When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need to Survive When Disaster Strikes

by Cody Lundin

  "Fuel-Burning" Space Heaters [Propane, Kerosene, Coal,

  Natural Gas, etc.]

  Many people in rural or smaller communities have no access to natural gas main lines and use propane gas instead to provide a variety of household needs. It can be delivered by truck to fill large personal storage tanks, or smaller tanks can be brought to the dealer itself to be filled. Although most recognizable on the backyard grill, bottled propane can heat water for hot showers, heat homes, cook food in ovens, and even keep the ice cream cold inside a propane refrigerator. Many recreational vehicles are packed with appliances that run solely on propane.

  All fuel-burning space heaters will produce toxic carbon monoxide gas. (We are assuming that electric space heaters are a no-go as the power grid is down.) Many local fire codes do not allow any kind of fuel-burning space heater to be used in an occupied structure unless it has first been "vented" to the outside. Caution! Do NOT use your propane or natural gas kitchen stove or oven in an attempt to heat your house for the same reason.

  Many people own fuel-burning space heaters that are used in the garage, around outdoor work sites, and such. If you lack any other heat source, the temptation will be very strong to bring it into the house when you start seeing your breath. If appropriate for your family, prepare now for pending chilly home temperatures by having a qualified professional install a modern fuel-burning space heater that's vented to the outside. Read the carbon monoxide poisoning section below about using unvented space heaters. Below are some basic safety precautions to take with any space heater, including electric models.

  Space Heater Safety Tips

  When using a fuel-burning space heater, open a window to provide adequate ventilation. Never use fuel-burning appliances (kerosene, coal, or propane) without proper ventilation due to deadly carbon monoxide fumes! Although oxygen-depletion alarms are standard on most modern space heaters, these are not the same as carbon monoxide alarms. Wall-mounted, room-vented space heaters that are connected to gas lines are also considered unvented space heaters. Using unvented space heaters in your home puts you and your family at risk of dying of carbon monoxide poisoning.

  Make sure that your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working.

  Make sure your space heater has an automatic tipswitch, a cutoff device required on newer models that turns off electric or kerosene heaters if they tip over. Try to purchase a heater that has an automatically controlled thermostat that shuts off by itself when a pre-set temperature is achieved. Make sure it has a guard around the flame area or heating element and only use safety-listed equipment that is labeled with UL or AGA certification.

  Keep space heaters at least three feet away from everything on all sides of the heater, including walls, furniture, curtains, clothing, and other obvious combustibles.

  Do not place anything on top of a space heater.

  Place the heater on a hard, level, nonflammable surface; do not place it on rugs or carpets, on tables or countertops, or where the heater will be susceptible to being knocked over or block an emergency exit in your home.

  Make sure your space heater is in good working condition. All space heaters need frequent checkups and cleaning, as a dirty heater is a potential fire hazard.

  Use only the proper fuel for each space heater. Never use a fuel in a heater that is not designed to burn that fuel.

  Don't store kerosene, gasoline, or other flammable liquids in your home. Use an approved safety container for storing flammable liquids and store them in a safe location. When refueling a kerosene heater, don't overfill it. If cold kerosene is used, it will expand as it warms up inside your home and may cause the burner to flood, causing potential flare ups. Never fill your kerosene heater while it's burning.

  Never leave children or pets unsupervised in a room with a running space heater. Keep young children away from space heaters, as loose clothing may be drawn by a draft into the heater and catch fire.

  If you use an electric heater, make sure your home's wiring is adequate for the load and in good condition. Never cover a heater's cord with carpeting or furniture, as this could cause the cord to overheat and start a fire. Avoid overloading the circuit and avoid using extension cords. Use an approved power strip with a built-in circuit breaker. Space heaters should have a polarized AC (alternating current) plug, in which one blade is longer than the other. If the plug should fail to fit into an outlet, contact an electrician to replace the dated outlet. Do not use older space heaters or heaters with cords that are cracked or frayed. Avoid using electric space heaters in the bathroom and never touch an electric heater when you're wet.

