Carbon monoxide leaking from a swimming pool heater exhaust pipe hospitalized 16 guests—and killed one—at a West Virginia Holiday Inn Express early in 2012. No carbon monoxide detector sounded because there were no carbon monoxide detectors in the hotel. While carbon monoxide detectors have become increasingly common in homes in the past decade—I have one in my home—you usually don’t see them in hotels. State and local fire codes rarely require them.
Learning that made me want to travel with a portable carbon monoxide detector.
“You certainly could do that,” says Robert E. Solomon, division manager for Building and Life Safety Codes at the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association. “Another option is to call various hotels before making reservations to see if they have carbon monoxide detectors.”
Two circumstances where hotel carbon monoxide detectors are particularly important…
In a room equipped with a fuel-burning device, such as a wood-burning stove or gas fireplace. Don’t let this fuel-burning device operate through the night if there’s no carbon monoxide detector in the room.
In a motel room that opens onto an enclosed parking area. You could be in danger if a vehicle is left running.
Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so without a detector, victims often don’t realize they are in danger. If a carbon monoxide alarm does sound—or symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness and/or confusion suggest a possible carbon monoxide leak—get to fresh air quickly.
