So worried, please help!

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I am a student sharing an apartment in NYC with classmates. About a month ago, I was hanging out there by myself when I started to feel very unwell (headache, dizzy, short of breath, chest pain), and eventually the CO alarm went off. I called my super who said that it was just the battery, took the battery out of the CO/fire alarm, threw it in my trash and told me that everything was fine, I should just chill and get a new battery. I still felt horrible, so I went to school and called the gas company (Con Ed) from there for my own piece of mind. Earlier that day, it had smelled like gas around the kitchen. This wasn’'t the 1st time, I didn’t think much of it. They said that the regulator in our stove wasn’t working well, so they “shut down the appliance” whatever that means. I went to my school’s health office 3 days after because I was still feeling out of it and my vision was terrible. The PA said that my respiratory system was inflamed and she could do nothing for me at this point. She said people usually go to the ER for that and she doesn’t have the tools to check my CO blood level. She said that I was going to be fine because if something was wrong, given that I waited 3 days, I would already be “drop dead” (her words).</p>

<p>Building management sent somebody to fix the stove but they did not speak English and did a poor job, or did nothing besides turning the gas on again. The next day it smelled like gas. At first my three roommates said that they personally couldn’t smell anything but after half an hour or so one of them said she did. I called Con Ed who told us that nothing had been fixed, gas was still leaking from the stove, and shut down the appliance again.</p>

<p>The thing they used to check was rusty and didn’t work so well at first, and it seems to me like they were only equipped to check for natural gas (which is I understand where the CO came from, uncombusted nat. gas), but not actual CO leaks. The Con Ed people were confused as to why my CO alarm went of in the first place and said that it was probably a coincidence, which shows that obviously they had no idea about anything at all. The building management got us a new stove and somebody from Con Ed came again to turn the gas on (I told the people building management sent not to turn it on that time), but apparently it was “missing some parts” including a regulator so it’s not working at the moment. </p>

<p>I am writing this because I am sitting in my room (which I should mention is right next to the stove, my bed literally 2 ft away, but there a wall in between) and I have a headache, chest pain, and I’m out of breath. This makes no sense because we don’t even have a working stove right now, my three roommates feel absolutely great, and the alarm is not going on. I’m not sure what to make of this situation, and I have no idea how to evaluate for sure whether or not there is CO in my apartment right now and if I’m getting poisoned or not. I’m so tired because haven’t slept well in weeks since I keep thinking what if I get badly poisoned during the night and never wake up. So I have to wait until I just can’t keep my eyes open to sleep, or stay up and power nap at school later. I don’t even know what to do. Building management is clueless, the school PA was unhelpful, and Con Ed doesn’t have the tools to check CO levels. What am I supposed to do? I’m international, my parents live so far, they can’t come and help, or generally navigate the US building management/gas system.</p>

2

<p>First, get out of that room ASAP Go to the actual hospital/ER if possible. After that, Consider contacting the local health department or possibly the fire department.</p>

3

<p>Please go to a hospital! Do some checkups please! Hope you get well soon,</p>

4

<ol>
<li>Go to ER. They can check for CO levels. If your CO is normal, then they can rule out other diagnosis such as panic attack, etc.</li>
<li>Go to a hardware store and buy your own CO alarm ($8) and a battery ($2). For $10, you can put your own CO monitor (brand new) in your bedroom. $10 is worth your piece of mind, and you can take the CO monitor with you to your next place.</li>
</ol>

5

<p>First and foremost, if you are symptomatic then by all means get yourself thoroughly checked out at the ER!!!</p>

<p>Second, get a good CO detector. I have one that plugs in and measures the levels of CO displaying the reading onscreen and it cost around $40-$50. </p>

<p>I had a CO scare after Hurricane Sandy when a contractor was drying out my home. I knew the levels were high enough for an alarm but not high enough to kill me but it was terrifying and it took me a long time to feel safe in my own home again. I’m also prone to nighttime anxiety attacks and can tell you that medication usually helps with that.</p>

<p>Please let us know how you are doing!</p>

6

<p>Go to an ER. Not any other kind of medical facility.</p>

<p>If you go somewhere else, they probably won’t be able to do the necessary blood test, and you’ll end up in an ER as your second stop. Waste of time.</p>

