service call in a 4-family in union city, water heater "making a smell." basement door was shut. my CO meter started going off before i got to the bottom of the stairs. flue pipe had come apart at the chimney.
got out, got the tenants out of the first floor, called the gas company from the sidewalk. they shut it down. the super was mad at ME lol.
4 years in and never had my meter go off like that. how many of you actually carry one, and actually turn it on?
Foreman, Inside Wireman (IBEW) · 19 years · Morris County, NJ
Mentor✓ Accepted answer
Glad you're okay. What you did is the right order: get out, get others out, call the utility or 911 from outside, and don't go back in until it's been cleared. A personal CO meter is PPE, same as your glasses. Bump test or check it the way the manufacturer says, so you know it works when you need it. Different trade, same rule. Stay safe.
HVAC contractor, owner · 25 years · Middlesex County, NJ
Mentor
What every one of my techs carries on every call:
- Personal CO meter, on, before entering the basement
- Combustion analyzer on any fuel-burning work
- The gas utility's emergency number saved in the phone
And they're trained to leave first and diagnose second.
Master Plumber, second-generation shop owner · 23 years · Hudson County, NJ
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Scary one. My father had a call like that in Harrison years ago. What I'd tell a young guy: if the meter goes off, open it up, let it air out, and once the meter clears, fix the flue and get on with it.
Vo-tech instructor, plumbing & HVAC · 28 years · Passaic County, NJ
Mentor
On the bump testing Marcus mentioned: first, follow the manufacturer's calibration and bump-test schedule. It's in the manual and it's not optional. Second, a cheap meter that works beats an expensive one sitting in the truck. Third, if nobody knows when yours was last checked, assume it hasn't been. Ask me how I know.
Electrical inspector (former contractor) · 26 years · Ocean County, NJ
Mentor
Not legal advice, just how I'd look at it: once you're allowed back in, make sure the building's CO alarms are there and working. A flue that came apart at the chimney may also mean somebody did work without an inspection. Worth noting on your ticket.
Foreman, Inside Wireman (IBEW) · 19 years · Morris County, NJ
Mentor
Yes, buy your own. You won't always be standing next to your lead. And for the electricians reading: we spend plenty of time in rooms with fuel-burning equipment too, and the meter doesn't care what trade you're in.
Respectfully, Rui, I wouldn't tell a young guy that. Get out first. Let the gas company or the fire department clear the building and find the source. Then you come back. Airing it out and going back to work is how good mechanics end up in the hospital.
So this one time in AC... hotel kitchen, the exhaust fan was dead and everyone had headaches and blamed the heat lol. my meter was the only reason we figured it out. carry it everywhere
update on the super: he said i 'broke it' when i was looking at it lol. the gas company guy told him it had been off the chimney a while. he shut up after that