To All You Generator Using Ice Storm Victims (READ AND HEED)!

[drizler]

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=750136

DON'T RUN A GENERATOR IN YOUR GARAGE, Sadly 10 years ago when we had our big storm this happened more than a few times so don't think it can't happen to you. Put em out doors and leave them outdoors. Make a tee pee out of a couple small pieces of plywood like you cover your shrubs with or any creative thing that won't restrict air or catch on fire from a hot exhaust just don't run it in any part of the house which is attached. The other think that seems to kill everyone is working on downed trees or under dead limbs from them standing on slippery ice ect. Chain saws, ice and deadfalls are an accident just waiting to happen and yes a couple of you are going to die trying. Its going to happen, just don't let it be you in the paper. Sensibly you are just better off to hunker down and wait for the weather to abate, especially if you aren't the "woodsy" sort. The power company will clear the line and you can pick up the dead limbs in the Spring if need be. EMS doesn't need the business because you decided to shave with a chainsaw this afternoon due to being cooped up.
When it's all over you will notice that this stuff has happened more than a few times so don't let it happen to you. You will also notice the worst case of cabin fever you ever had. People get ugly, angry and just generally pissed off from frustration and if you haven't served on a submarine or lived in a fox hole or similar before it's all sort of overwelming because you don't really know why. It's like an itch you can't scratch. Take it easy on yourself and each other and just let it go by as best you can. When the electric crews show up offer them whatever you can spare as they work nearly continuously until it's done. It is also a nice time to check on the neighbors since they often aren't as survival oriented as others. That goes double for those in the Senior Citizen group as for some strange reason most of these fatalities fall in that fatality statistic. Disasters are a good time to just go with the flow and hunker down. These events bring out the best and worst of us often at the same time. Good luck and best wishes to all of you out there in that region.

 

[j00fek]

its disturbing to see people actually run a gasoline engine in a closed area...

 

[73blazer]

It's amazing, put people must do it.
I put a whole house propane generator in this new to us home we moved into last year.
When I unpacked it, there were giant stickers on the top "do not install in enclosed area"
The manual was peppered with warning notes "Must be installed outdoors"
Open any of the three access doors, and there are labels "Do not operate in enclosed areas"

The shear amount of warning messages, led one to believe, this must happen all the time. Even more surprising on a whole house non-portable unit.

 

[jdemaris]

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=750136

Yeah, I saw some of the stories in the Times Useless as well as the radio-warnings via WGY out of Albany.

People don't always think clearly when their house is freezing, lights aren't working, and no water coming out of the pipes. Heard someone was found dead yesterday from a barbecue grill fired up inside the house.

Power is still out here in Worcester, Otsego County, NY. I went down and check on the old lady near me - 90 years old still living in the family farmhouse - now all alone. She refuses to leave and go to a shelter because she's afraid her pipes will freeze. I walked in to talk to her and could hardly breath from the kerosene fumes. But - what are you going to do? I offered to take her somewhere and she won't leave.

On the subject of portable generators - yeah some people kill themselves with them - and some others use other methods to stay in their homes that are worse.

I'm on solar-electric here, but I just got back from helping another neighbor with my 17 KW PTO generator hooked to a little Cletrac dozer.

 

[Cearbhaill]

In any Florida city every hurricane results in the loss of at least one family either using a generator or a gas grill indoors.
These warnings cannot be mentioned often enough.

 

[bmwloco]

Just talking to the wife about how easy, relatively, we have it here in the mountains of NC. Should our power fail, no biggie. I have enough wood laid in to keep the house warm. Even a stove in the garage to take the chill off if need be. Water will flow, and we wouldn't be able to heat it as our Bosch on-demand heater venting fan would fail.

I could take a shower at the YWCA (boiler) and wife works for the VA Hospital here. It flat isn't going to "go cold".

I used to live in Vermont back in the 80's and recognize the differences. I have respect and compassion for anyone going through such troubles.

 

[labrador]

jd from Worcester NY. Two people husband and wife died


saturday in Glenville, from Carbon monoxide from their generator. I live over the hill from you in Schoharie county. We lost power Friday morning at 7:30 and just got it back tonight at 9:00 pm . Kept the house warm, without a generator, using a Jotul 550 insert with the door opened like a regular fireplace and a screen in front. Kept the temp in the house in the 60s until this morning when it went down to 54. There are many people in the county still without power and the power company that is in our area is from Michigan I guess you lost power being in Otsego county. Just had our volunteer ambulance squad respond to another carbvon monoxide event. Stay warm temps near 50 tomorrow.