<p>There may very well be a CO problem in your apartment. It’s also possible that you’re having anxiety attacks – but that’s a legitimate medical problem, too, that would need treatment. And it’s also possible that your symptoms are due to some other medical problem. In any case, what you need is information, and going to the ER is your first step toward getting it. </p>

7

<p>First of all, get checked out physically. Doubt very much that there is a CO problem with the stove. If the stove is not connected, there is no CO. Con Ed treats CO problems and gas leaks as a number 1 priority and always checks CO level as they should have when it was first reported. Call 311 to report building management to the City. </p>

8

<p>You can buy a combination natural gas/carbon monoxide detector like this:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Kidde-KN-COEG-3-Nighthawk-Monoxide-Explosive/dp/B0002EVNJ6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1392909734&sr=8-4&keywords=natural+gas+detector”>http://www.amazon.com/Kidde-KN-COEG-3-Nighthawk-Monoxide-Explosive/dp/B0002EVNJ6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1392909734&sr=8-4&keywords=natural+gas+detector&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Something else you should check (this comes to mind because you still smelled gas after the new stove was installed). The gas leak may be coming from the location where the stove connects to the gas line - probably behind the stove (if the stove pulls out), or under the counter (if there is a cabinet there and the stove is attached to the counter). Often, installers will use the same connector, which are notorious for leaking if they’ve been loosened/tightened several times. There should be an on/off lever near the valve - make sure the lever is in the off position (“off” is perpendicular to the pipe, “on” is parallel to the pipe). If the lever is in the off position, you shouldn’t smell gas. If the lever is in the on position and you smell gas, but the stove is “off,” the leak is probably at the valve and it should be replaced. I’ve had similar problems with my outdoor natural gas grill and pool heaters, so I’m now in the habit of turning the valve to the off position when they are not in use. If the valve is in the off position and you still smell gas, it’s a major code violation and you should have the landlord replace the valve ASAP.</p>

9

<p>Here is my own experience with my CO2 leaks. This went on for year: Sometimes when I am in a room next to where to my stove locates, I would get a weird feeling in my head, it’s not a headache, it’s like something has triggered my brain and made me feel like I wasn’t thinking correctly. It also gives me tingling sensations in my head. I just thought it was just me feeling tired. All that time, I have never owned a CO2 alarm detector, only a fire alarm detector.
Then one year, my fire alarm broke and I had to buy a new one. Luckily, the person who was shopping with me, suggested that I buy a CO2/fire alarm detector, which would cost more but it’s safer. Now up until now, I had no clue that there was CO2 leaks in my house…
Long story short, took it home, hung in up on the wall, within days, that baby went off a few times, for about 2 seconds each time, and then it would stop on its own… as of the CO2 leak was gone or the detector was defective, or the batteries were no good. .
So I replaced the batteries.
I called a good friend who is a fireman, and was told that I needed “air in- air out” method. That I need to open 2 windows or 2 doors and let the air circulates.
He also said that if it happens again, get out of the house immediately, and call the fire department. DO NOT GO BACK INTO THE HOUSE until they tell you it’s safe.
Sure enough, a week later, the CO2 detector went off again and it was continuous. It was in the middle of the night - good thing I was awake.
Thank God I was educated by my fireman friend on what to expect from CO2 leaks, the danger and how long I have to get out of the house. I knew this was the “ONE”, so immediately, I woke up my children and got them out of the house. I called the fire department from across the street.
The fire department came and the two firemen, in their CO2 special suits, masks and CO2 meter, went in my house and within 30 seconds, a fireman ran out of my house and said : “Holy ■■■■!”.
That night, we learned that had I not been awake, my family would’ve been dead from the CO2 poisoning.
Not to try to scare you but if you feel that you are having problems with CO2 leaks, get a second CO detector to make sure that the 1st one is not faulty, and then call the fire department.
My CO2 leaks came from the stove. It was hard to tell because every time I got that weird tingling sensation in my head, I would open the windows, thinking i just need some fresh air, so the CO2 has never had a chance to build up to a high level until the weather got colder, and I was forced to keep the windows closed.
I got a BRAND new stove and had a fireman checked for CO2 level again, and was told it’s safe now.</p>

10

<p>Also, unlike natural gas, CO2 has no odor so that’s what makes it so dangerous. My CO2 leaks were from a bad burner on my stove. Each time I cooked (and I cooked a lot), it would release CO2…CO2 could also come from a bad gas furnace or a bad water heater in the basement…</p>

