Be careful with generators

I too am suspicious of the gen being the cause based on the report saying it was nearby....

I think we can all agree that common sense is needed in life and that it's good to have smoke/CO detectors to back that common sense up just in case something should go wrong.

Please lets not take this post about safety and turn it into a argument.

Lets not forget people died. Including a 11 year old girl. Lets show a little respect.

SkiingSixPack wrote:
Update from the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN paper)

Looks like it may have been the genny with the exhaust pointed under the skirted trailer. So sad!!!

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_27064083/duluth-2-found-dead-trailer-carbon-monoxide-suspected

There is a word for folks who point the exhaust that way, Alas, far too often it is "Late" as in The Late __their name here____.

Even on my motor home where the exhaust points away, 2 hours of gen time and the 16.50 someone mentioned gets downright annoying (As it is designed to I might add).

So I hung a Gen-turi on the hosue.. No more annoying beeping. Can run genny 25 hours or more without a beep.

I now have two CO alarms and the generator stays at home.
Very tragic... especially for the kids that must trust their adults to do the right stuff.

captnjack wrote:

mowermech wrote:

TyroneandGladys wrote:
If you can not afford $16.50 do NOT go out.

BUT, if you don't READ and FOLLOW the instructions for the alarm, there is no use in buying one!

Y'know, these magic electronic marvels are all well and good, but what ever happened to good old common sense? Many of us had campers and trailers way back when, long before such magic gadgets, and we survived. Why, we even had GAS LAMPS on the wall of the campers! Yep, propane fired mantle lamps mounted on the wall! They were GREAT!! Lots of light, and some heat. Sometimes too much heat. But, "safety issues" forced the manufacturers to stop installing them.
Actually, the "safety issues", IMO, were caused by people not bothering to learn how to use them properly!
I would say, "If you can't be bothered to learn to use your goods properly, leave them alone and stay home!"

Good old common sense is fine, but for about 20 bucks you can have a great backup. What if you use common sense but the product is faulty? All the smarts in the world won't help you if you're sound asleep. Do you use smoke detectors or CO detectors in your home? How about electric lighting? Seat belts? Do you travel with a cell phone? Just a few examples of things people "survived without" at one time. Doesn't mean we shouldn't take advantage of them now.

common sense would tell you that you do NOT sleep with a generator running, OR with a fuel fired heater going without adequate ventilation.
But then, common sense would tell you that playing Russian roulette is a very stupid thing to do, yet I read in the newspaper this morning that an 18 year old put one cartridge in a revolver, spun the cylinder, put it to his head, and pulled the trigger.
As for your silly examples, actually I DID live without ALL of those things for a while. You can add hot and cold running water and indoor plumbing to the list.
That does NOT change the fact that YOU are responsible for YOUR safety! If you wish to rely on magic gadgetry to supplement your common sense, that is your choice.
I will continue to READ and FOLLOW the instructions in order to minimize the dangers.

Yeah, that setup is a complete fail if you burn any kind of fuel around or in it... Running a generator anywhere near where the exhaust can enter the residence, there is no cross ventilation at all.. :(

I'm pretty sure I recall reading in my trailers "Owners Manual" that it said something to the effect of "don't check for propane leaks with a match or lighter".

If they had to put that into an RV's manual, you know someone had to do it and then sue the dang RV manufacture because they didn't say you couldn't do it??

Anyway, I have one of those Mr Heater units and it's great! It keeps us warm under the awning when needed, but it gets used mostly in my garage (man cave) when it's cold.. The key to using it and not dying... Ventilation... :) I crack open the back door and it does have a vent thru the roof..

Anyway, as tragic as these stories are, I just can't believe the lack of common sense in the world today.. :(

Mitch

Here's a photo of the trailer. I live in a nearby town.
It sounds as if the two other children will make a full recovery, but I can't imagine how they will deal with the loss.

The family was living in this trailer, and as you can see it was not the most modern arrangement. I'm sure the overhead vents weren't open because there are tarps on the roof. It also looks as if all the windows have insulation stuffed against them, so probably no open windows either. The area under the hitch is covered, and according to the paper: The generator “was outside, under the overhang of the camper with the exhaust pointing underneath the camper,’’ The area under the overhang was surrounded by a tarp, which may have helped hold the gas near the trailer.

mowermech wrote:

TyroneandGladys wrote:
If you can not afford $16.50 do NOT go out.

BUT, if you don't READ and FOLLOW the instructions for the alarm, there is no use in buying one!

Y'know, these magic electronic marvels are all well and good, but what ever happened to good old common sense? Many of us had campers and trailers way back when, long before such magic gadgets, and we survived. Why, we even had GAS LAMPS on the wall of the campers! Yep, propane fired mantle lamps mounted on the wall! They were GREAT!! Lots of light, and some heat. Sometimes too much heat. But, "safety issues" forced the manufacturers to stop installing them.
Actually, the "safety issues", IMO, were caused by people not bothering to learn how to use them properly!
I would say, "If you can't be bothered to learn to use your goods properly, leave them alone and stay home!"

Good old common sense is fine, but for about 20 bucks you can have a great backup. What if you use common sense but the product is faulty? All the smarts in the world won't help you if you're sound asleep. Do you use smoke detectors or CO detectors in your home? How about electric lighting? Seat belts? Do you travel with a cell phone? Just a few examples of things people "survived without" at one time. Doesn't mean we shouldn't take advantage of them now.

TyroneandGladys wrote:
If you can not afford $16.50 do NOT go out.

BUT, if you don't READ and FOLLOW the instructions for the alarm, there is no use in buying one!

Y'know, these magic electronic marvels are all well and good, but what ever happened to good old common sense? Many of us had campers and trailers way back when, long before such magic gadgets, and we survived. Why, we even had GAS LAMPS on the wall of the campers! Yep, propane fired mantle lamps mounted on the wall! They were GREAT!! Lots of light, and some heat. Sometimes too much heat. But, "safety issues" forced the manufacturers to stop installing them.
Actually, the "safety issues", IMO, were caused by people not bothering to learn how to use them properly!
I would say, "If you can't be bothered to learn to use your goods properly, leave them alone and stay home!"

If you can not afford $16.50 do NOT go out.