Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Friday, November 9, 2012

PORTABLE ELECTRIC GENERATOR SAFETY


PORTABLE ELECTRIC GENERATOR SAFETY
Reprinted from the California Consumer Energy Center 

According to the the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the misuse of the portable power sources killed at least five people and sickened dozens more after Hurricane Katrina.

The Associated Press reported on October 13, 2005, that many people relied on portable generators after the hurricane knocked out most of the power in the Gulf Region. And that was deadly for those who did not use their generator properly.

AP said, "The five deaths were among fifty-one cases of carbon monoxide poisoning reported in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama after the hurricane, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All of these cases involved the misuse of portable generators, except for one that involved a gasoline-powered pressure washer. Four deaths occurred in one Louisiana house where a generator was used. The fifth death occurred in a Louisiana house where a generator was used in an attached garage."

All of these portable generator-related deaths could have been prevented.

Here are some basics regarding portable generators. But the first thing to do is Read the Instruction Booklet or Manual that came with the generator. If the manual is lost or missing, contact the generator's manufacturer.

Never use a generator indoors or in an attached garage.
A portable generator is an internal combustion engine that exhausts a deadly gas called carbon monoxide or CO. CO is odorless and colorless, and you can be overcome if the generator is indoors.

Be sure to place the generator outside where exhaust fumes will not enter into enclosed spaces. Only operate a generator outdoors in a well-ventilated, dry area, away from air intakes to the home. The generator should be protected from direct exposure to rain and snow.

Don't connect your generator directly to your home's wiring.
Connecting a portable electric generator directly to your household wiring can be deadly. A generator that is directly connected to your home's wiring can 'backfeed' into the power lines connected to your home.

Utility transformers can then increase this lower electrical voltage to thousands of volts. That's more than enough to kill a utility lineman making outage repairs many miles away. You could also cause expensive damage to utility equipment and your generator.

If you wish to hard-wire a generator to your home, it should be installed by a licensed electrician with an approved cut-off switch that will automatically disconnect the home from the power grid when the generator is being used. Please check with your local utility company before installing a hard-wired generator.

Don't plug a portable generator into an electrical outlet in your home or garage.
If a generator is plugged into your home's electrical circuits, it can still 'back-feed' power into the utility company lines, which can injure or kill utility workers fixing on the downed power lines.

The correct way to use a generator is to connect a heavy-duty, outdoor-rated power cord to the generator. Appliances can then be connected to the power cord.

Make sure that the outdoor-rated power cord has a sufficient wire gauge to handle the electrical load.

Don't overload the generator.
All generators have a power rating. they should be used only when necessary and only to power a limited number of appliances or equipment.

The total wattage used by the appliances should be less than the output rating of the generator. If you put too many appliances on the generator, it could seriously damage the appliances and electronics. Overloading the generator could also cause fires in the power cord.

Make sure your generator is properly grounded to avoid electrical shocks.
Check the generator owner's manual for correct grounding information.

Do not store gasoline for the generator indoors.
Gasoline should be stored in approved, non-glass safety containers.

Don't store gasoline in a garage if there's a water heater or other fuel-burning appliance in the garage. Vapor from gasoline is heavier than air and can travel invisible along the floor. It could be ignited by a pilot light or other source of flame, such as an electric spark.

Extinguish all flames or cigarettes when handling gasoline or the generator.

Shut off the generator before refueling. Turn off all equipment powered by the generator before shutting it down.

Always have a fully charged, approved fire extinguisher located near the generator.

Read and adhere to the manufacturer's directions for safe operation.
Read the owner's manual before you operate the generator. If you've lost the manual, contact the manufacturer for another copy. You can often download the manual from a manufacturer's Web site. Keep the owner's manual with the generator in a zip-lock bag to keep it dry.

Final Tips
Many generator parts are hot enough to burn you during operation. Stay away from the muffler and other hot areas.

Keep children away from portable electric generators at all times.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Good Article about Surge Protectors


RV Electrical Safety: Surge Strips  by; Mike Sokol 

This series of articles is provided as a helpful educational assist in your RV travels, and is not intended to have you circumvent an electrician. The author and the HOW-TO Sound Workshops will not be held liable or responsible for any injury resulting from reader error or misuse of the information contained in these articles. If you feel you have a dangerous electrical condition in your RV or at a campground, make sure to contact a qualified, licensed electrician. 

This article was prompted by an RVtravel.com reader who wrote asking if it made sense to spend $300 on a surge protector for her RV.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

How cool is this Houseboat/trailer ?



sleeps 4-5 
toilet, 
shower,
refrigerator 
stove 
generator
air conditioning

It's both a houseboat and a camper with  a 75 HP engine.  
The boat by itself is 28′ long and 8′ 6″ in wide.  
With the trailer it’s 31′ long. 
Fresh water tank is 65 gallons, black water 33, and grey water 44.  It holds 47 gallons of gas and weighs about 8,000 pounds with the trailer.