11

<p>Go get checked out at the ER and do buy a good CO2 monitor.</p>

<p>Most states (I don’t live in NY) have laws about your landlord maintaining a habitable living environment in any apartment they rent. That includes heat, water, etc. and would include no CO2 leaks. Look up what your rights are. If the CO2 monitor shows high levels, then contact the landlord and tell him to get it fixed right now. Just removing the CO2 monitor batteries and throwing them away is irresponsible and may even be in violation of the law (although hard to prove; his word against yours as he will probably deny what he did). If you get no satisfaction from the landlord, contact the proper authorities.</p>

12

<p>You need to be checked out medically. It could be you having a current unrelated problem. Or it could just be after effecs from the gas leak. I am a landlord. The landlord needs to get a plumber out there (they are licensed for gas lines)immediately and replace whatever is leaking. This is dangerous for you. </p>

<p>Email the landlord RIGHT NOW and ask that a licensed plumber come replace whatever is leaking because you are experiencing CO2 effects. You might buy another CO2 monitor and see if that goes off as well. </p>

<p>Put EVERYTHING in writing. No calls to the landlord. </p>

<p>If the landlord ignores you, contact code enforcement and I never recommend that lightly. But your life could be at stake here. </p>

<p>I’m an electric stove user and I like it that way. </p>

13

<p>Thanks! I think it was CO not CO2 (carbon monoxide, not dioxide). Does it seem silly to go to the ER for something that doesn’t seem like an emergency though? I also know that ER fees are really high here and I’m just a college student. My roommates feel great and as far as I know the neighbors haven’t had problems. You are right, I should buy a CO detector for my room. Thanks.</p>

<p>Yes, we e-mailed the landlord a bunch of times, which is when they sent the plumber that didn’t do anything, and then sent the stove that was missing parts. We are not under a lease anyways. The lease ended in August 2013, and we were offered to renew it, so we said yes, but they never sent us the lease renewal form until we asked for it in January 2014. It’s still sitting on my desk, unsigned. So I don’t think they even have any responsibility towards us.</p>

14

<p>As Lana said, only natural gas would have an odor that you would pick up on. </p>

15

<p>

Are you paying rent or just squatting illegally? If you’re paying rent, you’re a month-to-month tenant and the landlord has the same responsibilities to you as any other tenant. </p>

<p>I understand that you are concerned about costs of the ER or any other medical provider, but as a student, aren’t you required to have health insurance? </p>

16

<p>Others are providing you better advice than I could for what to do about this problem, I don’t know much about this stuff. But I wanted to point out that different people have different sensitivities to gas. We had a gas leak in our garage when we moved in that both my fiance and our home inspector missed. I could smell it plain as day and was getting sick whenever I went into the garage. Even the guy from the gas company said I was nuts at first when he stood next to the pipe, but when he used his sensor it turned out there was gas.</p>

17

<p>I do have the school insurance and my parents’ insurance from their work, which works internationally, but it seems like they would only pay for ER visit for actual emergencies, wouldn’t they? What if I show up there and I’m just fine. It would seem embarrassing, maybe. Do you know if there is some a type of physician that I could call and make an appointment and they could check CO blood levels? It wouldn’t feel quite as dramatic as the ER.
We pay rent, it’s all very legit. We found the place through a broker, it’s a pretty nice student area (Morningside Heights for those who know NYC). Thank you so much!</p>

18

<p><a href=“http://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=urgent_care&find_loc=Morningside+Heights%2C+Manhattan%2C+NY”>http://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=urgent_care&find_loc=Morningside+Heights%2C+Manhattan%2C+NY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>go to this urgent care center.</p>

19

<p>Aftr you get back from the ER, stop at a hardware store along the way. Or order one from Amazon. In my quick search, I found three main brands: Kidde, First Alert, and Flourean. They’re probably very similar and all cost about $20-30. <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-CO615-Monoxide-Plug-In/dp/B000Q5VMKG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392931807&sr=8-2&keywords=carbon+monoxide+alarm”>http://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-CO615-Monoxide-Plug-In/dp/B000Q5VMKG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392931807&sr=8-2&keywords=carbon+monoxide+alarm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

20

<p>Vinny, this IS an emergency. You need to be checked out by a facility that is equipped to deal with poisonings and other issues, either an ER or a clinic that handles work-related accidents like chemical spills for local companies. </p>