A Stark County family was grateful for an alarm they've had for years and said it saved their lives, because you can't see carbon monoxide and you can't smell it, but it can be lethal.
When the Plain Township Fire Department showed up at the Ziegler family's house, they detected a more than 400 parts per million carbon monoxide reading.
Gary Zeigler told newsnet5.com his carbon monoxide detector made all the difference for his family.
"That carbon monoxide detector saved my family's life, or saved us from getting very ill," Zeigler said.
He said he plugged the detector in nine years ago and when he heard the alarm coming from behind the curtain, he said he didn't realize what it was. Once he did, he dialed 911 immediately.
Zeigler said the fire department arrived in minutes.
"They were here in five minutes and as soon as they walked in with the detector, I knew one of the firemen, he said Gary you have to leave. This house is dangerous," he said.
Zeigler said a hairline crack inside a part of their furnace filled the home with carbon monoxide, but he never would've known if it weren't for the detector.
"You don't know it's there, it's like a silent killer," Zeigler said.
Deputy Chief Chuck Shalenberger, from the Plain Township Fire Department, said the level inside the house was potentially lethal.
"Exposure to that type of levels, like an overnight period of that, could be deadly," Shalenberger said.
Plain Township fire officials said the family got lucky, but told newsnet5.com it could really happen to anyone.
"If you have a furnace or a hot water heater, this could happen to you?" we asked.
"That is correct, yup!"
Fire officials recommended every house have at least one carbon monoxide detector.
