Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:34:38 -0500
Reply-To: Alan Felder <dieseldoofus@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alan Felder <dieseldoofus@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Anyone use this Heater for their Vanagon?
In-Reply-To: <5040CEDC.3070801@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
FWIW, I bought the smallest combination O2 and Smoke alarm I could find and
placed it on the passenger's side near the rear hatch on the bottom of the
overhead cabinet. I have had it go off while cooking, so I think that
location is good.
On Fri, Aug 31, 2012 at 9:49 AM, Rocket J Squirrel <
camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
> "You had a close call -- with CO, not CO2."
>
> Erp.
>
> "[Some heaters have] low-oxygen shutoffs -- not because you're running
>
> short of oxygen to breathe, but because the mixture is richening to
> where they're starting to produce excess monoxide."
>
> Gulp.
>
> "Symptoms of mild acute poisoning include lightheadedness, confusion,
> headaches, vertigo, and flu-like effects [...]"
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/**Carbon_monoxide_poisoning<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide_poisoning>
> >
>
> Fits pretty well with my memory of how I felt when I woke up. According
> to this chart <http://www.rvlifemag.com/**file363/images/rvtips363-1.gif<http://www.rvlifemag.com/file363/images/rvtips363-1.gif>
> **>
> I must have been at about 25% COHb.
>
>
> "You were probably bright cherry-red in places, since that's the color
> of carboxyhemoglobin."
>
> I'm fairly red-faced right now.
>
>
> "The poptop skylight gives a wonderful chimney effect."
>
> Chimney effect. Is that what you call it when it's 20F outside and cold
> air is falling on my head?
>
> "[...] a monoxide detector that screams good and loud is a good thing as
> well."
>
> As is possessing suffient wit to shut the heater off. But wit is
> something I don't always have in suffiency, so I'll get a CO monitor.
>
> There are considerations about types suitable for RVs and placement
> issues so I'll need to read up on all that.
>
>
> --
> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
> 1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
> Bend, Ore.
>
> On 08/30/2012 09:35 PM, David Beierl wrote:
>
>> At 08:03 PM 8/30/2012, Rocket J Squirrel wrote:
>>
>>> So -- no open window. Woke up later, in the dark, confused, nauseated,
>>> felt horrible. Saw that the heater was still glowing, opened the door,
>>> killed the heater. Within moments I was feeling better; let the place
>>> fill with sweet, sweet O2 and let the excess CO2 wash out; and went back
>>> to bed. If I hadn't woken when I did, I might never have.
>>>
>>
> [snip]
>
>
> The poptop skylight gives a wonderful chimney effect.
>>
>> Yours,
>> David
>>
>
--
Alan Felder
Austin TX
82 Diesel Westy
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