Carbon Monoxide!?

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Weird. The smoke alarm went off, not incredibly odd when I am using the fireplace, but it wasn't the smoke detector. It was the CO alarm. I was totally surprised. It had never gone off as long as I have had one, over many many years. Yep, after resetting it a few times. It was getting a reading over 200 ppm CO. When I took it downstairs I got a reading near 300 ppm. I started getting light headed at this point. After thinking maybe the furnace heat exchanger failed and puzzling around a bit I figured out what happened. As part of the huge winter storm that recently covered almost half of the US, we lost our electricity. So, being well prepared, I rolled out the generator and started doing what I normally do. The generator (although it was completely outside) was creating CO to get in the house. Using the fireplace draft (and possibly other leaks) the whole house created a vacuum around the seal of the basement garage door. After the CO got into the house the forced air heat...
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I am back from an extended business trip in China, Australia and Italy. It was a lot of miles, cultures and experiences. It was around the world and three hemispheres. It was over 30,000 air miles in 19 days and 9 cities in 6 countries ATL-SEA-PVG-HRB-PVG-MEL-DXB-BLQ-AMS-ATL

Highlights include: A Restaurant that reminded me of a Pet Shop. Worlds Fastest train (we clocked 430kph (267 MPH)). Plane ride from Shanghai to Melbourne Australia. Tram in Melbourne. Plane route avoiding airspace in Iraq and Syria, but over Iran -(extra hour at least). Dinner in Harbin. Winter Ice festival in Harbin China -(Cold). Downtown Harbin. Melbourne. Bells Beach Victoria AUS. Kangaroos in the wild on a Golf Course. Adriatic sea in Riccione Italy.



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Carbon Monoxide!?

-
Image
Weird. The smoke alarm went off, not incredibly odd when I am using the fireplace, but it wasn't the smoke detector. It was the CO alarm. I was totally surprised. It had never gone off as long as I have had one, over many many years. Yep, after resetting it a few times. It was getting a reading over 200 ppm CO. When I took it downstairs I got a reading near 300 ppm. I started getting light headed at this point. After thinking maybe the furnace heat exchanger failed and puzzling around a bit I figured out what happened. As part of the huge winter storm that recently covered almost half of the US, we lost our electricity. So, being well prepared, I rolled out the generator and started doing what I normally do. The generator (although it was completely outside) was creating CO to get in the house. Using the fireplace draft (and possibly other leaks) the whole house created a vacuum around the seal of the basement garage door. After the CO got into the house the forced air heat...
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