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Archive for the ‘Smoke/CO Detectors’ Category

Carbon Monoxide / Stucco Chimney Problems / Leak From Ice Dam

In Miscellaneous, Smoke/CO Detectors on March 20, 2012 at 9:30 am

To all my followers: Please pass along my blog address to all your friends and family. I’d appreciate it!

 

Dear Readers,

This question comes from me. It is: how many of you have a carbon monoxide detector, and if so, is it working properly?

A:

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is also known as the “silent killer” because it is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas.

CO is a by-product of incomplete combustion. It doesn’t just originate from a cracked furnace heat exchanger.

Countless numbers of people have died because of exhaust gasses. More than 20,000 Americans go to the emergency room or died from using space heaters, ovens and barbeques and from CO seeping into their houses when they are warming up their cars.

There is a solution. CO detectors are available at any home, hardware and box store. They do exactly what they claim, detect carbon monoxide to save you and your families lives.

In spite of that, only half the homes in our area have a CO detector. Some of those units are older and not even working. If your carbon monoxide detector is older than five years, it’s time to replace it. It is important now more than ever to install CO detectors in your house. Please do it this weekend.

Q:

We have a two-story house. In the winter a large frozen waterfall develops from the upper roof corner to a first story roof. That section has been completely ice shielded running up the adjoining wall. I installed an electrical heat cord and the frozen waterfall still develops.

When we have a sudden thaw, we sometimes get a leak to the first floor room under the bottom of the waterfall.

A:

If you did install ice shields under the entire first floor shingles and up the adjoining wall you should not have a leak. It’s possible that you did not go up the adjoining wall far enough or the leak is originating under the second floor shingles and running down between the exterior and interior walls until it gets to the addition.

I have inspected hundred of homes where a second floor ice dam runs down through the walls and ends up in the basement.

My recommendation is to install ice shields all the way up all valleys. Add more insulation and ventilation.

Q:

My chimney is constructed of block that has white cement that has been troweled onto the block to give it a stucco-like appearance. The problem is the cement is cracking and chunks are falling off. The cracking is in the upper third of this 2-story chimney. What do you think the proper way to repair this chimney so I don’t have this problem again in a few years?

A:

There are just a few issues that could be causing the problem. The chimney “wash” or cap is damaged allowing moisture to get behind and loosen the stucco. In that case, repair/replace the wash and all loose and missing stucco.

If the wash is intact you have a bigger problem since the stucco may have been improperly installed and not bonding to the block. If that’s true, you’ll probably need to take it all off and start over.

Finally, in the past, was your furnace replaced with a high-efficiency furnace that now vents through the wall? If so, was the chimney relined to reduce the interior opening to accommodate just a gas water heater?

If you only have a gas water heater exhausting into a large older chimney, the unburned gasses, carbon monoxide and condensate cannot go up and out the chimney, which causes those gasses to condense within the chimney. In cold weather those gasses, which contain moisture, migrate through to the cold exterior. That is what causes spalling bricks and failing stucco.

The problem was so severe the industry calls it “orphaned water heaters”.

If that’s the cause, relining the chimney before it completely fails is necessary.

The Importance of Having Smoke Detectors (Part 2)

In Smoke/CO Detectors on November 7, 2011 at 4:58 pm

Dear Readers,

A good friend of mine, Lt. Chuck Riesterer, recently sent the following letter to me.

Chuck is a Lieutenant with the Troy Fire Department. I am asking you all to read it because what Chuck is saying. This could indeed save your life or the lives of your family.

Lon ~

Dear Lon,

It’s not just the fact of having a smoke alarm in your home, the device has to work.  And, it is just a part of the overall plan to keep you and your family safe.  Other factors in the plan include:

  • Testing the device regularly (to ensure operation, and to orient us with the sound so we know what to do when we hear it).
  • Having a plan to escape (two ways out of every room).
  • Having a meeting place (sidewalk, tree, mailbox, etc).
  • Knowing not to re-enter until advised by the FD it is safe.
  • Calling 9-1-1 from outside the home.
  • PRACTICE – PRACTICE – PRACTICE

There is a concern in this nation that people (kids) do not respond as well as adults to smoke alarms.  I think it is due to conditioning.  They are not well-practiced with the sound of the device.  Ask any first, third or fifth grader what they do when:

  • They hear the doorbell (answer the door).
  • They hear their cell phone ring (answer the phone).
  • They hear the microwave beep (food is ready).

