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Question:

Would my water heater trigger my smoke detector?

OK, so we just moved in to this new apartment, and we used the tub to take baths, but the hot water runs out mid-way through the bath (and even in a shower!). Yesterday, I took a half-hot, half-cool shower (LOL) and afterwards (about 5 minutes later or so) the smoke detector above the door in the bedroom where the water heater is (in the closet) starts going off. I couldn't smell anything strange or smokey or anything that would set off the detector. I fanned it, and it shut off. I told our maintenance guy about it, and he came and turned up the temp on the water heater (he said it was down WAY low), and he chalked the smoke alarm off as a malfunctioning/old smoke detector.Do you think the water heater would've triggered the smoke detector, even though *I* couldn't smell anything? Or, do you think he's right, in that the detector was malfunctioning.None of the other detectors in the house went off (there's one in each bedroom).It's an electric water heater, not gas.

Answer:

Carbon monoxide (CO) binds to hemoglobin (which carries oxygen in the blood) stronger than oxygen binds hemoglobin. In CO poisoning, the persons hemoglobin molecules bind CO and as a result, less hemoglobin is able to bind oxygen. Consequently, there is a massive decrease in oxygen availability and delivery to the tissues, including the brain. A person begins to feel nausea, confusion, sleepy, headaches and can eventually faint and go into a coma. If they are not given 100% oxygen via mask soon, they can die. CO poisoning often occurs from huge fires or from faulty heaters that do not fully combuste gas. CO poisoning is treated with 100% oxygen via face mask and in extreme cases, a hyperbaric O2 chamber. Both of these treatments will displace CO from hemoglobin, allowing hemoglobin to bind again to oxygen.
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