An Emergency Water Epiphany

[bluemax_1]

Time for a new one. Typically, CO detectors are good for 5-7 years (apparently the sensor wears out). Somewhere in the manual or on the casing it will tell you when to replace it.

Mine's been sealed up in an airtight bag w/o batteries. There is nothing that produces CO at my place unless we're off grid...unless, like li-ons, they just die whether used or not...

now that's an interesting question. My "new" CO detector claims to have a timer on it, but I assume it only tracks power-on hours. I've been doing a bit of searching, but I haven't been able to find if it's simply time since manufacture or power-on hours that controls sensor-life.

I did see some sites that recommended using a test-kit to check the sensor performance monthly, but I don't recall ever seeing a CO test kit.

There are 3 basic types of CO monitor constructions:

- MOS Metal Oxide Semiconductor (the worst of the bunch. Undependable. Inconsistent readings and notification). These use a tin dioxide sensor that doesn't work very well. If you're interested, there are independent test results available for online digging showing how bad these are.
- Biometric/Colorimetric: these use a gel packet that absorbs CO and darkens. In the continued presence of higher levels of CO, the gel packet stays dark and triggers the alarm. Package it however you will, that gel packet becomes useless in time.
- electro chemical sensor: these are the most dependable, and potentially, also the most accurate. Due to the 'chemical' part of electrochemical, these sensors also wear out in time. Maybe keeping them in a vacuum might prolong their life? I don't know.

I've been using low level CO monitors for some time and they just might have saved my butt from problems once, so I continue to spend the money on them.

Here's the story.

I was prepping my car for a car nut holiday weekend. 5 days of car nuts hanging out, cruising and engaging in performance activities like drag racing, autocrossing and road racing at the 3 tracks near the event. I was in a rush and was trying to finish putting on the front 355mm Stoptech brake kit, plus new rear rotors and swap out all the lines and pads, then flush the brake fluid with ATE SuperBlue.

I was working through the night as I was supposed to leave the next day with a buddy who was also going to the event. I was working in the garage with the garage door shut because it was windy and dust kept getting blown in my eyes. Well, after completing each corner of the car, I would flush the lines, then check for leaks by starting the car up and stomping on the pedal as hard as I could before shutting her down and checking for leaks. Each time, I didn't think the engine ran for much more than 30 seconds. I should have known better about the dangers of CO (and I DID know how dangerous CO is), but I thought because I was only running the engine for a short while each time, that I'd be OK.

Due to frozen bolts etc. it was taking 1-2 hours per corner working solo. I figured this was enough for what little CO was released to dissipate. Well, by the time I finished the 3rd corner, it was now ~6 a.m. and I had quite a bad headache from pulling the all-nighter working on the car (or so I thought), but I figured, 1 more corner to go. By the time I finished the last corner and made sure there were no leaks, I had a splitting headache, blurred vision and was feeling nauseous. All classic symptoms of CO poisoning, but in my delusional state, I pawned it off as sleep deprivation.

I staggered into the house, washed up and collapsed into bed on the opposite side of the house. 3 hours later, I finally roused to a beeping sound. I have no idea how long the low level CO monitor had been beeping because I vaguely recall not understanding what the sound was and having a difficult time waking up. When I finally did wake up and determine what was beeping, I checked the monitor and IIRC, it read somewhere around 70-120ppm, then it finally hit me. In the closed garage, the CO simply built up each time I ran the car, and never went anywhere. 3 hours later, it had made it from the attached garage all the way across the house to the bedroom.

If I'd had any real sense, I should have stumbled out of the house and called an ambulance. My vision was still blurry, my head was still splitting and I was extremely dizzy and nauseous. Instead, I threw open the nearest window and took several deep breaths, then proceeded to open all the windows in the house, then lay on the couch with a fan placed in the window sucking in air from outside and blowing right on me.

This was how my buddy found me, when he showed up at 12 (when we were supposed to leave). We didn't leave till after 6pm when I finally felt OK enough to get up.

