WATCH OUT!

[Fishinguy40]

I posted this a couple years ago when it happened to me. I thought it would be worthwhile to repost.

Some things to note when reading the story:

The roof vents were open.

I also opened the side window flaps for more ventillation.

Finally, any appliance that combusts fuel will produce CO (carbon monoxide). The unanswered question is how much? The buddy heaters and such that boast a safety shutoff can be misleading. They shutoff on low O2 (oxygen) not high CO. You can have high CO and still adequate oxygen levels to support combustion of a catalytic style heater. So please read and use caution .

Saturday I went ice fishing on a local lake. I was in a portable shelter with a portable propane heater and a propane lantern. I have used this same equipment for three years. The only thing different was that I recently added Reflectix, a foil coated bubble wrap insulation, to the inside roof of my portable ice shelter. The shelter is a clam style that consists of a sled and poles with canvas. I did this to help insulate and prevent condensation from forming on the inside roof, which then drips down on you.

Saturday afternoon was a warm day. It was in the high 20’s. Because of this I used the propane lantern on a low setting as a heat source instead of the portable heater. As the sun set, it got dark and cold so I fired up the portable heater and turned the lantern up for light. My daughter’s boyfriend, Chris, joined me after he got off work, around 6 pm. After fishing for awhile I began to feel a little light headed. I wasn’t sure if it was from sitting in one spot all afternoon or what but I decided to get up and out of the shelter and walk around on the ice for a few minutes to get some fresh air and to get the blood pumping. I immediately felt better.

I went back into the shelter and resumed fishing. The roof vents on the shelter were open to allow air circulation and had been open all day. As an added precaution I also open the two side windows for added air circulation. About 30 – 40 minutes later I began to feel light headed again. I got up to go outside the shelter again for fresh air. I left the door unzipped for a good exchange of air as I began to suspect carbon monoxide. I took several steps outside the shelter and felt very dizzy. I was at the point where I was stumbling and had trouble keeping my balance. I stopped and lay down on the ice. Chris came out of the shelter and said that he was feeling a little light headed just as I began vomiting, as I was lying on my side. I laid there for several minutes until I began to feel better. I was still a little queasy and Chris felt better so we decided to call it quits. We packed up the gear and went home. I felt a little light headed for awhile but once that wore off I developed a headache. At home, my wife wanted to take me to the hospital but I insisted that I felt better and reassured her that I was ok.

I suspected carbon monoxide poisoning so I did some experimenting the next day. I setup the portable ice shelter in the garage and installed a carbon monoxide detector from the house. It is the kind that has an LED readout as well as an audible alarm. I fired up the portable propane heater and put it inside the shelter. After 20 minutes the carbon monoxide detector still indicated 0 ppm. I then fired up the propane lantern and put it inside the shelter. In less than five minutes the alarm activated and the detector pegged at 999 ppm. I was surprised. I assumed that because the lantern burned so bright and hot that it had to be efficient combustion and therefore little or no carbon monoxide. I installed new mantles and tried it again. Same thing, the CO detector maxed out at 999 ppm. I tried the same thing with another lantern that I have. This one is a duel fuel lantern. It will burn unleaded gasoline or the Coleman lantern fuel. I thought for sure that this would produce carbon monoxide also but was shocked when after 20 minutes the CO detector still indicated 0 ppm.

I don’t know why the propane lantern produced such high CO levels but the heater and dual fuel lantern didn’t. Also, I don’t know if the propane lantern has always produced such high CO and the insulation that I installed helped to keep the CO in the shelter. I do know that I will never use a lantern as a heat or light source inside an enclosed space again. I will instead use battery operated lights such as LED’s. I did buy a battery operated CO detector to use in the shelter as there really aren’t any better options for heat.

I wanted to share this because I know others like to ice fish or know someone who does and many of us use similar equipment. It also brings to light just how dangerous carbon monoxide really is, whether it is at home, recreation, or at work in confined spaces. A portable CO detector is very cheap insurance and costs only $20. I highly recommend one if you are using any type of equipment that uses combustion whether it vents inside or outside the shelter.

[MN_BEEF]

Thanks for the heads up. Good thing you had someone with you to help out. Glad to hear you are ok and thanks for sharing.

[walleye44]

That is just scary.. Good tip.. I take my kids fishing all the time & never thought of that.. Thanks.

[EBass]

Great post and thanks for sharing

[CHEX1982]

Is this what you got or something similar?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kidde-Battery-Operated-Digital-Carbon-Monoxide-Alarm/10910789

...I'm getting one. Eek!

[Fishinguy40]

I got very similar for ice fishing, except it doesn't have a digital display.

[Robw]

I ran into the same thing...I used a colman propane lantern for light in my 4x8 house. The few nights that i used it i ended up light headed and got headaches, but not to the point of passing out or vomiting. I suspected it was the lantern and your test probably confirms it. Thanks for the heads up. That will stay in the garage this winter.

[marine_man]

Glad to hear you're still around!

And glad I don't use a lantern anymore... I've been very happy with LED's!

Still use a cooker heater though...

marine_man

[fishersofmen]

Thats wierd because everytime I use my lantern it puts off a strong odor and I start to feel a bit queezy. Time to go with the leds.

[bloc004]

Another symptom I have experienced when I used one of those lanterns is eyes burning

[jcb42]

probably common sense, but another thing when running sunflower heater, if you notice it start to dim in brightness or make different noises it's because the oxygen is getting low, so open the door.

[TooTallTom]

FishingGuy40, Thanks for the heads up. I've actually just been assembling parts to run a propane lantern and a sunflower head off the same bulk tank. I'll keep a close eye on that lantern, and might just retire the outfit for summer use only.

Thanks again,

Tom.

[RJMOEN]

Off topic, can we get a blown up pic of the girls washing your truck?

[KidMoe]

Fishinguy40, you are SOOO right! Seeing the results od your 'experiment' makes a ton of sense to me. i 'felt' the exact same thing with my propane compared to my buddies dual fuel lantern. This year i switched to LEDS to save propane costs, but now i have a second reason.