailer will be getting a CO detector. Two of my very good friends died in their home two years ago from CO.
I will still sleep in my portable on some hunting trips. However, I will change my heating source to a Honda 2000 watt and a 1500 watt electric heater in the portable.

 

[remm]

Staying plenty hydrated will require trips outside to piss at regular intervals which will not only get you fresh air, it will allow some fresh air into the house. Getting too hydrated and passing out is what will get you. Fine line there.

I always thought that if you got to fresh air after getting CO poisoning you would be OK. Heard last week that is not always true as it coats the red blood cells and not letting oxygen get to the red blood cells. So if you get the CO poisoning bad enough even if you get outside or get oxygen you can die. Good info to know!

There is a point if you are exposed to too much CO that the fresh air won't do a lot of good, you are right.
All kidding aside, CO isn't something you want to mess around with as a lot of times the damage is done before you really know what's going on. If you have a generator, I'd run a detector or two that plugs in and has a battery backup.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

I always thought that if you got to fresh air after getting CO poisoning you would be OK. Heard last week that is not always true as it coats the red blood cells and not letting oxygen get to the red blood cells. So if you get the CO poisoning bad enough even if you get outside or get oxygen you can die. Good info to know!

 

[Captain Ahab]

When I bought my fish house, I made sure to get one that was RVIA certified meaning that it is as safe as an RV for sleeping. It also has a built in CO sensor that is powered by the same source as the furnace for the fan and kicking in the burner. CO is scary stuff.

 

[guywhofishes]

Yes - scary is right.

As broken pointed out - CO is "stickier" than O2, starts to clog up the carrying sites on your hemoglobin until there aren't enough left to keep you alive.

Even after you stop exposure it takes time for the sticky CO to slowly dislodge and allow O2 to be carried again. Yeesh - sinisterv

 

[Wildyote]

I have vented forced air in my permanent house. My CO2 sensor went berserk last fall during deer season one night and I had to unhook it. I had the door open and two windows and it still would go off. I think mine is powersourced by my 12 volt battery. When I am using it for hunting I have it plugged in ranch yards or use a generator when in the boonies. I think I might replace it with small battery operated one. I always sleep with a window open regardless of the CO2 sensor.

 

[Farmer]

Make sure you have them at home too