Today in "Mistakes You Never, Ever Want to Make," a recent post on the r/Answers subreddit attracted concern from many fellow users after the original poster relayed their story of accidentally leaving a gas stove on overnight.
Thankfully, as evidenced by the existence of the post, this user escaped serious injury or death but still appeared shaken up by the experience, and came to Reddit mostly to ask questions.
"I have no idea how I didn't notice I did this, but now I'm paranoid that I'm gonna make this mistake again one day and something bad will happen," they wrote. "I was so scared while I was opening windows and waiting for it to dissipate … What are the real chances of me actually dying from this mistake? Is there enough gas coming out to cause any kind of fire/explosion after 12 hours?"
This Redditor is right to be worried and to not take their survival for granted because most household appliances that use gas contain carbon monoxide, which can pose serious health risks.
Famously referred to as a "silent killer," carbon monoxide's odorless and colorless nature more or less renders it impossible to detect, and even low amounts of exposure to the gas can pose risks of serious illness or death. Relatedly, gas appliances in general are much more reliant on harmful chemicals such as carbon monoxide, which can contribute to air pollution.
However, there are solutions and alternatives to these dangers. Switching to electric appliances eliminates the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning entirely while also improving indoor air quality.
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For instance, electric or induction stoves and heat pumps can provide a safer alternative without compromising performance. And if price is an issue in purchasing energy-efficient items, you can still purchase prevention and detection devices such as carbon monoxide alarms.
Many commenters on this story responded with worry and an almost parental sense of concern for the original poster.
"Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. This is a mistake you never want to make again," read a top response, which then went on to recommend a brand of CO detectors in case the OP was "concerned that [they] might do this again."
"To echo the general reaction: this is a doozy. Especially if you live in a condo," another commenter stated. "This could happen to anyone, so don't beat yourself up and be grateful nothing bad happened."
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