Dave Richards
03-04-2005, 3:29 PM
I just got off the phone with my brother. He told me a little story I thought would be good to pass on.
He has a large one-car-sized shop. He has been using a kerosene fired torpedo heater until he can get gas run for ceiling mounted unit. Because of the kerosene heater he installed a CO detector. He's never seen the detector go above 0 even when he has been running the heater on and off all day unitl the other day when he was removing shellac from a couple of teak doors he's refinishing using denatured alchohol. He said he happened to look up at the detector and saw it display 32. Shortly after that it jumped to 50 and the alarm tripped. He got out and opened up the shop to air it out.
Evidently the kerosene heater was burning the fumes of the alchohol and generating CO in the process.
I figure it's a good lesson. The fuel your open flame heater burns for heat may not create carbon monoxide but the fumes from a solvent or finish you may be using might when it gets burned.
Fortunately my brother had the detector in his shop. I'd hate to think of the result if he hadn't. Might be a good idea for all of us to have one. At least if you've got an open flame heater.
He has a large one-car-sized shop. He has been using a kerosene fired torpedo heater until he can get gas run for ceiling mounted unit. Because of the kerosene heater he installed a CO detector. He's never seen the detector go above 0 even when he has been running the heater on and off all day unitl the other day when he was removing shellac from a couple of teak doors he's refinishing using denatured alchohol. He said he happened to look up at the detector and saw it display 32. Shortly after that it jumped to 50 and the alarm tripped. He got out and opened up the shop to air it out.
Evidently the kerosene heater was burning the fumes of the alchohol and generating CO in the process.
I figure it's a good lesson. The fuel your open flame heater burns for heat may not create carbon monoxide but the fumes from a solvent or finish you may be using might when it gets burned.
Fortunately my brother had the detector in his shop. I'd hate to think of the result if he hadn't. Might be a good idea for all of us to have one. At least if you've got an open flame heater.