  Turn off your heater (and unplug, if electric) if you leave the area and before going to bed.

  Dangerous and Deadly Carbon Monoxide

  Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless toxic gas that is the result of incomplete burning of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. This silent monster is responsible for more unintentional fatal poisonings in the United States than any other medium, with most deaths occurring during the colder winter months. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than five hundred people in the United States die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning while 15,000 to 40,000 more visit hospital emergency rooms for treatment. Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can lead to neurological damage. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that poorly used space heaters alone kill three hundred people each year and are responsible for more than 25,000 residential fires.

  If the grid goes down, the odds of grandpa dragging the barbeque grill into the house for heat or putting the gasoline-powered generator too close to the house will increase. Even yours truly has had close calls with carbon monoxide, so don't get cocky at your family's expense and think it can't happen to you and yours.

  How Is Carbon Monoxide Created?

  Carbon monoxide is created from a number of sources: leaky furnaces and chimneys; back drafts from woodstoves, fireplaces, gas water heaters and stoves; generators and other gasoline-burning equipment; exhaust fumes from vehicles in attached garages; unvented kerosene and gas space heaters; and tobacco smoke.

  Caution! Individuals commonly die from carbon monoxide poisoning in locations where they thought they had adequate ventilation, such as in tents, RVs, and drafty cabins.

  People get sick or die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning at Utah/Arizona's Lake Powell when using houseboats for the family vacation. Either folks swim too close for too long next to the idling engines or run poorly vented generators while making margaritas in the close quarters of the boat. Think about the source of carbon monoxide. If you are burning fuel, and you see an orange or yellow flame, this is a sign that carbon monoxide is being released. So what about the yellow and orange flame of a candle? Unless you have several hundred burning at once in a poorly ventilated area, don't worry about it. Yellow and orange flames are caused by unburned carbon particles from the combustion process. Although you shouldn't totally drop your guard for a blue flame, it signifies a much more complete combustion process than the former. In conventional, fuel-burning household appliances, oxygen is mixed with the fuel to achieve a more complete burn, thus the blue flame on your kitchen stove. As oxygen supports combustion it raises the temperature of the burning fuel, and the higher heat value burns away the otherwise unburned carbon particles. Speaking of oxygen, carbon monoxide poisoning causes the formation of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood, which inhibits the absorption of oxygen in your body. When people breathe in carbon monoxide gas fumes, red blood cells in the bloodstream carry it instead of oxygen to all of the body's tissues.

  The Mighty Carbon Monoxide Detector/Alarm

  As carbon monoxide is odorless, tasteless, and generally invisible, having a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector is worth its weight in gold. (Although plug-in models are available, they will do you no good if the electrical grid crashes. Check to make sure plug-in models have a battery backup system. Test battery-operated
detectors frequently, change the batteries every six months, and have a fresh stash of batteries nearby.) In September 1993, Chicago, Illinois, became one of the first cities in the nation to adopt ordinances requiring the installation of carbon monoxide detectors/alarms in all new single-family homes and in existing single-family homes that purchased new oil or gas furnaces. Carbon monoxide detectors are cheap, easy to install, and commonly available at local hardware and big box discount stores. Although new carbon monoxide detectors should be compliant, make sure your purchased detector/alarm meets the requirements of the current UL standard 2034 or the requirements of the IAS 6-96 standard. Install the detector(s) according to the manufacturer's instructions, and make sure it's not covered up with drapes or furniture. The CPSC recommends that you install a separate detector near every different sleeping area. Carbon monoxide detectors are also available for boats and recreational vehicles. Test your carbon monoxide detector/alarms frequently per the manufacturer's instructions! A carbon monoxide detector/alarm does provide added protection, but it's not a substitute for the proper use and upkeep of appliances that can produce carbon monoxide.

