BOONE, N.C. - A faulty pool water heater was the source of carbon monoxide that killed an 11-year-old boy at a North Carolina hotel last weekend and a couple who slept in the same room about two months earlier, police said Wednesday. Plumbing and other investigators who looked into the Best Western Plus Blue Ridge Plaza pointed to the water heater located beneath room 225 as the source of the killer gas, Boone police said in a statement. "The exhaust system for the pool water heater had multiple deficiencies," police said. The deadly gas from the faulty water heater was able to seep into the room through an opening under the gas fireplace unit and the wall-mounted heating and air-conditioning unit, police said. Carbon monoxide killed Jeffrey Williams, 11, of Rock Hill, S.C., on Saturday. His 49-year-old mother, Jeannie Williams, was rushed to a hospital and survived. That came nearly two months after carbon monoxide in the same room killed 73-year-old Daryl Dean Jenkins and 72-year-old Shirley Mae Jenkins of Longview, Wash.READ: Hotel deaths highlight often undetected killer

It was not until Monday that test results confirmed what caused the deaths of Daryl and Shirley Jenkins. According to CBS affiliate WBTV, family members say they waited weeks for the results to come back and that if the results hadn't taken so long, the problem could have been fixed or the room could have remained closed. Investigators reportedly say they had been requesting the results from the State Medical Examiner's office for weeks but got no response. A voice mail message left Wednesday at the offices of Appalachian Hospitality Management, which runs the hotel, was not returned. A man answering the phone Tuesday told The Associated Press that company executives were referring questions to the Boone police. Local health inspectors checked the hotel pool six weeks before anyone died, but the scope of their review didn't include investigating for the poisonous gas by checking the water heater, the Appalachian District Health Department said in a statement Tuesday.

During a March 6 inspection, a health inspector noted that the hotel violated a safety rule requiring ventilation of storage rooms where pool chemicals are stored. The statement quoted the inspector's report as saying the room's ventilation problem "needs to be corrected ASAP." The hotel was not fined and did not face other consequences, but the chemical storage was to be revisited at the next inspection, health department spokeswoman Jennifer Greene said in an email to The AP. Inspections are conducted at least twice a year, Greene said. According to WBTV, the water heater, which was found to be the source of the carbon monoxide leak, hadn't been inspected since the hotel was built in 2000. Officials told the station there is nothing that requires the heater to be inspected. The station also reports that carbon monoxide detectors are not required in hotels located in North Carolina. Police officials reportedly say authorities have been in contact with the District Attorney's Office and police have not ruled out possible charges.

The hotel has been closed by police and investigators want anyone who stayed in room 225 at the Best Western Plus Blue Ridge Plaza in Boone, N.C. to contact them by calling 828-268-6900 or emailing Sgt. Matt Stevens at matt.stevens@townofboone.net.energy lab air handling unit plete coverage of the N.C. hotel deaths on Crimesidertax credits for new ac units 2012 Hotel Solves Severe Heat and Humidity Problem with Equipment Upgradeage of ac unit serial number A popular coastal-area hotel struggled for years with a heat a humidity problem so severe it seemed insurmountable. Clothes washers, dryers, and dishwashers raised the temperatures in the surrounding areas to more than 100 degrees. The business began to think more broadly in terms of overall energy use and future needs, rather than staying in survival mode.

Once their laundry and kitchen problems were solved, they installed heat pumps in their pool. Problem: Unhappy employees and high maintenance costs The excess heat was costly for the business in many areas: • Employee turnover escalated • Work quality suffered along with product quality • Expensive phone and computer equipment required constant maintenance and often failed Before turning to Georgia Power for help, the hotel had tried several solutions, including fans and opening doors to air-conditioned offices — but conditions were still unbearable. They had also installed costly, custom-built dryer ventilation hoods, but the dryer elements burned out. Solution: Advice from Georgia Power finally leads to heat pumps as the answer Skeptical at first, hotel management finally integrated two, 750 gallon, four-ton heat pump water heaters with their eight-ton air conditioning units. Heat pump water heaters reroute heat generated by equipment such as washers, dryers, and air conditioners and use it to heat water.

The results are cooler surroundings and a cheaper, more efficient way to water heater. Results: Big savings and a turnaround in employee morale In addition to providing thousands of dollars in annual savings, many other major problems were solved: • Temperatures in laundry and dishwashing areas dropped immediately from 100 degrees to 75 degrees • Humidity fell dramatically • Employee turnover dropped, with employees actually asking to be placed in laundry and dishwashing • Higher productivity, performance, and quality • Greatly reduced maintenance costs for computer and telephone equipment The hotel also took advantage of an incentive from Georgia Power, which helped offset the upfront equipment cost by almost $2,000. If you have an energy-related challenge or simply want to learn more about how to save energy and reduce costs, contact us today. One of our expert business advisors will listen closely to your needs and offer practical advice and solutions.