I just tried to buy the adaptor and I can't get it to open the cart to pay for it.
I appreciate everyone's concern for my safety however I have a appreciation for flammable material as I am a nationally Certified Firefighter with 20 years this month on a Class 4 volunteer department. When we retired and moved here I checked into fire service. My great uncle was fire chief in Spartanburg, SC where I grew up and I went to station with him many times and hung around all day. I joined up so I could go get the pumper myself. In this role I have made entry into a gas tanker fire with the nozzle while avoiding rivulets of molten aluminum coming down the road towards us and have extinguished the body of the driver that came through the front of the truck. It was a head on between 18 wheelers. As well I have manned a nozzle with thousands of rounds of ammo going off about thirty feet in front of me and fought fuel fires where I got first degree burns through my turnout gear and have had my helmet blistered and face shield melted.
While we have a healthy respect for gas what scares us the most is propane cylinders, bottles and tanks. People have had them installed literally right up next to exterior walls of dwellings! We have had propane cylinders let go and they become missles that came right by us. Everyone stores propane cylinders indoors. Copper lines carrying propane are routinely run indoors. The first in unit makes a 360 looking for down power lines and propane tanks. If there is a propane tank a line will be laid and manned to put water on the tank continiously as we don't want it going.
Then we have "Lightning", one you see in storms and the other is about 5'8" and 165 lbs and he uses all kinds of interesting materials. It is interesting when you are crawling into a structure and run up on bright blue flames coming from the floor. And finally you have modern construction methods on residential structures with truss roofs and these are extremely dangerous for us as they burn quickly and collapse quickly and are constructed daily.
Next thing that we are terrified of is 20 lb propane cylinders that have had the valves turn blue. They are true bombs in the worst way and are very unstable and found in meth labs. These are extremely unstable. If you ever come up on a propane tank and the valve has turned blue don't even think about touching it. If we know it is a meth lab that brings a new set of rules into the game.
Also we have seen car fires that start in enclosed garages from shorted electrical systems in the vehicles. I have never seen a gas tank in a vehicle explode though on TV they explode every time. I designed our parking so vehicles are 30 to 50 feet away from the house as I have seen vehicles light off not only driving down the road but sitting in yards.
Another deadly thing is plugged in toasters. How many of you have your toasters plugged in? Unplug them. I have been to three structure fires where toasters were traced to the source and they lit off and had not been used in days or weeks. Brother in law came home from work, opened the kitchen door to find flames going to ceiling. They had not used their toaster in over a week. So unplug your toasters. We also unplug coffee makers.
I have been in attics of houses in the middle of the night wherein the junction boxes are arcing because the jerk electrician did not pre wind the wire before installing a wire nut. When our old house was refurbed eight years ago there are only two places where wire nuts are used. They were pre wound, wire nut installed and taped + and - are folded back opposite direction and taped and are suspended in air away from anything that will burn.
Went to one house where sun light coming through window one morning was shining on a trash can in kitchen and ignited something in can. Folks that lived there did not smoke and nothing hot had been placed in trash. One winter morning we had sun light coming through window and I heard a small explosion. A empty heavy water glass on kitchen counter had exploded when the sun rays warmed it up.
Insofar as getting rid of 55 gallons of gas because the storm passed us by is a piece of cake as we purchase 55 gallons in a week's time going back and forth to town and feed two cars, a pickup and a gas tractor and five gas generators I turn over every 30 days. Least ways that is the game plan for them. I have picked up four of them in last six months. I have a large steel work table outside away from my shop where I work on them so if something lights off it is away from valueable things. Went to one house where the motor on refrigerator lit off. Black lady about 70 was there, saw it, unplugged fridge, pulled it out from wall and got hose and had it out before we arrived. We were so proud of her we wanted to sign her up to work with us! ! ! !
That is why when I do get my 7.5 KW Onan JB propane unit up and going it will be in a concrete block well house that doubled as a laundry room many years ago about thirty feet from main house. The 250 gal propane tank will be on back side of building so if other buildings light off no heat will get to the tank. I store my 5 gal cans in there now but they will be moved when the generator goes in and there will be nothing in the room that burns except some shelving. The MEP is just another backup I thought would be handy to have.
Also have a camper trailer. Fridge is propane, 12 volt and 120 volt. When we travel we put food in fridge two days before we leave. Last thing before leaving is unplugg shore line and stow it and we run all day, get to a camp ground and plug up then open the door. Food is still frozen above and everything below is good. We don't open it on the road. I have seen trailers and motor homes on fire from fridges on the road.
I really appreciate the concern you guys have shown and your points are well taken and as well I have a healthy respect for about anything that will burn these days.