Fortunately for me, I apparently didn't suffer any long term effects from that incident. If I'd brought the CO detector with me into the garage, it wouldn't have happened in the first place (or if I'd been smart enough to open the garage door to vent the exhaust for a short time during and after running the engine).

I always make sure I have one of these low level CO monitors now, and the great thing is, you can use a match to check their operation if you want to.

http://www.inspectortools.com/CO-Experts-Model-2014-CO-Low-Level-Monitor-p/ke2014co.htm

I take it traveling too, after reading an account of vacationers who were smothered in their beds because the pool heater in their hotel malfunctioned.



Max

 

[KITROBASKIN]

As usual, excellent information from bluemax_1

 

[Sub_Umbra]

Thanks, Max. I think I'll just get another one.

 

[SemiMan]

Older car likely? They generate a lot of CO. Compound that with you were working on your brakes ... near the floor ... where all the CO would go. Not good.

It likely followed you into the house when you went inside and I would guess your CO detector is near the floor? Usually they maintain the peak reading.

Semiman

 

[bluemax_1]

Older car likely? They generate a lot of CO. Compound that with you were working on your brakes ... near the floor ... where all the CO would go. Not good.

It likely followed you into the house when you went inside and I would guess your CO detector is near the floor? Usually they maintain the peak reading.

Semiman

Yep, older car, and the low level monitor was on the bedside table. It's one of those that updates and monitors levels continuously. It'll signal the presence if low levels of CO at 7ppm with an intermittent beep. The beeps are more frequent at levels over 15ppm IIRC, and at over something like 35ppm the beeps get even more insistent. That's the reason these types of CO detectors aren't UL rated.

The UL 2034 rating dictates that the meter shouldn't sound at levels under 70ppm and can take up to 4 hours in the continuous presence of 70ppm before sounding the alarm. UL meters will allow you to be continuously exposed to ~60ppm of CO without ever sounding an alarm. Those levels are definitely enough for folks to develop/exhibit symptoms of CO poisoning.

BTW, the low level CO detector didn't start beeping when I entered the bedroom. I have no idea how long it took for the CO in the garage to make it to the other side of the house with the doors closed, but I was completely out and never heard the lower level warnings.


Max

 

[idleprocess]

Really interesting thread.

The funny thing about disaster preparedness is our society is increasingly allergic to it - especially if it goes beyond a power outage, having some idea of what to do when a storm warning is issued, or knowing how to evac from the house in case of a fire. Whenever I discuss this at work with some more like-minded co-workers, some of my other co-workers will react as if we're all suffering from paranoid schizophrenia - as if a cell phone car charger and a AAA membership is all you'll ever need to get out of trouble. I think it's a cultural issue of sorts largely along the lines of the neverending culture war in this country (which I will dive into no further).

TOTJ has really hit the mark on this. If you ever see people forced into doing really dumb things because they weren't prepared you'll never forget it. Just a week or two of supplies will put you way ahead of the people who will end up on CNN. Try to think ahead and give yourself a break.

I think this is one of the most important points made - especially having 2 weeks' (or more) worth of supplies. With the vast swaths of the population living hand to mouth logistically, a disaster that disrupts services may well thrust the saying any society is three square meals away from anarchy unpleasantly into the fore.

As has been said often, most of the things it would take to camp out in your house for two weeks are cheap and relatively easy to obtain/store. You don't need to engage in levels of preparation nor stockpile tens of cubic meters of supplies like someone featured on an episode of Preppers. Simply knowing that you have those things will greatly reduce your tension should disaster strike so you can do things deliberately rather than rush to source suddenly-scarce essentials under deteriorating conditions - both in the local environment and one's own body.

I see another benefit to having a 2-week-plus stash - it buys you time to get through some of the initial panic as people are violently separated from their normal comforts and just-in-time delivery of vital resources. You can possibly exit the area at a time of your choosing. You can stand in line for emergency supplies without the desperate need to receive your rations every time. You can perhaps extend your window through deliberate actions secure in the fact that you have some margin for failure and/or can execute a longer-term plan than most.



