Do I have to worry about Carbon Monixide?

There's a smell coming from my basement - it smells like lighter fluid and charcoal burning. Do I need to worry about carbon monixed poisoning? Or can I go to sleep with my AC on and my windows closed?

 

No. I would not go to sleep until I had that checked out.

At the very least, go down there with a fire extinguisher. You might even want to call the fire department.

 

CO is odorless, so it's probably not that.

 

The flames, however, you might want to call someone....

 

No flames ... it just smells weird.

Everything I've read says odorless ... I just want to make sure I can sleep with my AC on because it is H-O-T and humid.

 

Okay, Rhody, let me spell this out for you.

SOMETHING IN YOUR BASEMENT MIGHT BE BURNING!!!

At the very least, you need to go down there and figure out where it's coming from. If you don't see any flames at first glance, start checking the walls.

And take your cell phone with you — not a cordless phone tied into the house line.

Go.

 

The smell has been in the house all day. I'm pretty sure if something was burning, the house would be burned down by now.
Already talked to my landlord. The kid in my duplex - who is partially our handyman - went downstairs and we couldn't find anything.
I promise you, if I was on fire, I would know .....

 

I'd sleep calmly tonight, but I'd be sure to get it checked out tomorrow. Why CO is odorless whatever is emitting those fumes could eventually emit CO. I'd be sure to find out what is releasing those smells.

 

It's coming from the water heater downstairs ... hopefully it won't blow up tonight ...

 

Go to your breaker panel and flip the water heater's breaker.

Tomorrow, get your landlord to have it fixed.

 

Check for an electrical fire. That could originate anywhere, obviously ... the easy place to start looking is the fusebox, but it could flare up anywhere.

 

Gas water heater?

If so, call the landlord, gas company and keep the fire department in mind.