Twins die when heating system malfunctions

times-georgian ^ | 09.22.09 | Bennett Rolan

[101voodoo]

"This doesn’t make sense."

No it doesn't. I can't see how a heating system could make it so hot it would be fatal to a baby. Every furnace i have ever had has safety features which shut it down after it runs continuously for an abnormally long period of time(predetermined).

[Bigg Red]

Oh, dear, imagine their horror. Prayers for them.

[tommyboy]

More than likely carbom monoxide. Very sad.

[tommyboy]

carbon, sorry.

[muggs]

I manage an apartment complex with furnaces that are older. We occasionally have a relay stick and the heat will not shut off. It can get pretty hot when that happens.

[jonno]

I agree. If it was just heat, you would think those boys would have been making a ruckus at the first sign of discomfort. And if they are anything like mine, they can make alot of noise.

Plus, how hot could it have gotten overnight? They found them at 8:30am.

Regardless, a horrible tragedy...

[jonno]

hmmm.. after reconsidering my last, it occurred to me that if the HVAC units were of the “heat pump” design (common in the south) where essentially the same compressor both heats and cools, a switching malfunction is not out of the question...

Still I can’t imagine. Our 3-yr old is down sick - and spent the night with my wife so she could more easily comfort him. It’s hard enough to see your babies sick - this is so sad...

[fatboy]

When I was a kid, one of our neighbors repaired pianos that had major problems. Most of them were expensive grands that were fire damaged. I remember him telling my dad about a family that went on vacation and the heater (gas) was stuck in the on position for 2 weeks. This was in the late 60s/early 70s. The heat did alot of damage, our neighbor got a lot of work from this home, fixing 2 pianos and other furnature. I remember him showing us a lamp that was melted.

[mewzilla]

Speaking of carbon monoxide, and just for general reference...

Carbon Monoxide Detectors Different from Smoke Detectors

[4yearlurker]

This is something the parents will never forget and live with the rest of their lives. God comfort them.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Sad. RIP.

[Eaker]

Then why didn’t the story say that?

Is the entire story a lie?

Were the lab boys fooled into concocting this weird tale out of whole cloth?

[keepitreal]

I had an OEM digital thermostat get stuck on heat a few years ago, thankfully my furnace couldn't raise the temperature much above 90°, it was running continuously but it was also cold outside.

Replacing the thermostat fixed the issue. I called my HVAC people and they said that was the first time they heard of that happening with a solid-state thermostat.

A lot of thermostats, furnace motors, etc. are being made in China and Mexico now. We own an HVAC business and we have seen the quality of what were once high quality brands go way, way down.

[keepitreal]

Every furnace i have ever had has safety features which shut it down after it runs continuously for an abnormally long period of time(predetermined).

Even safeties aren't fail-safe.

[dead]

I read an article once about a rock star (I can't remember who it was now!) that lost all his career memorablia, record collection and furniture, because his heat got stuck on high when he was away from his home.

They showed all his melted records and even a plastic table that had been reduced to a puddle on the floor.

At least nobody was hurt in that story. This story is awful.

[TNdandelion]

Hmmm...It sounds like this heat situation is a gradual process. Probably longer in duration than a child left in a hot car. I'm still confused why the parents didn't hear the children in distress before it was too late.....even if they were only downstairs.

When my children were that age, they were only a couple rooms away and I could hear every noise they made. If they were too far away for me to hear if they were in distress, I would have used a baby monitor at the very least.

[dead]

Not trying to be gross or anything, but perhaps it was sort of like the slow boil effect. The heat went up gradually while they were sleeping and the kids were overcome by it without waking up.

I'm sure there will be a thorough investigation to make sure the parents weren't too screwed up to hear them.

I hope that's not the case.

[TNdandelion]

Or I hope the parents didn't medicate the children to get them to "sleep." We've had several children in my community die at bedtime because the mother went out after the children were put to bed. House fires, etc.

I hope the children didn't suffer but I don't really see how they couldn't have. :( Isn't the process similar to a heat related death from being left in a car?

[chris_bdba]

Since you are in the buisness are there any still made here?

[kerivolmert]

Do you remember details about the twins who you said died in California?