Prius Power

“I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather... Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.” - Will Shriner (American Comedian)

From Prius Powers Home During Ice Storm,

A Massachusetts [electrical engineer] - faced with no power in the recent ice storm, powered up the family Prius to create electricity: The hybrid car made enough electricity to run the essentials; the fridge, the lights, the TV, the wood-stove fan. During the power outage, it supplied 17 Kilowatt hours of energy to his home for three days. ...

He dug up an inverter which made 120v AC from 12v DC current and he wired it into the hybrid electric Prius. [These inverters are available for about $100 many places online.]

Further details can be found at Ice storm tests mettle of Harvard residents. The three days used roughly five gallons of gas. The device allowed the engine to run every half hour, automatically
charging the car battery and indirectly supplying the required power.

Bottom Line

This is a very clever way to have backup electrical power. If you own a Prius consider buying the converter and instructions for installing it.

Gas Generator Warning

Portable gas generators, often used by consumers to restore power to their homes and businesses in the aftermath of a storm, produce high levels of deadly carbon monoxide (CO). CPSC warns consumers that generators should be used outdoors only, far from doors, windows, and vents that could allow CO to come indoors. “Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless poison gas. It is an invisible killer,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. “While generators can come in handy after a storm, using one indoors can kill you and your family in minutes." - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Spotted on the Consumerist, Try Not To Kill Yourself By Using A Gas Generator Inside A Building, in the wake of Hurricane Fay some Florida residents used Gas Generators in unsafe ways.

A survey of more than 10,000 adults found dangerous misconceptions about generator safety. Most respondents (62 percent) believe it is safe to run a generator in a garage as long as the garage door is open. Many (47 percent) also believe it is safe to run a generator in a basement as long as a window is open. But both scenarios caused nearly 100 deaths in 2005.

Bottom Line

The Commission provides these important life-saving tips:

• If you start to feel sick, dizzy or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air right away.
• Keep generators dry and wait for the rain to pass before using a generator. Consumer-grade generators are not weatherproof and can pose the risk of electrocution and shock.
• Do not connect the generator directly into your home's electrical system through a receptacle outlet – this is an extremely dangerous practice that poses a fire hazard and an electrocution hazard to utility workers and neighbors served by the same transformer.
• If using a generator, plug individual appliances into heavy duty, outdoor-rated extension cords and plug cords into the generator.
• Check that the extension cords have a wire gauge adequate for the appliance loads and have all three prongs, including a grounding pin.
• Check to make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms have batteries and are working.