Totally avoidable and sad sad deaths

[Dave Grubb]

I just heard this on the news this morning and had to verify that it was correct---sadly it appears that it was:

More deaths associated with Hurricane Laura were caused by the improper use of portable generators than the storm itself.

And officials warn that the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning persists, as thousands of households in Louisiana remain without power.

Eight of the 15 hurricane-related deaths confirmed by the Louisiana Department of Health are attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators, which can provide life-saving power in emergency situations but also pose a deadly threat if used incorrectly.

The unidentified victims of carbon monoxide poisoning range in age from 24 to 84 years old, and outnumber the deaths caused by drowning, fallen trees and storm cleanup.

Officials in Lake Charles said at a press briefing on Friday that five people in one house succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning after fumes from their generator — which was running in an attached garage — entered through a door that was either partially or fully open.

I find that almost impossible to believe---but if anyone is using a portable generator----get the damn thing away from the house as far as your industrial extension cord will take it.
Once you have it a long way from the house, make sure it is not anywhere close to an open window or door.

[Sandman]

Good news.. bad news..

The good news..

Honda has started putting carbon monoxide detectors/ shut down on their generators

Bad news..

Honda is a high end generator and not one that the “once a year” user will invest in..

Our back up generator sits outside the garage door and has “rain hat” (two pieces of PVC pipe and a 4x6 rubber floor mat over them, )

Hint: refueling the generator in the dark, in the rain isn’t fun... suggest that gas be transferred to smaller can/cans that hold less than the generator so.. in the dark, in the rain one just dumps the entire jug into the generator.. no trying to watch the gas level, no over flow.. a five quart oil jug is perfect for out Yammer Hammer 2400..

[Mike]

I have spent weeks at a time running a generator 24x7 after tropical storms and hurricanes have taken out the power lines. I always have at least two carbon monoxide dectors in the house, one in each occupied bedroom.

[TriGuy]

at our mountain house the generator ran in a detached garage with all the doors and windows open and even then it was right at the open roll up doors. it was 50 feet from the house. It currently lives in a shed in my back yard If I need to run it it goes in the Gazebo which is 40 feet out from the house.

never run anything in the house or near open windows or doors.

[Sandman]

Mine sits under the deck, outside the garage.. I’ll try and post a picture of the “rain hat”..

Mike.. my 24/7 story.. our neighborhood is isolated between highway and creek.. three long main streets.. we now know that each of the three streets was developed at a different time and the electric feeds are completely separate..

Well.. we had one terrible storm and power was out.. power company said for a week.. I drove 10 miles out and found an open gas station.. bought 25 gallons of generator gas in cans..

Four hours after returning home the power came back on.. next street over was out for a week..

The old Toyota didn’t see a gas station for months.. kept pouring cans into it

[Dave Grubb]

We have carbon monoxide detectors throughout the house. When I do need the generator it is in a detached garage and the roll up doors are all open. Coming soon---a pad mounted whole house generator, propane fueled.

I know how easily someone can be overcome by carbon monoxide---it damn near killed me when I was in Korea---and out of pure stupidity. It was bitter cold and I went to the village for dinner with a friend.

One common cooking "stove" in Korea is a charcoal brazier, normally started in a sort of entry way, outside the living space, then brought inside to cook, then taken back outside. On this night, in an effort to counter the cold we brought the brazier inside and left it there after doing the cooking. It was almost our undoing. Somehow in the fog of my mind I realized my friend was unconscious and I crawled toward the door---where I passed out. As I did, I fell against the door and I ended up with my head outside in the entry way. I don't know how long I was like that but I woke up in time to collect my thoughts and my friend and get out of there. Once outside I realized what we had done.

I suffered a sever headache for a number of days after that and then for years I was sensitized to CO and would develop an immediate headache when exposed even at minimal levels.

[TriGuy]

This can power my entire house

[wacojoe]

I can surmise why it happens, as I have been under these conditions myself. You can understand why people regard electricity as a necessity. Maybe #1 is preserving refrigerated food, and it goes down the list from there. Remember, the rain goes on for many hours in these storms. Generators are not designed to work in the rain and most must be refueled often. Where are you going to put them where they are covered? Yeah, the covered porch, if you are lucky enough to have one. That is not a good place because the colorless, odorless gas generated on a porch has the nasty habit of transpiring into the house. Bingo, dead people.