 

[PunKid8888]

I am in Southeast Corner of NH, we got it pretty bad. I still have no power since thurday at 11pm (at work right now) I got a generator saturday night, house was at 40F I thought I was going to have to shut down the water, but I was able to get the Pellet stove running off the generator, The house was up to 65F this morning finally. It sits on the open deck.

 

[jdemaris]

There are many people in the county still without power and the power company that is in our area is from Michigan

Yeah, I heard about some Michigan crews coming here. Since I own a home in Michigan, I'm pretty well aware of the 700 mile drive if I cut through Canada, or 820 mile drive if I take the longer, all US route. But . . . that's for northern Michigan.

Our power was out three days. Came back on yesterday morning, but went off again around noon. Then, around midnight last night, came on again.

No big problem here. We have many backup systems. Hearthstone Mansfield wood stove, wood cook stove, Rumsford fireplace, wood-fired bake oven, three unvented propane heaters and a 1000 gallon tank, solar electric with battery backup, large wood furnace that also heats our hot water, diesel tractor, PTO generator, and a 1000 gallons of diesel fuel in storage, a lot of stacked firewood, etc.

Temps around here went from 8 degrees F to the 46 F which it is right now.

 

[colebrookman]

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=750136

Yeah, I saw some of the stories in the Times Useless as well as the radio-warnings via WGY out of Albany.

People don't always think clearly when their house is freezing, lights aren't working, and no water coming out of the pipes. Heard someone was found dead yesterday from a barbecue grill fired up inside the house.

Power is still out here in Worcester, Otsego County, NY. I went down and check on the old lady near me - 90 years old still living in the family farmhouse - now all alone. She refuses to leave and go to a shelter because she's afraid her pipes will freeze. I walked in to talk to her and could hardly breath from the kerosene fumes. But - what are you going to do? I offered to take her somewhere and she won't leave.

On the subject of portable generators - yeah some people kill themselves with them - and some others use other methods to stay in their homes that are worse.

I'm on solar-electric here, but I just got back from helping another neighbor with my 17 KW PTO generator hooked to a little Cletrac dozer.

If the 90 year old is inhaling Co, even a limited amount over a period of time she will fall asleep and never wake up. Odorless, tasteless, an invisible killer. You should contact someone to help our. We entered a house and the elderly person was heating with the gas stove oven set a 450* and a small window cracked open. This is suicide. Two deaths so far in Mass from Co, more to come as the time without electricity gets longer. If you know someone like this, Act Now, Don't wait; we do have to take care of our neighbours, even if we just call the authorities. Be safe .
Ed

 

[labrador]

As an EMT and riding for volunteer ambulance I agree. Keep an eye on the old folks and some young ones also who do not understand the danger of carbon monoxide. We lost power here in Schoharie again this morning at 7:00 but it returned later . Temps were 60 degrees in Cobleskill. I would put on photos of the ice storm if I could figure out how to get them on to the threads, as well as my chocolate lab.

 

[jdemaris]

As an EMT and riding for volunteer ambulance I agree. Keep an eye on the old folks and some young ones also who do not understand the danger of carbon monoxide. We lost power here in Schoharie again this morning at 7:00 but it returned later . Temps were 60 degrees in Cobleskill. I would put on photos of the ice storm if I could figure out how to get them on to the threads, as well as my chocolate lab.

All gone now, it was melting all night. Got really warm and windy out.

In regard to some old people, there is only so much you can do (that's probably what my kids say about me). If they're not senile, and are in their own home, you can make suggestions - but your're not going to force them to do anything. The old lady near me is living all alone in the farmhouse she was raised in as a child. Her husband died last year. She's tough and stubborn and is not apt to be told what to do by someone younger. I check on her now and then, and also keep her plowed out. Last night I called her son who's around my age at 60. He said he'd go down and check on her, and that's that. I've got no authority to go any further - nor does anyone else.

