Home’s Clogged Boiler Vent Leads to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Death of Pet

Location: Smithers
Regulated industry sector: Gas - natural gas system

Incident overview

For months, a homeowner had been experiencing headaches and drowsiness. Upon returning home one day, they found their pet deceased and called local authorities to check the gas system. Upon inspection of the home’s boiler, they found that its heat exchanger and vent were clogged, preventing flue gases from properly venting outside. This resulted in high levels of carbon monoxide spilling into the home. It was later confirmed that the homeowner had been poisoned due to carbon monoxide (CO) exposure. The boiler had not received any periodic maintenance or service by a qualified individual during its many years of use and there were no carbon monoxide alarms in the home.