They have been conditioned for this sound until it becomes second nature.  Why don’t we do this with smoke alarms?  A majority of people hear the fire alarm at work and do not vacate because:

  • It’s just a false alarm.
  • There is no plan, they’re not sure what the plan is, or they don’t know what to do.
  • And for some they don’t know what the noise is.

These are dangerous habits to develop. Over 80 percent of those that die in fires, NEVER SEE THE FIRE!  People are overcome by smoke and its by-products long before they see the flames.  The general populace is under the mistaken idea that they have minutes to escape, when in reality, they may only have seconds.  Early warning is the key!  Early warning coupled with a plan will give you a BIG advantage.

It only takes a couple of minutes to plan the correct action, and less than a couple of minutes to practice the plan.  That couple of minutes, at least once a month, may be all you need to save your life.  Install and TEST your smoke alarms regularly. Have a meeting place.  Practice your fire drills regularly. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER ignore the smoke alarm.

This past weekend we changed our clocks for daylight savings time.  Maybe we can remind folks that when they change their clocks, they could change the batteries in their smoke alarms.  The majority of homes in this country have smoke alarms.  But when was the last time you tested yours? Smoke alarms are good for an average of 10 years.  Then they need to be replaced.  Standard battery-operated smoke alarms should have their batteries replaced annually. Now is a great time to take care of that.  If you don’t know when it was replaced, replace it.  Install a working smoke alarm (one that has been tested/listed by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), Factory Mutual (FM), or Electrical Testing Labs (ETL).  Then plan a drill and test the device.  It’s only a few minutes out of your time. Time well spent for those you love.


Smoke detectors…… Do They Make Your Home Safe?

In Smoke/CO Detectors on October 31, 2011 at 5:38 pm

There is a lot of truth to the statement that having a smoke detector doesn’t make your home safe. If properly maintained, in the right location, and operating properly, they will alert you if there is a fire. Hopefully, and usually they will provide you and your family enough time to get out of your burning house.

Now comes the “If properly maintained” part.

The battery should be replaced annually. Don’t wait until it starts chirping constantly. Don’t wait until the battery is dead. If you hear a periodic beeping or chirping it means replace the battery.

Many, if not all hard-wired detectors also have back-up batteries that require annual replacement. Never remove a battery without immediate replacement.

Smoke and fire detectors can also lose effectiveness if bugs, spiders or dust gets into them. Periodically, vacuum each detector in and around the unit to suck out dust and debris.

Detectors have test buttons or sensors, which enable you to see if they are operating. They should be tested monthly. The test verifies that the circuit, horn and battery are operating as designed.

If the horn fails to sound when testing the unit, replace the battery. If it still doesn’t operate, replace the unit. Do not attempt to repair it.

Never paint a detector. Remove or protect detectors when painting around them.

Location, Location, Location

For a detector to alert you, it needs to be able to detect smoke first. To do that they have to be in the proper location and you need to have enough of them.

  • There should be a smoke detector in every bedroom.
  • One should be installed at the top of every stairway.
  • Every hallway should have a smoke detector. Especially outside of sleeping areas.
  • Any room with a fireplace or space heater should also have a detector.
  • Do not install a smoke detector in or just outside of a bathroom. The steam from bathing/showering could easily set off false alarms or the humidity could damage the unit. Relocate the unit away from that immediate area.
  • Many people have nuisance alarms when installing a detector in the kitchen. Install a heat detector in the kitchen along with a photoelectric smoke alarm. The photoelectric is not quite as sensitive to smoke as the ionization type.
  • Install detectors in the basement.
  • Never install a detector close to a heating and cooling supply register or return. The air movement could prevent the alarm from activating.
  • Detectors should be installed on the ceiling or high up a wall. If installed on a ceiling, it should be a minimum of 4-inches from the nearest wall. If you are installing the detector on a wall, it should be a minimum of 4-inches, but no more than 12-inches from the ceiling.
  • If the room has a cathedral ceiling, install the detector between 4-inches and 36-inches from the peak.
  • Smoke detectors may not operate properly in unheated buildings.
  • Garages are also not a good location for smoke detectors. Combustion gases from your car could cause nuisance alarms. A better alternative would be to install a heat detector.
  • Never install a detector out of reach. You need to easily change the battery and test and vacuum the unit.

Smoke detectors have been around since the 1960’s. The battery-powered units we are familiar with came on the market in the 1970’s. Smoke, fire and carbon monoxide detectors do what they claim to do. They detect smoke, fire and carbon monoxide. They save lives. The lives they save could be yours or your families.

All you need to do is install them in the proper location and periodically maintain them. That’s a small price to pay for saving a human life.