The most likely disasters in my area are severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, with outside chances of brief floods (I'm downhill from a large reservoir but out of any likely channel for a catastrophic failure of the dam) and the potentially ugly situation of a prolonged power outage in the summer (with loss of services and perhaps a breakdown of order). I have several weeks of food and water (both in various forms), try to keep the vehicles gassed up, an extensive flashlight collection with piles of batteries, numerous hand tools, a significant collection of fasteners, some construction supplies, a bug-out-bag if it gets bad and I need to split the scene immediately, and a hogleg if I need to persuade uncooperative humans to leave me alone. I should probably do more planning since my material needs are likely already well met. A rehearsal as was mentioned early in this thread would be a good idea - along with perhaps taking a weekend to see how I fare out in the middle of nowhere with the bug-out bag.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

Great observations. Many fail to look beyond the obvious. While many in my neighborhood are increasingly concerned about storms they more often than not are completely blind to threats that they may not be allowed to evacuate from.

I am very glad to see a few more in my neighborhood who are more prepared as there are so very many things that may happen where evacuation is just not an option.

Fortunately being prepared for a two week outage from a storm will also protect them from many other threats that get much less attention from the press.

Thank you for your thoughtful post.

 

[bluemax_1]

Just a heads up for folks who might be interested in getting a low level CO detector:
Amazon currently has the newest model CO-Experts low level CO monitor/detector on sale for $149, instead of the usual $189. No idea how long the price will last.


Max

 

[Philip2]

A huge storage of drinking water is bulky and won't fit in a survival bag.

There are several techniques (presented on the internet) for drinking water destillation. That can be done with a mini camping pan weighing just a few ounces, over a camp fire. Or with a plastic bag and solar heat, etc.

Destillation can be used to make urine, sea water, ground water, etc. potable in small amounts. That would IMO remove most of chemical pollution in water.

Low radioactive pollution in water can probably be filtered out with special survival techniques. And water born pathogens (like bacteria) can be killed with water purification tablets, or by cooking it.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

A huge storage of drinking water is bulky and won't fit in a survival bag.

There are several techniques (presented on the internet) for drinking water destillation. That can be done with a mini camping pan weighing just a few ounces, over a camp fire. Or with a plastic bag and solar heat, etc.

Destillation can be used to make urine, sea water, ground water, etc. potable in small amounts. That would IMO remove most of chemical pollution in water.

Low radioactive pollution in water can probably be filtered out with special survival techniques. And water born pathogens (like bacteria) can be killed with water purification tablets, or by cooking it.

Distillation won't help much with contaminants having a lower boiling point than water, like acetone. They will just condense into your product tank before the H2O even boils.

Fractional distillation is far safer when the water may be contaminated with known or unknown agents.

 

[Poppy]

Sub,
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your thoughts and experience so that I can learn from you.

I read through your thread a long time ago, and considered that I could always get water to purify, for ingestion, or to flush the toilets, from a very nearby detention pond, or a reservoir that is less than a mile away. Today it struck me that they are both frozen over, and that the sustained local temps are about to reach the lowest they have been in decades. Record low temps have a tendency to cause water main breaks.

Tomorrow, I plan to put a couple of garbage cans into my garage, line each with a plastic bag, and fill them with water.

Thank You for sharing your epiphany :thumbsup:

 

[Sub_Umbra]

Sub,
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your thoughts and experience so that I can learn from you.

I read through your thread a long time ago, and considered that I could always get water to purify, for ingestion, or to flush the toilets, from a very nearby detention pond, or a reservoir that is less than a mile away. Today it struck me that they are both frozen over, and that the sustained local temps are about to reach the lowest they have been in decades. Record low temps have a tendency to cause water main breaks.

Tomorrow, I plan to put a couple of garbage cans into my garage, line each with a plastic bag, and fill them with water.

