Threat of power loss

[JoshDM020]

Alrighty, so, in the last few months ive added considerably more vertebrates to my collection. A leopard gecko (her name is PB, theres a story, I'll tell it some other time), a red eyed crocodile skink, two blue tongues, and my mother acquired a couple of blue dart frogs (i dont really know much about those, theyre more her circus). Winter storm Diego is currently dropping quite a bit of freezing rain on roads and power lines in arkansas and the tv has warned people to prepare for power loss. We're all electric.
Any ideas on how i might be able to keep these guys from freezing in a worst case scenario?

 

[basin79]

If you have a gas camping stove and hot water bottles you can boil water and fill them. Wrap them in some towels that have been washed in just water.

 

[The Snark]

If you have a gas camping stove

PLEASE. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT DO THIS! No offense meant to you, Basin79. This is how a select group of people are discovered toes up every year from carbon monoxide poisoning. Camp stoves and similar, like gas lanterns, are not vented. They WILL KILL YOU.
A vented heater which requires installation is best. Alternatively, minimize and concentrate your heating requirements and use computer UPS power supplies. Thermal batteries, objects that store heat and slowly release it (chunks or slabs of concrete as example) should be looked into.

 

[basin79]

PLEASE. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT DO THIS! No offense meant to you, Basin79. This is how a select group of people are discovered toes up every year from carbon monoxide poisoning. Camp stoves and similar, like gas lanterns, are not vented. They WILL KILL YOU.
A vented heater which requires installation is best. Alternatively, minimize and concentrate your heating requirements and use computer UPS power supplies. Thermal batteries, objects that store heat and slowly release it (chunks or slabs of concrete as example) should be looked into.

Folks use these indoors???

I meant use it outdoors after the storm had past.

Seriously some use these indoors?

 

[The Snark]

Seriously some use these indoors?

In the emergency services we call this tragedy 'woke up dead'. I've been on such a run myself. Yes, happens all the time.
Read it and weep. https://www.cdc.gov/features/copoisoning/index.html

I'll add one unmentioned precaution here. Where we were at we had some miserably cold weather and several power outages every year. One couple had an illegal indoor heater. Kept them toasty all night. Next day they went downstairs. By the time they finished breakfast they figured something was very wrong. Went to the ER. Doc Van was a sharp cookie as CO poisoning is extremely hard to spot without a blood test. He called the FD. We went out to check on the place. And you know what we found.

CO pools like water. Upstairs they were safe. A few minutes downstairs and.....

 

[CJJon]

Kerosene heater needs no electricity, is perfectly safe and can easily heat an 1800 SF house (mine does). I can also cook a pot of beans on top of mine (or boil water for coffee).

 

[The Snark]

Kerosene heater needs no electricity, is perfectly safe and can easily heat an 1800 SF house (mine does). I can also cook a pot of beans on top of mine (or boil water for coffee).

Google: "Kerosene heaters should not be left unattended, especially when sleeping. A kerosene heater, as any heater that uses organic fuel, can produce dangerously high amounts of soot and carbon monoxide when running out of oxygen. Failure to follow safety precautions could result in asphyxiation or carbon monoxide poisoning."

 

[mickiem]

A generator would be a great thing to rely upon, just make sure you have gas to run it in case the roads close or there is a shortage. They aren't very expensive when compared to the amount of $$$ we sink into our hobby. I like the campfire idea, too. Heating water outside and filling and wrapping bottles full of hot water can help raise the temp. Don't overlook your own body heat! You can put the animals in cloth bags and hold them inside your shirt against your skin. It's good to cluster the animals together and throw a blanket over the whole lot. I have heat packs that I use for shipping. They would be expensive but I have peace knowing they are available. Good luck!

 

[basin79]

In the emergency services we call this tragedy 'woke up dead'. I've been on such a run myself. Yes, happens all the time.
Read it and weep. https://www.cdc.gov/features/copoisoning/index.html

I'll add one unmentioned precaution here. Where we were at we had some miserably cold weather and several power outages every year. One couple had an illegal indoor heater. Kept them toasty all night. Next day they went downstairs. By the time they finished breakfast they figured something was very wrong. Went to the ER. Doc Van was a sharp cookie as CO poisoning is extremely hard to spot without a blood test. He called the FD. We went out to check on the place. And you know what we found.

CO pools like water. Upstairs they were safe. A few minutes downstairs and.....

You really can't warrant for stupid. That's why there's do not drink warnings on bleach.

 

[CJJon]

Google: "Kerosene heaters should not be left unattended, especially when sleeping. A kerosene heater, as any heater that uses organic fuel, can produce dangerously high amounts of soot and carbon monoxide when running out of oxygen. Failure to follow safety precautions could result in asphyxiation or carbon monoxide poisoning."

Blah. Nonsense. I've put thousands of gallons of kerosene through my heaters over the years and never had killer soot problems or been killed by high levels of CO (caused by O2 running out?). Kerosene heaters are designed to be used indoors. They are UL approved in fact. This isn't like bringing a camping stove into your house for heat. I'ts not like building a charcoal fire in your bathtub. There are millions of them in use and you can't find me one instance of a properly used or faulty kerosene heater causing any fire or death by asphyxiation.

When used properly, kerosene heaters are perfectly safe. Also, the biggest risk is certainly fire, but then that is a concern for many portable heaters. They produce very little CO, crack a window of the room that the heater is in and you are fine. Don't disable the tip-over switch or use any fuel but K-1 grade kerosense (no gasoline or camp stove fuel) and don't place it under the drapes.

 

[JoshDM020]

Good news, Diego came and went pretty quick and didnt leave enough ice on the power lines to shut things down in my area. Thanks for the suggestions and feel free to keep adding more. Winter isnt over and someone else someWHERE else may need the info soon!

 

[The Snark]

You really can't warrant for stupid.

All stupid moves are progressions up to and down from drinking alcohol.

Here's a weird one. People freezing to death. (Malignant Hypothermia). With a few exceptions in the world, the temperature in the dirt 6 feet below your feet is above freezing - 0 C, 32 F.

Dig a nice hole, wrap up in blankets and jump in.