  The Sinister Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

  Early Symptoms (often mistaken for the flu but without the fever)

  Headaches

  Nausea

  Fatigue

  Shortness of breath

  Dizziness

  Muscle pains

  Advanced Symptoms

  Disorientation

  Impaired vision and coordination

  Confusion

  Unconsciousness

  Death

  The health affects from carbon monoxide depend on the levels of carbon monoxide present, the length of the exposure, and each individual's age and health condition. The individuals most at risk are infants, pregnant women, and people with chronic heart disease or respiratory problems, but everyone, even the family pets, are vulnerable.

  What to Do If Poisoned by Carbon Monoxide

  If you suspect that you or a loved one has carbon monoxide poisoning, take action immediately!

  1 Get out! Move the affected person to fresh air immediately and give supplemental oxygen if available.

  2 Contact medical help if available.

  3 If the person is not breathing, perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) until help arrives.

  4 Turn off any combustion appliances.

  5 Make sure to ventilate the area of concern by opening windows and doors and leave the house.

  6 Make repairs to the cause of carbon monoxide as soon as possible. Don't space out and forget that the area in suspicion is a danger. Remember, carbon monoxide is invisible to you and your loved ones!

  How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure from Occurring

  Check the flame colors of your appliances. If it's yellow or orange, you have a carbon monoxide problem!

  Check all flues for blockages. Make sure flues are open, drawing properly, and free from debris such as excess carbon, bird nests, or plants. Flue guards should be installed to prevent critters and debris from accumulating in the first place.

  Make sure your home has adequate ventilation. All fuel-burning appliances will produce carbon monoxide if they are starved for oxygen.

  Choose the proper size of woodstove. Hopefully it's certified to meet EPA emission standards, and make sure that all of the doors fit tightly. Fiberglass door gaskets are commonly available from any commercial stove dealer.

  Check that appliances are installed properly and are serviced regularly. Make sure that all fuel-burning appliances were installed according to the manufacturer's specifications. Have them inspected, adjusted, and serviced every year. Don't mess around with do-it-yourself machismo if you don't know what you're doing!

  Purchase "vented" space heaters whenever possible. (Note: The careless use of space heaters is renowned for starting house fires. Never use space heaters on carpeted areas and keep them at least three feet from all combustible materials such as furniture, bedding, and drapes. Don't suspend wet clothing or other articles on or around the heater to dry as they could catch fire. Keep children and pets away from the heater and never leave the heater on when sleeping or leaving the area. If the heater cord or plug feels hot, unplug it and call a repairman to check for problems. Keep an ABC dry powder fire extinguisher in your home at all times.)

  Don't burn charcoal grills or fuel-burning camping equipment in ANY closed environment such as homes, tents, vehicles, garages, etc. (Note: I use a two-burner propane stove in my home for cooking only, a temporary event as opposed to trying to heat the home.)

  Don't leave the car idling in your attached garage even if you have the garage door open.

  Never use ANY fuel-burning appliances such as clothes dryers, ovens, or stoves for heating your house.

  Never use fuel-burning appliances in rooms with all of the doors and windows shut, or where people are or will be sleeping.

  Don't use gasoline-powered tools, generators, etc., indoors.

  It's Too Hot in the House! The Art of Keeping Your Home Cool

  North-facing Rooms: Looking for Naturally Cool Places in the House

  During summertime heat, recognizing and exploiting cooler microclimates in your house will be necessary to achieve relative comfort and, in a worst-case scenario, will be needed to prevent you from dying of dehydration and hyperthermia. Notice that this section is directly the opposite of the south-facing room section with a few similarities designed to maintain whatever temperature it is that you're looking for.

  North-facing rooms in the home will naturally be cooler during hot weather as direct sunlight never shines within the windows of the room at any time of the year. Even if the room has no windows or openings of any kind, it will still be cooler. If you're unsure of how your home is oriented, every family will have a room that people dread going into during the wintertime because it's damn cold. The chances are high that this room is facing north.

