What I learned
Sue
in emergency preparedness at my job (retired as of 12/18). In my 25
years with the county this was probably the first training I'd looked
forward to. Most was stuff I already knew from reading here and MS.
The fellow conducting it is some sort of law enforcement officer in
Mammoth Lakes CA. The focus was on staying in place but he also
discussed the 'go bag'. He talked about everything from water
purification to keeping your gas tank at no less than 1/2 full at all
times. He discussed turning off the utilities - gas and electric. I
already have a big ass wrench to turn off the gas. Here's the first
thing I learned - one should not only turn off the main electrical
breaker switch but also each individual one. I don't remember the
reason for this - something about electricity still being in the
wiring or some such. He also discussed carbon monoxide detectors (I
really should get one) and, of course, smoke detectors. Here's the
other thing I didn't know - smoke detectors have a 'shelf life' of
about 10 years. I had no idea. Mine are 14 years old. <sigh>
They're wired into the house so now I'm trying to figure out whom I
can call on to do the work. So, I felt pretty well schooled before
the training except for those two things - the breaker switches and
smoke alarm issue.
Sue
Stormin Mormon
sound valuable. My guess with the breakers. When you turn
the main on or off, it sends a big power surge, as
everything in the house comes back on. Much eaier for the
panel and for the power utility, if you turn the main on.
And then turn each breaker on, one at a time. About one per
several seconds or so.
Also good to know that smoke detectors work for about ten
years.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"Sue" <seb...@thegrid.net> wrote in message
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book...@yahoo.com
I can relate to the gas-turn off issue some, from when I owned a
mobile home in a trailer park. What got my attention was that to make
any adjustment to my gas appliances, I had to get the main line shut
off, which required the application of a very long-handled tool with
the right bit at the end. And when I rounded one up from the park
manager, I found it difficult to turn.
My solution, which was admired by a few others, including the manager,
was to install my own on-off valve between the trailer and in-put
pipe. That way, if I had to ever move my mobile home or if some
emergency started happening to an appliance inside, I could quickly
shut the gas off. bookburn
Sue
<cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Thanks for writing, to tell us what you learned. That does
>sound valuable. My guess with the breakers. When you turn
>the main on or off, it sends a big power surge, as
>everything in the house comes back on. Much eaier for the
>panel and for the power utility, if you turn the main on.
>And then turn each breaker on, one at a time. About one per
>several seconds or so.
>
>Also good to know that smoke detectors work for about ten
>years.
Apparently whatever it is that reacts to the smoke dissipates after so
many years. News to me although I have noticed that my alarms don't
seem to be a sensitive as they used to. I can burn food a lot more
before they go off. :o)
Sue
Strabo
Better check 'em.
Smoke detectors are typically equipped with the radioisotope,
americium-241. This doesn't wear out but other components in
the circuit will.
http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q4738.html
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf57.html
Also, emergency detection dependent on on house current doesn't seem
a good idea. Battery stand alone units are available at Costco, Home
Depot or a hardware store. They're about $15. I'd use two as a minimum.
Carbon Monoxide detectors are more expensive.
Strabo
General information - the water and gas lines to each residence is
each equipped with a heavy-duty valve. The long wrench is designed to
conveniently reach valves in below surface junctions but an adjustable
wrench will open and close the valves.
Ginny
> Smoke detectors are typically equipped with the radioisotope,
> americium-241. This doesn't wear out but other components in
> the circuit will.
>
> http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q4738.html
> http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf57.html
>
> Also, emergency detection dependent on on house current doesn't seem
> a good idea. Battery stand alone units are available at Costco, Home
> Depot or a hardware store. They're about $15. I'd use two as a minimum.
>
> Carbon Monoxide detectors are more expensive.
All my mains smoke alarms have battery backup. Here, the national push
is to replace smoke alarm batteries on 1st April each year, easy to
remember and 'you'd be a fool not to do it'.
Must test them though as they are about 10yrs old.
--
Ginny - In West Australia
robert bowman
> Apparently whatever it is that reacts to the smoke dissipates after so
> many years. News to me although I have noticed that my alarms don't
> seem to be a sensitive as they used to. I can burn food a lot more
> before they go off.
That's why I took the battery out of my smoke alarm about 20 years ago.
Sue
wrote:
The detectors all (I have 5) have battery back up and I change them as
needed.
>
>Carbon Monoxide detectors are more expensive.
Depends on the type. I bought one as a gift this Christmas for $42
(at Lowe's) but there were cheaper ones.
Sue
Sue
>
>> Smoke detectors are typically equipped with the radioisotope,
>> americium-241. This doesn't wear out but other components in
>> the circuit will.
>>
>> http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q4738.html
>> http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf57.html
>>
>> Also, emergency detection dependent on on house current doesn't seem
>> a good idea. Battery stand alone units are available at Costco, Home
>> Depot or a hardware store. They're about $15. I'd use two as a minimum.
