A woman was sure the ghost of her father-in-law was haunting her house after unusual events but the real reason behind the strange happenings could have put her life in danger.
Emma Reid, 57, began to hear mysterious sounds in her home and her first thought was that it was a ghost.
After months of hearing odd whispers, Ms Reid and her daughter discovered the noises were coming from a defective boiler which was leaking carbon monoxide.
Ms Reid’s father-in-law had lived with them in the property and so they attributed the unusual events to his spirit as things began to change in their house after his passing.
One time, Ms Reid’s 12-year-old daughter was locked out due to a broken key in the lock. After her mum returned home, they entered the property to find a smell of gas after their cat had knocked the stove on. If Ms Reid’s daughter had switched on the light, it could have resulted in an explosion, reports Stoke-on-Trent Live.
After this, strange occurrences continued but the family continued to live with the sounds as they believed it was the spirit of Ms Reid’s father-in-law.
However, what they believe to be paranormal activity was actually extremely dangerous, reports Wales Online.
The boiler in the property was releasing carbon monoxide.
“We were lucky,” admitted Ms Reid. “What we thought was a ghost could have been a real threat to our safety.”
Carbon monoxide is a hazardous gas, it can cause severe health problems if inhaled, and is produced by fires and devices that burn fuels such as gas, wood, oil, or coal. As it is colourless and odourless, its presence can go undetected.
This experience shows the importance of ensuring your boiler is safe and getting regular maintenance checks on it.
October marks the peak of boiler breakdown season, with Checkatrade finding a 76% increase in requests for boiler services from September to October last year, reports Stoke-on-Trent Live.
Emma Grant, Head of Trade Experience at Checkatrade, said: “Many homeowners underestimate the importance of regular maintenance, which can prevent dangerous situations like gas leaks and carbon monoxide exposure.
“As we enter the peak season for boiler breakdowns, Checkatrade urges all homeowners to schedule a professional boiler service with a trusted tradesperson to ensure their safety during the colder months.”
If you haven’t had your boiler checked in a while, now is the time to make sure you schedule a boiler service with a Gas Safe-registered professional.
You can also buy a carbon monoxide detector to measure levels of the dangerous gas in your home.