 

[DAKSY]

Our electric came on at 12:53 this afternoon...been out since early Friday... 1 maybe 2AM...
First hot shower in 4 days! Yeah, baby!
Been running the LP insert, FS stove & FP & finally found some kerosene about 25 miles from here...
Also found my single burner Butane Glowmaster so we had instant coffee & some Homemade "eggamuffins"
We, too, read about the Glenville couple...It's a shame, but people just don't think it'll happen to them...
To be honest, I was worried about the butane burner (even tho it was only on long enough to cook with!) & the KeroSun!
People wonder why our company refuses to touch vent-free products...
I always tell them "they vent an acceptable amount of CO into the home.
We consider anything more than ZERO as unacceptable..."

 

[KateC]

My honey got home from work tonight and told me a friend he works with got woken up by his kids vomiting and complaining of headaches----their bedrooms are in a raised ranch just above the attached garage he was running the generator in----family of four thisclose to DEAD----so next time he thinks to goof on me for being so anal about the coal bucket, smoke and co detectors, etc. he'll think again. Nothing like something like that hitting close to home to wise you up.

 

[rowerwet]

Here in south lebanon, ME we lose power anytime the wind blows to strong so I was prepared (sort of). while hooking up my pellet boiler I almost bought antifreeze, actualy I did buy almost all of the antifreeze I needed, until I looked at the total cost. For $459 I got a 3500 wat generator instead (I love HD return policy). I used it onec to make sure it would power my hot water heater ok then put stabil in the gas and put it away. I thought I'll probalby never need it this year. HA!
I ran for 5 days on that generator. I fired up my pellet boiler, and couldn't use the heat! the thermostat wasn't powered inside my house (fixed that) so for two days we heated the house the old way, a kerosene wick type heater. I put it down in the basement and leave the cellar door open. I have a CO detector at the top of the stairs and it has never gone off doing this. My basement is drafty and I think the CO sinks back into the basement since it is heavier than air.
Finaly I pulled the wire to the circulator out of the aquastat and put a plug on the end of it. I unplugged the wrap around pump circulator (I have a HX) and kept my baseboards running all the time. This kept the house at 66 or so, now I have a plug in the middle of my circulator wire so I can go to the generator easily.
I offerd my kerosene heater to my neighbor who had no heat, not even a gas stove top, he was to afraid of CO to take it.
Someone else borrowed it to heat thier house and I gave them my CO detector with it, so they wouldn't end up in the paper like the 10 people in Farmington, NH who were all in a house because they had power from the generator in the Garage!

 

[colebrookman]

Here in south lebanon, ME we lose power anytime the wind blows to strong so I was prepared (sort of). while hooking up my pellet boiler I almost bought antifreeze, actualy I did buy almost all of the antifreeze I needed, until I looked at the total cost. For $459 I got a 3500 wat generator instead (I love HD return policy). I used it onec to make sure it would power my hot water heater ok then put stabil in the gas and put it away. I thought I'll probalby never need it this year. HA!
I ran for 5 days on that generator. I fired up my pellet boiler, and couldn't use the heat! the thermostat wasn't powered inside my house (fixed that) so for two days we heated the house the old way, a kerosene wick type heater. I put it down in the basement and leave the cellar door open. I have a CO detector at the top of the stairs and it has never gone off doing this. My basement is drafty and I think the CO sinks back into the basement since it is heavier than air.
Finaly I pulled the wire to the circulator out of the aquastat and put a plug on the end of it. I unplugged the wrap around pump circulator (I have a HX) and kept my baseboards running all the time. This kept the house at 66 or so, now I have a plug in the middle of my circulator wire so I can go to the generator easily.
I offerd my kerosene heater to my neighbor who had no heat, not even a gas stove top, he was to afraid of CO to take it.
Someone else borrowed it to heat thier house and I gave them my CO detector with it, so they wouldn't end up in the paper like the 10 people in Farmington, NH who were all in a house because they had power from the generator in the Garage!

Two problems with this reasoning. While Co is slightly heavier than air, it will rise with heated air and follow into the heated portion of your home. Second, Co detectors do not always monitor small amounts but a small amount, as when your sleeping or in the house for a longer period of time, accumulates in the bodies cells and displaces the O2. Co dulls the senses and thinking becomes lees rational. Also the young, elderly or sick are affected much faster. This is gambling with the devil. Better to be safe and not take any chances. Death is permanent.
Ed