WHY is there a vent in my hotel room door? Carbon monoxide poisoning?

[Anonymous]

I'm staying in these bungalows/cabins from the 1930s, in New Mexico. My room has been freezing and I blasted the heat, but it wouldn't warm up. I went to the door to check if there was something open, and sure enough there is a vent at the bottom, a few inches wide.

The door is old and I think from the original construction. But now I'm freaked out because the heating system has a warning that it "needs ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning." (the heating system is obviously fairly recent/modern)

I went and asked the hotel manager and she said the heaters have chimneys (which it appears to have) but now I'm kind of freaked out of dying of carbon monoxide poisoning, because she didn't even seem aware of the door vent!

So anyway... am I overthinking this and I'll be fine? Or is there a necessary reason for the vent and me covering it with a blanket is a bad idea (she told me I could)? Without covering it the room is like 10 degrees...

[Anonymous]

Can you change rooms?

[Anonymous]

Next time, stay at a Holiday Inn Express.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you change rooms?

I already did First room had an issue and she just told me to change. I'm afraid to ask again... maybe I should though...

[Anonymous]

You are overthinking.

[Anonymous]

Only one way to find out. If you wake up in the morning, no CO gas... If you don't, well, that's no good.

[Anonymous]

No, that vent is not for CO. That makes no sense. Just cover it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, that vent is not for CO. That makes no sense. Just cover it up.

How does it make no sense? I would love someone to explain the mechanics of CO ventilation so I can understand, because it's worrying.

Also- why is it there anyway? It's not like New Mexico is balmy the whole year...

[Anonymous]

Isn't CO lighter than air?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, that vent is not for CO. That makes no sense. Just cover it up.

How does it make no sense? I would love someone to explain the mechanics of CO ventilation so I can understand, because it's worrying.

Also- why is it there anyway? It's not like New Mexico is balmy the whole year...

Because if your heating unit was pumping CO into the room, a door vent would not keep you from getting CO poisoning. That note on the unit is for the installation. Don't block anything on the heating unit and you'll be fine. Do you have anxiety issues?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, that vent is not for CO. That makes no sense. Just cover it up.

How does it make no sense? I would love someone to explain the mechanics of CO ventilation so I can understand, because it's worrying.

Also- why is it there anyway? It's not like New Mexico is balmy the whole year...

Because if your heating unit was pumping CO into the room, a door vent would not keep you from getting CO poisoning. That note on the unit is for the installation. Don't block anything on the heating unit and you'll be fine. Do you have anxiety issues?

Nope, i don't.

So you're saying that in order for the heater to have worked and passed inspection, it would HAVE to have the chimney, the door vent would not be sufficient?

No thoughts about WHY the vent is on the door then?

[Anonymous]

no smoke/CO detector in the room?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:no smoke/CO detector in the room?

There is a smoke detector... not sure if it's a CO detector too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, that vent is not for CO. That makes no sense. Just cover it up.

How does it make no sense? I would love someone to explain the mechanics of CO ventilation so I can understand, because it's worrying.

Also- why is it there anyway? It's not like New Mexico is balmy the whole year...

Because if your heating unit was pumping CO into the room, a door vent would not keep you from getting CO poisoning. That note on the unit is for the installation. Don't block anything on the heating unit and you'll be fine. Do you have anxiety issues?

Nope, i don't.

So you're saying that in order for the heater to have worked and passed inspection, it would HAVE to have the chimney, the door vent would not be sufficient?

No thoughts about WHY the vent is on the door then?

Hotel rooms are required to meet minimum ventilation standards. The vent on the door is probably a cheap way to bring the hotel rooms up to code. They have nothing to do with the heating systems ventilation needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, that vent is not for CO. That makes no sense. Just cover it up.

How does it make no sense? I would love someone to explain the mechanics of CO ventilation so I can understand, because it's worrying.

Also- why is it there anyway? It's not like New Mexico is balmy the whole year...

Because if your heating unit was pumping CO into the room, a door vent would not keep you from getting CO poisoning. That note on the unit is for the installation. Don't block anything on the heating unit and you'll be fine. Do you have anxiety issues?

Nope, i don't.

So you're saying that in order for the heater to have worked and passed inspection, it would HAVE to have the chimney, the door vent would not be sufficient?

No thoughts about WHY the vent is on the door then?

Hotel rooms are required to meet minimum ventilation standards. The vent on the door is probably a cheap way to bring the hotel rooms up to code. They have nothing to do with the heating systems ventilation needs.

Right.... and my worry is doing something (like blocking the vent) which would make the hotel room not up to code. I should think that would be obvious...