OK, so the house gas bills were high. Everything's going up, right? That's just the way it is...or so I thought. Little did I know that Dad and I could have died just a couple of weeks ago.

It's funny. We get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, and we sometimes take our surroundings for granted. The boiler was working fine, right? It was properly vented through the chimney anyway, right? The gas pipes had been checked "not long ago," right? Dad thought he caught a whiff of something down in the basement, but after all, it was the basement, and basements are, after all, basements. As for me, I had no sense of smell anyway. What was there to think about?

Well, fortunately, we were able to think again...and thank God, we had the time to think.

It started out with a written notice on the side door that the gas meter had to be read inside the house at least once a year. So I called the representative of the company inspecting meters for Dominion, and he arrived to read the meter. He also had a sniffer device which detected a gas leak, so Dominion came out.

Turns out there was not only a leak from the street side (with gas going up the wall!) but also inside our home. Fortunately, we had insurance with the gas company to cover the expenses of the extensive repairs that followed. (If you are a Lakewood homeowner, don't let another day go by before checking with your gas company about obtaining this type of line insurance!) And by the way, thanks to Dominion for coordinating all those contractors for the quick repair of our gas-related troubles!

Our home was built in 1909. These gas lines of ours were ancient, and they utilized water-type valves to open and close the lines. These were replaced and new fittings secured. You can tell if your gas line has these water valves because they look like little steering wheels. New gas valves are red-handled and look like levers.

But the crisis was not over yet. After the lines had been tested, the gas company guy began to relight the appliances. When he lit the boiler, he observed a flickering orange flame that signifies an unhealthy burn of the fuel. His carbon monoxide detector immediately went into the danger zone.

Dick Slife and company were at the house in no time (thanks, Dick, Dave, Bruce and Al!). But even after the boiler was carefully cleaned, the carbon monoxide levels still registered too high, so it had be carried out.

We were fortunate that someone did not have to carry Dad and me out.

In the case of our home, and I would suspect in many Lakewood homes, older furnaces, boilers, stoves, and other appliances using kerosene, propane, or natural gas need to be checked to see whether they are in good working order and are safely burning their fuels. A new furnace or boiler, by the way, should pay for itself with the money you will save by its efficiency. The new 90%+ efficiency boiler unit that we ordered doesn't even need a chimney, as it vents out the side of our house.

Carbon monoxide is a natural by-product of burning carbon-based fuels, whether in your car, your factory, or your home. In the best-case scenario, the gas is mostly vented out your chimney or exhaust, and away from you and yours. As you are no doubt aware, however, the emissions from all of these carbon-based combustions put together have become a topic of world-wide controversy in an effort to discover a cleaner form of energy.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can be deadly. The gas is colorless and odorless. I would think there are many Lakewood homes having older furnaces or boilers giving off too much carbon monoxide. This situation can also combine with your chimney's condition and whether there's a good enough updraft permitting gases to escape. When some old furnaces and boilers start up, there can also be a time period between the start-up and the heat rising where excess carbon monoxide can form in your home.

This poisoning can cause any number of difficulties with your physical well-being, according to the numerous articles I've been reading lately concerning this topic. This poisoning can also cause you to go to sleep forever...

Carbon monoxide detectors are an inexpensive way to detect problems. Be sure to have one or more on hand. They are available at home and drug stores.

Thankfully, I'm older and hopefully wiser than I was a few weeks ago. Dad and I still have our house and our health. Better check your own home out for the life and health of your family. For the pulse of this city to work, your own pulse needs to keep beating!