Thank You for sharing your epiphany :thumbsup:

Thanks for the feedback. Sharing the experience is a cathartic exercise for me.

If it's any consolation to you, even here in the subtropics we're expecting a low of 21F tomorrow night. While that sounds like nothing to my inner Yankee who moved down here 33 years ago, I'm trying to be vigilant and proactive. I'm trying to think beyond the obvious hazards.

Many city dwellers in the States have critically important infrastructures that were built over sixty years ago, making them obsolete. Those same infrastructures were also designed with much smaller populations in mind. To make matters worse the seventeen most critical infrastructures in the States all require that the electrical grid be up and functioning. What I'm trying to say is that our infrastructure is so brittle that a cold spell could have unforeseen, Black Swanish effects on our society.

So even if you live in a harsher climate bear in mind that I'm taking this very seriously. Aside from protecting the plants we had to leave outdoors you can be sure that I've topped off the secondaries and the water and done a few other things that escape my mind right now.

I hope everyone rides this out without problems.

 

[pblanch]

...a cold spell could have unforeseen, Black Swanish effects on our society.

Great thread. Enjoyed the read. I have never heard that term before.

Ive been doing this type of stuff all my life and have found a few pointers very interesting and that has been put into practice as well. I only discovered this thread when someone on a computer forum mentioned it as I find the "survivalist/prepper" forums tedious. I have found many sites and reviewers (on such places such as Amazon) love to talk about their vast experience in regards to these matters or a product review but then you see their pristine, brand new equipment,all respect goes out the window for me. If you've never used it in the field or in a disaster zone please share you rating of a product but put that disclaimer at the end. I keep my gear in excellent condition but if Ive never used it how do I really know if I am going to rely on it in bad times.

I have gone through stages in my life where Ive collected gear, then found what works and what doesn't (still believe that knowledge and will outweigh all gear), now I find that a few items with multipurpose will only help in any situation but will never replace knowledge and will.

I have found your experience Umbra excellent and your resolve to stay (prepared) inspirational and have printed out a few copies (for family and neigbours) so that if an event such as NO happens I have something to have a read over.

I have been involved in disasters (Numerious Cyclones -I live in Perth Aus but freqeunatly work in the Pilbara, and am ex defence 15 years) before but you never know what/how you are going to react to the next one until it happens. 6 sheets of paper I can spare.

Thanks again. Keep us informed of any more knowledge you may gleam.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

The term comes from the title of the book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable"

From Amazon:

"...His main subject matter is "decision making under opacity", that is, a map and a protocol on how we should live in a world we don't understand..."​

It's a good read. He's somewhat controversial. It's the first time I've ever read the first chapter of a book and decided to start reading it again because I felt that I needed to give it more concentration. It is definitely the most interesting book I've read in the last year.

 

[Lampbeam]

In the country, if you're not on rural water, you haul water in 500+ gallon plastic containers. You fill them in a nearby community and then "drop" the water in an underground storage tank. It's a weekly chore. You can't get enough water. In the army they use giant water blister bags (1,000+ gallons) at the shower points. In mexico every house has a cistern on the roof. "Half the world is dying of thirst while the other half has so much water they poo in it." (The Neighbors, ABC).

 

[turbodog]

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?401749-Rest-in-Peace-Sub_Umbra

A 'marker' if you will.

 

[scout24]

I wonder, if in Sub Umbra's memory, this thread can be given "Sticky" status. It's a great read, and he was rather proud of it.

 

[GRunner]

I very much agree that it deserves to be in a Sticky. Besides honoring the man, it's one of the most informative articles I've seen. People on the West Coast and other can learn a great deal on handling their drought situation.

 

[KuanR]

I wonder, if in Sub Umbra's memory, this thread can be given "Sticky" status. It's a great read, and he was rather proud of it.

I agree, such a great read with lots of good info.

 

[Kestrel]

Great thread & one I've always admired, deserving of 'sticky' status. Done.