CO monitor

[redman2006]

I am posting this between my appointments and only with about 1.5 hours of sleep, so forgive the errors.

Everyone, if you have gas appliances in your home, please get a CO monitor! I got lax about it because we had electric for so long, then wood and electric. When we moved, we had an old gas heater removed and a new dual fuel furnace installed as well as a new gas tankless water heater. The home is a fixer upper, and these things were in need of replacement.

I did not get a CO monitor. It nearly cost me my family last night. Luckily, we realized what was happening before it was too late. Watching your family, especially a 20 month old baby, having arterial blood gasses taken and in a potentially life threatening situation for something you could have prevented with a $15 monitor is a real kick in the gut. 6 hours of O2 later, most of the effects have worn off, and we are told there should be no further complications. I prayed pretty hard last night.

learn from my mistake.

[0utlaw]

Glad you and yours are okay, hopefully others can learn from and avoid your misfortune.

[redman2006]

M wants to ask for our copays and other expenses (motel etc. until we can get back in the house) back from the plumbing company. I tend to agree, but I do not want issues in small town USA with a suit. I am really not sure what to do there.

[kickstand]

M wants to ask for our copays and other expenses (motel etc. until we can get back in the house) back from the plumbing company. I tend to agree, but I do not want issues in small town USA with a suit. I am really not sure what to do there.

First of all, and most importantly, I'm REALLY happy that everyone is going to be ok. I have said my thanks to God for the outcome.

I know that you're beating yourself up over it, please stop. Although yes, "you're the man of the family", M is also a full grown, intelligent adult who could have said "maybe we should get some CO detectors." Now please don't take that as I'm trying to shift the "blame" to her. PLEASE! I don't even want to think of that phone call from M. <grin> I'm just saying that sometimes important details fail to to come to mind if it's not something that you're used to dealing with. You lived in a wood / electric, so you had no need for the detectors. You moved to a different place that needed work, and hired a professional to do the job. Unfortunately, he's just as human an you and me.

As for asking for the out of pocket costs, it can't hurt to ask. I don't know if it was a small, local company, or a large franchise. I don't think that I would do anything different for either one. Don't just go into the office and ask for it, it will probably be turned down without a second thought. Write it up. Write down the work done, when it was done, the invoice numbers if you have them available, the amount paid, when you started noticing the symptoms, what the symptoms were, what had to be done to correct the situation, and any other pertinent information. Print it out. It's easy to forget details until after the meeting. Call and try to make an appointment with the owner / head manager. If you just walk in, they will probably always be "busy" or not in. It may help to send the person who is less likely to go off on them. If you and M are about equal, M might be a better option. It's hard to argue with a woman that you (not YOU!) almost killed her and her kids (sorry, but for this instance, you don't count.) Hand them the easy to read, one to two page note, explaining what happened and what you want them to do. Allow them to read it while you / M wait. Do NOT threaten to sue. Don't expect an answer right then. Allow them a week at most to come to a decision.

If they decline, you might offer to split the cost, since you are aware that a detector could have avoided the whole situation (don't say that to them!) If they still decline, then you have a decision to make. Is a lawsuit worth it? How likely is a win, considering the knowledge that a detector could have avoided the situation?

Edit: Think about how you would handle it if one of your employees made a mistake with a client's critter. Let's say typed a wrong dosage on a med, and caused a potentially deadly situation, but they were able to save it, but there were some costs involved. If that client came to you, asking for those costs, what would you do? What would your answer be if they could have done something that could have avoided the expenses?

Again, I thank God that everyone is ok. Quit beating yourself up!! You learned and corrected the problem. Move on.

[redman2006]

I guess part of my neglecting the detector was due to the fact that the only gas burning appliances are brand new. I had monitors in older homes because they were more likely to have bad heat exchangers. Stupid on my part.

If someone came to me, and it was clearly my (our) mistake, I would pay for it start to finish. I have done so. I had a spay on an obese mastiff that I left a tiny bit of ovarian tissue in. It was just enough to cause a heat cycle. the only one I have ever done that with, but it was like working in a 55 gallon barrel of lard. Anyway, I paid a specialist to find it and remove it. All the cost was on me, to the tune of $2500. Our spay cost the lady $200 start to finish. I also refunded her that full amount.

In this case, our copay for ER is $500 x 3. I declined treatment. I had not been there as long, and only had minor symptoms compared to the girls, a dandy headache and a ringing in my ears whenever I stood as well as shortness of breath, I blamed that on being out of shape.

Anyway, I am not sure what we will do. A lot will depend on how the boss that came out to inspect it reacts to the situation. Ultimately, IMHO it should have been tested by the plumber, but I do not know enough about exhausting a water heater to say how they would be certain it was safe before leaving the job site. I am not really angry. I am relieved that my family will be ok. I am disappointed that my fun money for a couple of firearm purchases I had been deliberating will go to this, but such is life.

I am also relieved to know the blurry vision I have been having is most likely from CO and not something more permanent.

Thanks for the prayers and thoughts

[kickstand]

Good. That's about the answer that I was hoping for. I hope the company ponies up. You shouldn't have to know what/ how they make sure it's safe. That's why you hired a professional.

[olfart]

Glad to hear that you and yours survived a potentially deadly situation. What part of which system caused the problem? Water heater vent? Furnace heat exchanger or vent? Since a tankless water heater only heats on demand, I would have thought an exhaust leak into the house would be insignificant (unless it was vented directly into the house or not vented at all). From your description, it sounds like this happened while y'all were awake, which is a good thing.

[redman2006]

So I have my answer as to how they will behave. The boss came out, looked at it, admitted to improper installation, and then handed M a bill for the other work that was being done in the house today. He apologized for the situation, but made no effort to make it right other than gluing the joints that were not.

We had been doing dishes, running laundry and taking showers after work, so there was a fair bit of water usage as there is every evening for us. The good thing is, that unless we had the laundry running, it would not have continued to increase the levels while we slept.

[0utlaw]

I would contact whoever's in charge of contractor licensing in your area and explain what happened and ask them how to proceed. Its fairly obvious they have no intention of making you whole even after they admitted fault. Maybe the thought of having to answer to the licensing board might prompt them to get right.

[redman2006]

Small town USA, as another small business man, I am reluctant to start something that could end very badly.

[0utlaw]

I understand, the town I live in is 600 +- but I feel just the opposite, if I let someone get by with something and don't confront them it just emboldens the next guy knowing I won't do anything if he screws up (or screws me over)

[RD]

CO-

Glad you all are ok, we learned that lesson 21 yrs ago. From that day on we have never had less than 2 carbon monoxide detectors in our home.


RD

[redman2006]

I hope everyone was ok in your case as well

[redman2006]

I see that as well. When I spoke with my wife, the comments he made to her have set my mind down a different path. He blamed us for not having a detector in the home. Ok, but you still screwed up and put my family in the hospital. They also checked every seal with a co wand detector gizmo. Why was that not done at the install?

I don't care about the money, but his lack of compassion, from someone on a Christian school's board no less, is begining to eat at me.

[kickstand]

Hmmm, so if he got shot in the chest, would it be his fault for not wearing a bullet proof vest?

And no, I'm most certainly NOT suggesting going that route!