Who can spot the cheese?

[Bob Harper]

Stay Safe From Carbon Monoxide, 23 Virginia Tech Students Were Sickened By Exposure - CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/21/earlyshow/contributors/emilysenay/main3188810.shtml)

Who can tell me what's wrong with this story and why it is just so much cheese?
Bob

[Richard Rushing]

Couldn't find the clip, "The Fan" :confused:

rr

[Jerry Peck]

Couldn't find the clip, "The Fan" :confused:

rr

I had to click on it, close it, then click on it again for it to open. The first time it was just a blank dark screen, the second time it opened.

I think she was carrying two 50 pound blocks of cheese, or was that something else?

[Bob Harper]

I changed the link straight to CBS News instead of going through Comcast The Fan, which rolled it other stories. Sorry.
Bob

[David Banks]

Is this what you mean?
Authorities believe the Virginia Tech students breathed in carbon monoxide that leaked into their building through a faulty valve on a gas-fired water heater.

[Jerry McCarthy]

Bob
I didn't download your clip, but I did hear the story and somebody is either dumb or making it up as they go? Carbon monoxide escapes from flue venting systems, not valves. Gas escapes from valves and unless they are talking about intestinal gas escaping from a sphincter valve I say that's the cheese.

[Jerry Peck]

Got it this time.

"Authorities believe the Virginia Tech students breathed in carbon monoxide that leaked into their building through a faulty valve on a gas-fired water heater."

I didn't know they had valves on water heaters which controlled the flow of carbon monoxide. Learning something new everyday. ;)

[DavidR]

What's sad is those students will probably be dumped right back into that building without the true cause ever being known or found.
A properly tuned appliance will not be producing levels that high so it's obvious they are not testing at the source.

Hey! Let's ventilate the place then everything will be okay. :rolleyes:

Oh wait, they will install UL 2034 rated alarms in those buildings and everyone will be safe now. :rolleyes:

It will take a higher body count before people start to listen. :mad:

[Bob Harper]

The latest buzz on this case is the TPR valve on the water heater stuck open causing the unit to continually flood with cold water so it fired continually. Ok, so even if this unti gets really cold and makes some CO, why didn't the excess CO exhaust up the stack? There was also mention about all four doors being closed. Sounds like they may have had makeup air issues along with more. Again, the worst part of this is as David said, we won't know the truth because nobody who knows what they are doing is responding that we know of and won't make their findings public all the while, these students will be allowed back in with a bunch of junk CO alarms to "protect" them.

The video clip missed so many good opportunities such as recommending combustion analysis testing by someone who knows what they are doing and equipped to respond to it and more clearly expressing the need to a thorough annual inspection, service, and testing. Lastly, get rid of those UL 2034 alarms and get low level CO monitors.

Just another fluff piece...

[Jerry Peck]

David or Bob,

Because you (either of you) know much more about this than the rest of us do (at least than I do), why not e-mail that reporter with an explanation of what and why they do should what they should do, and why they should not do what they are likely to do?

It should make for an interesting exchange and may lead to a more public expose' on what needs to be addressed, and, you may get some good exposure on this for yourself.

[DavidR]

David or Bob,

Because you (either of you) know much more about this than the rest of us do (at least than I do), why not e-mail that reporter with an explanation of what and why they do should what they should do, and why they should not do what they are likely to do?

It should make for an interesting exchange and may lead to a more public expose' on what needs to be addressed, and, you may get some good exposure on this for yourself.

I have done a lot of that Jerry and have not once received a reply, still not a reason to give up though.

I have a plan going with a friend of mine who was "converted" if you will who is the chief with the local fire dept.

Our plan is to get in touch with the media and do some CO alarm testing under a fire dept controlled environment being measured by me.

Then to see when the alarms go off versus the low level monitors, I hope they go for it.

[Jerry Peck]

I hope they go for it.

I hope so too, but ... :)

... in the mean time, see if that news lady wants to 'milk her story some more' and give you some air time.

It just might help the cause.