>>
>> Carbon Monoxide detectors are more expensive.
>
>All my mains smoke alarms have battery backup. Here, the national push
>is to replace smoke alarm batteries on 1st April each year, easy to
>remember and 'you'd be a fool not to do it'.
Here (US) it's suggested doing the battery change when daylight
savings time goes into effect. No idea if you even know what I'm
talking about. :o)
Gunner Asch
>>
>>Also good to know that smoke detectors work for about ten
>>years.
>
>Apparently whatever it is that reacts to the smoke dissipates after so
>many years. News to me although I have noticed that my alarms don't
>seem to be a sensitive as they used to. I can burn food a lot more
>before they go off. :o)
>Sue
They tend to get a film accross the sensors on photoelectric
sensors..and the other type..the cheap ones with a radioactive element
inside..is running up against their half life.....IE..they are not as
radio active anymore.
The photoelectric sensors can be cleaned easily enough. The
radioactive "ionization" detectors...cringe...they get less and less
sensative.
http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/smokedetector.asp
http://searchwarp.com/swa417588.htm
Gunner, one time alarm co. manager for 18 yrs
"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the
means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not
making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of
it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different
countries, that the more public provisions were made for the
poor the less they provided for themselves, and of course became
poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the
more they did for themselves, and became richer." -- Benjamin
Franklin, /The Encouragement of Idleness/, 1766
Gunner Asch
These "earthquake" gas valves are quite handy, work very well and can
be shut off by kicking the valve (not covered in the manuals...lol)
http://strandearthquake.com/prod_seis_GSV/cal_gas_val.html
I service the machines in this particular company btw. There are other
manufactures out there.
Gunner
Ginny
> Here (US) it's suggested doing the battery change when daylight
> savings time goes into effect. No idea if you even know what I'm
> talking about. :o)
>
Indeed I do but our state kicked it out, thank goodness. We have perfect
summer daylight hours anyway, sunup at 5am and sunset at around 8pm with
a long dusk from the sun setting over the ocean, all over the summer.
That's enough daylight to tire most ppl out and seems to work okay for
both the early birds and the night owls.
Now all we need is some way to regulate the max temp. 45�C yesterday and
at least 2 major fires burning out of control within 40kms of us along
with strong winds. Hopefully cooler today and the winds have slowed. No
danger to us but with the thunderstorms forecast the risk is high we
will have another nearer in a day or so. We have already fought two
fires this summer, one from lightning strike and the other a header fire
in a wheat crop.
Dan
Prolly the Americium (alpha-emitter) ionizer type.
Know also that these smoke detectors are hazardous material, and should
be disposed of properly.
Other types of smoke detectors should last forever (until they break).
Dan
Stormin Mormon
western NYS, every house or trailer I've seen has its own
natural gas shut off. Propane (LPG) tanks all have a shut
off valve at the tank. Places like Harbor Freight sell gas
shut off tools, but a crescent wrench usually does the job
nicely. It's only the mains that have the valve under
ground. So, having your own shut off is required, here.
Water shut offs are typically under ground because the
ground freezes in the winter.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
<book...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:pn8jj55vr6q509g45...@4ax.com...
Stormin Mormon
But it does decay over time.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"Sue" <seb...@thegrid.net> wrote in message
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Stormin Mormon
under ground, or it will freeze in the winter.
Most natural gas valves in my part of the world, an
adjustable "crescent" wrench works fine. I like a 14 inch
pipe wrench, gives me a bit more leverage. Some larger
buildings like restaurants, the shut off valve looks like it
takes a square tool. Pipe wrench probably fine, there.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"Strabo" <str...@flashlight.net>
wrote in message news:jWj_m.65537$ZF3....@newsfe13.iad...
Retief
<cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Also good to know that smoke detectors work for about ten
>years.
Many (most?) of the new ones actually have a monitor of some sort
inside, to let you know that it's time to replace the unit (it is
probably a simple clock -- doing a test of the sensor would be a bit
more difficult, and would add cost).
Retief
Retief
>Other types of smoke detectors should last forever (until they break).
I wouldn't count on that. You can expect the various sensor
technologies to degrade with age (keep in mind that these devices are
very inexpensive, and the manufacture cost is correspondingly less,
and they're going to cut corners somewhere -- generally in the most
expensive parts, where the largest savings can be achieved)
And they are cheap enough, why risk it? Much like changing the
batteries every 6 months...
Retief
Retief
>The detectors all (I have 5) have battery back up and I change them as
>needed.
It's also not a bad idea to have a battery powered smoke/CO detector
-- a backup for your home, and useful when travelling (do you really
want to count on your hotel to guarantee your safety?...)
Retief