It even has an outdoor grill in front of the cockpit. 


Sunday, September 16, 2012

Recommended for Hurricane, Blizzard, Earthquake and Tornado Preparedness.



1  Backpack
1  Weather Band Radio
1  Mini Flashlight
1  Eight Hour Light stick
1  Emergency Stove & Fuel
1 Box of Waterproof/Windproof Matches

Weather Protection

  •     2  Solar Blankets
  •     2  Emergency Rain Ponchos
  •     1  Tube Tent
  •     5   Emergency Candles
Food and Water
  •      2  3600 Calorie Food Bars
  •    12  Water Pouches
  •    50 Water Purification Tablets
  •     1   8 Litre foldable water container
1  Multi-tool Knife
1  Five in one Survival Whistle
1  50 ft Rope
1  Pair of Work Gloves
2  N95 Masks
1  43 pc First Aid Kit

Hygiene Kit

  •     2 Toothbrushes
  •     1 Toothpaste
  •     1 comb
  •     1 washcloth
  •    1 tissue
  •    6 Wet naps
  •    1 Roll Toilet Paper
1  Waterproof Notebook
2  Carpenter Pencils
1  Ax  
1  Sierra Saw
1  Roll of Duct Tape
1  Package of Nylon Ties
1  Waterproof Pouch
1  Safety Goggles
1  Emergency Preparedness Guide 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

  A New Blog from:  LIVE OFF GRID   

 Follow us on       Google+ LiveOffGrid.Net   LiveOffGrid.Net                                   
jonathan fine photos

DEDICATED TO SHARING RESOURCES, IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES WHO WANT TO LIVE AND WORK EITHER PARTIALLY OR COMPLETELY
OFF THE GRID


For people who support Renewable Energy. For everyone who has made a commitment to reducing their carbon footprint.  And, most of all; for everyone who wants to leave something better on earth for our children.

Off-the-grid                                                      NewBreedEnergy Blog
From Wikipedia

"The term off-the-grid (OTG) or off-grid refers to living in a self-sufficient manner without reliance on one or more public utilities."



"Off-the-grid homes are autonomous —they do not rely on municipal water supply, sewer, natural gas, electrical power grid or similar utility services. A true "off the grid" or "off-grid" house is able to operate completely independently of all traditional public utility services. The idea has been recently popularized by certain celebrities including Ed Begley Jr. who stars in Living With Ed television show on the Home & Garden Television network. Actress Darryl Hannah also promotes "off-grid" living and constructed her home in Colorado according to those principles."


So, what does this mean for you?

Living off the grid  without reliance on public utilities for things like electricity and water is becoming increasingly more popular.  If Daryl Hannah, Ed Begley and Jesse Ventura are doing it, then maybe it's something we all might consider. 

Living off the grid means different thing to different people, and there are many different reasons for people to make this choice. For some it's an ethical choice to unplug from conventional energy sources. For others, it might be that they've found the perfect spot on earth and it's an easy choice to live in this liberated lifestyle. 

Your first decision is; where you will Live Off-Grid?  Will you stay where you are in your existing home, or will you move?  If you stay in your home, you can install solar panels, dig a well, install a windmill, use energy efficient appliances, and simply conserve all your energy usage.

If you move, other considerations are; employment - will you continue to work? The commute is important and will determine just how far off the beaten path you can afford to be.  Secondly, you'll want to know that wherever you are, you have access to good medical care. Research into local economic stability, local politics, houses of worship and food & water availability should be high on your list.

For sure, it's a new and liberating lifestyle, but it will take major adjustments and a real commitment in time and resources to make it work for you. You need to have a passion for this venture and be able to keep your vision and overcome obstacles you can't foresee. 

If you're pretty sure you want to take this step, you'll need to learn a lot about alternative energy and energy conservation. Living off the grid means every dollar's worth of energy conservation typically saves three to five dollars in equipment costs to generate energy.

You'll have to be more involved with your energy system, and how you use the electricity you create.  The electricity you produce must be greater than the electricity you consume. Living off grid is not necessarily easy. it's relatively simple to understand the energy needs of big energy consumers like: Air conditioners, Refrigerators, Heating systems, TVs and Kitchen Appliances. 

But there are also power tools, hair dryers, Computers, coffee makers, washing machines and dryers - It's a long list, you probably never thought much about. In addition, there are many convenience appliances you'll also have to decide you want to live with or without. When you add up all the usage you'll discover that you will indeed probably be making additional lifestyle changes you might not have considered.

There are almost a quarter of a million people unplugged from the grid. It's a new concept, but quickly gaining acceptance and drawing more interest as the price of energy continues to be a major part of every family, or business's expenses.