I get a call from my wife…

Wow this makes a £15 spend seem like nothing, thanks to mrhelton on Reddit for this:

“My alarm went off at 5AM this morning, and I had a hard time getting out of bed. I was extremely tired and had a lot of trouble keeping my balance. I could hardly stand up and at one point I realized I was standing over the toilet with my toothbrush in the water and the toilet flushing. I think I passed out and caught myself.
It completely messed with my thought processes and I didn’t make rational decisions. I thought I was having a heart attack yet still opted to drive to work and not tell my wife about it. I remember looking at my lunch on the way out but not thinking to grab it, then I went out and tried to put my keys in my wife’s car, then realized I forgot my lunch, and on the way back from her car, I realized it was her car. All of this seemed normal under the effects of carbon dioxide monoxide poisoning.

I made it to work somehow (35 mile drive) and 1.5-2 hours after work started at 6, I get a call from my wife saying she got up and could hardly stand, and that she fell over in my son’s room. Luckily she knew to get out of the house before calling me, then had her mom pick her up.

I called my mom (who is my landlord) and she had the fire department out there by 9, and they walked in 2 feet and said the reading was 250ppm which is fatal. Had they woken up 2 hours later they would both be dead and I would probably kill myself.
We all went to urgent care and got cleared, but both me and my wife have nasty dull headaches. My 2 year old son is fine, they weren’t worried about him at all. Him sleeping with his door shut may be what saved him there.

All of this could have been avoided had I had detectors. When we moved it we got new smoke detectors, then decided to get the carbon monoxide detectors a little down the road and now 2 years later realized we both completely forgot.
Don’t fall victim to something so easily avoidable, get your detector if you don’t have one, and if you do, check it every once in a while.
FYI the gas company came out and determined that it was the boiler slowly leaking over time that did it. They shut it down and opened the windows and the levels are 0. I got 2 new detectors for my home too.

EDIT: I didn’t expect this to blow up, but I’m very thankful for the kind words, and especially glad that many of you have learned from my mistake and bought one for yourself.
My wife got a call back from Urgent care who called poison control, and they sent her and my son to the ER for better blood testing + oxygen. Both have been sent home with normal levels in their system. I was there too but the doctors felt I didn’t need it because I had less exposure and seem normal (and feel about 90%).” – mrhelton on Reddit (http://10ws.co/1jUoqbp)

► Does my landlord legally have to provide one?

Legally they don’t, but ring them up and ask for one to be installed for the good of their reputation and your health.

► What is a good one to buy?

We use this one http://amzn.to/1jUo0l5 or similar without a screen http://amzn.to/1jUokQV
DO NOT BUY unbranded ones cheaper than £10, it’s not worth the risk. They’re £12-£35 for a reason (unless of course you find a great deal on one from a TRUSTED SELLER).

► The NHS states:

“Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that has no smell or taste. Breathing it in can make you unwell, and it can kill.”
A headache is the most common symptom of mild carbon monoxide poisoning.

Other symptoms include:
– dizziness
– nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting
– tiredness and confusion
-stomach pain
– shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be similar to those of food poisoning and the flu. However, unlike flu, carbon monoxide poisoning does not cause a high temperature (fever).” – http://10ws.co/1jUoBDv

The HSE states:

“If your landlord has not provided you with a CO alarm then HSE strongly recommends you invest in one yourself. They are portable and so can be taken to any future properties with you.”