‘We’re just super lucky’: A close encounter with carbon monoxide

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A man with short grey hair and glasses in a blue suit stands with a street behind him, holding a CO alarm

For weeks, Ross Carolan and his family felt sick but didn’t know why. 

Ross, his wife and their two young children were all feeling lethargic and coughing. Even their cat was irritable instead of her usual friendly self. 

This was in fall 2022. In what seemed like an unrelated issue at the time, the humidifier on Ross’s furnace had been leaking water, so he contacted a plumbing and heating company.

This call may have saved their lives. 

The furnace technician used a Gas Measurement Instrument and found the furnace room contained 385 parts per million (ppm) of carbon monoxide (CO) — a life-threatening level. Ross was stunned. 

“I was terrified of the danger my family was in,” says Ross, a SaskEnergy employee who lives in Regina. “I think we’re just super lucky we had someone who decided to go to the next level and not just focus on my humidifier. I really think this person saved my family’s life.” 

Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless, tasteless and invisible gas that occurs when fuel is combusted. Any appliance that burns fuel can cause CO buildup. This includes natural gas furnaces and water heaters. 

The technician could tell Ross’s furnace wasn’t working properly because the pilot light was orange instead of blue. This is just one sign of CO around appliances.

Physical symptoms of low exposure to CO can be mistaken for flu-like symptoms. High exposure to CO can be lethal and cause memory loss, loss of consciousness, loss of vision, chest pains and more. 

A CO alarm is the most reliable way to detect CO in your home. CO alarms are designed to sound when CO is present. 

There are smoke detectors that double as CO alarms. Ross thought he had this kind of alarm in his house, but he was mistaken. 

“After this experience, I bought and installed four CO detectors — one for near the furnace room, one on the main floor, one outside the kids’ bedroom, and one outside the master bedroom. I test them once a month and they are extremely loud, which is good!” says Ross. 

“This entire experience was very humbling for parents who are really trying to keep their kids safe,” adds Ross. “Trying to forgive my ignorance of the dangers of CO is one of the hardest things.”

Learn more about CO signs, symptoms and safety tips.