# Carbon Monoxide



## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

Yesterday I received a book from the PA Association {PACONTRACTOR}. In the booklet is an article ... actually they copied it from the center of diease control in Atlanta. Here is the link ...
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/co/

Now after reading I will tell a story. I went to a local business Hafner & Sons Drilling. They also sell specilized tools. Back in 1994 I wanted to buy a gas powered walk behind concrete saw. Walt the owner asked where I was going to use it. I replied I have 2 basements with a lot of cutting for extensive renovations. Also I have a auto dealership wanting a trench drain and oil seperators installed. Walt said OK on the dealership but I won't sell you the saw for the basements. You are going to kill yourself or your men. Per Walt, Carbon Monoxide builds up in your blood. Using a gas powered tool even with fans blowing, sooner or later you will feel woosey. Naturally you would go outside, breathe some fresh air feel better and go back at the saw. NOPE!!! It keeps building up until you die. 

To end the problem he sold me a hydraulic power unit {engine is now outside}, A hydraulic powered saw [walk behind and hand use off the frame]. A hydraulic jack hammer [no dust except from the chisel] no compressed air blowing dust all over the place. And available though I did not buy was a diamond bit chain saw for concrete plunge cutting and making square or rectangular holes for ductwork in walls.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*happens a lot*

we had a customer that wanted her crawl space
water proofed ....she was basically a mold nut

the crawl had a solid running footer splitting the area in half so the water would build up on both sides of the crawl in ponds....

this water proofing fellow took a gas powered concrete saw down there and sliced that foundation down about a foot or more in 4 places across that center foundation just to get his black pipe and the water to pass over to the sump pit he was digging

we were upstairs and the fumes were enough to make us 
sick in the bathrooms....

I dont know what kept him from killing himself.
I was concerned about this fellow, and I thought
we would have to go down and drag him out of there...

I guess that is what the fire department is being paid to do..


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Carbon monoxide is no joke. A friend of mine's wife commited suicide by sitting in her idling car in a closed garage. When this woman killed herself, she left behind her husband and a 20 yr. old daughter. Tragic.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

I worked in a theatre that had a boiler problem and got sick (severe headache )and left for home early...took about 4 hours to feel better...the others who stayed working got chest pains..it was CO ...at least when you are working in it there is a warning. The place felt funny...but I thought it was just because the fixtures had been pulled.


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## plumber666 (Sep 19, 2010)

Made an assumption at work last week, and hooked up the venting and combustion air for 4 Modine hi eff unit heaters the same way a co worker had installed the previous two. At start up, noticed a gross smell and figgered it was the usual stankiness of the stainless steel heat exchangers burning in, but something seemed off. Whipped outside and looked at the flue gasses from the concentric horizontal vent kit, and knew I was in trouble. Back up the ladder and actually looked inside the access panel I had off, and sure enough the venting and comb. air were piped backwards. Had straight CO blowing in my face for maybe a minute and a half, two. Had a huge headache and felt like crap and a bunch of beer didn't even help. So don't ASSume, eh.


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