  North-facing rooms can be blocked off from the rest of the home to keep the cooler temperature insulated against the onslaught of heat generated from the rest of the house. Close doors or hang up blankets to insulate and block off doorways from the rest of the home and use towels or extra clothing to insulate above doorways and higher open areas if needed. Hot air rises, and cooler air sinks, thus don't bother stuffing towels under the door. Using the "hot air rises" principle, the entire house can get rid of some of its excess heat through the installation of attic vents.

  If north-facing rooms do have windows or openings, they can be utilized to cool down the room at the appropriate time of day. While it may seem counterintuitive at first, I keep all doors and windows in my home closed during the daytime in the summer. I open the doors and windows in the evening or at night when it cools down outside. I especially like to open windows that are located high up, as the rising warm air easily escapes. The cooler convective nighttime breezes fill my home all night, bringing inside temperatures down from whatever heat was gained from the heat of the day. To insulate my cooler indoor temperatures from the outside heat, I then close doors and windows the next morning when it starts to warm up outside. Combined with great insulation, orientation, and thermal mass, this simple process works for me as free air conditioning all summer long.

  Lay Low and Be Cool

  Cooler air sinks. Although insulation such as carpeting or throw rugs works well at retaining hot or cold temperatures, the bare floor of a room, especially if it's a concrete slab, stone, or tile, will be much cooler than the carpet itself. If it gets really hot inside and you're forced to lie on the floor, the resulting heat loss through conduction will be greatly increased if you lie on the bare floor itself without any insulation blocking the transfer of heat. Mattresses can be taken off of their box springs and put on the floor, as can sofa cushions, to make an improvised bed that maximizes lower cooler air.

  I fondly remember living in my yurt in the summertime. I would often lie naked on the cool floor when forc
ed to endure yet another summer day in Arizona in a fabric shelter in direct sun with no insulation. The yurt itself was set up on a circular platform constructed of sandstone, 2x4s, and plywood. As my shelter location was on a slight slope, the height of the sandstone wall varied and there was a crawl space underneath the plywood. We cut an opening in the floor, and then covered the opening with a piece of plywood, which I could take off to allow the cooler air from underneath to make its way into the lowest part of the yurt. Even so, some days still sucked and were hotter than hell. Regardless of crummy circumstances, which are all temporary, buck up and maintain a positive attitude as best you can.

  Many homes have basements or other built-in underground storage rooms for garden produce. All will be wonderfully cool when compared to the rest of your home.

  Wet and Wild

  When a liquid changes into a gas (evaporation), the process uses heat or energy. Many times on cross-country desert survival courses, my students use extra water to wet down their clothing. Clothing covering the head, neck, and torso areas respond the best to being wetted down, as these areas possess the most sweat glands. Don't be shy, wet down your clothing or the sheets on the bed when things get smoldering in the house. When wet, cotton clothing and sheets allow for the best loss of heat from your body compared to other materials. Back in my yurt days, I often wet my clothing down with water to stay cooler. In certain conditions, wet clothing on a body excels at losing heat much more effectively than being naked.

  The mass production of air conditioners for homes didn't begin until the 1950s. Regardless, Phoenix, Arizona, was the territorial capital of Arizona in 1899, with a population of 5,444 hardy souls who knew how to sweat their butts off in desert summer heat. Early Phoenicians used basic tricks such as insulation, thermal mass, and orientation, just like we do, or should do, to stay cool. They also soaked down sheets with water and hung them from their porches, doorways, and as dividers between rooms. Cooler nighttime breezes would become even cooler when passing through the wet sheet, similar to the soaked burlap "box cooler" my grandmother used to have. It consisted of a wooden framed box, which held the food, surrounded by a layer of burlap. On top of the burlap-coated box was a metal container with tiny holes in its base. My grandmother would fill the container with water and it would slowly seep out the holes throughout the day so as to constantly keep the burlap wet—perfect low-tech evaporative cooling. Creative and liberal use of this concept can make unbearable high temperatures bearable in a pinch. Many urban desert neighborhoods employ swamp coolers on their homes for the same effect.