Carbon Monoxide!?

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Weird The smoke alarm went off, not incredibly odd when I am using the fireplace, but it wasn't the smoke detector. It was the CO alarm. I was totally surprised. It had never gone off as long as I have had one, over many many years. Yep, after resetting it a few times. It was getting a reading over 200 ppm CO. When I took it downstairs I got a reading near 300 ppm. I started getting light headed at this point. After thinking maybe the furnace heat exchanger failed and puzzling around a bit I figured oout what happened. As part of the huge winter storm that recently covered almost half of the US, we lost our electricity. So, being well prepared I rolled out the generator and started doing what I normally do. The generator (although it was completely outside) was creating CO to get in the house. Using the fireplace (and possibly other leaks) the whole house created a vacuum around the seal of the basement garage door. After the CO got into the house the forced air heating eff...
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This photo was taken out the galley (here at pole sometimes called the dining room) window. It is the area called the "back yard". You can see some old snow sculptures, some camping expiditioners that just arrived and the geographic south pole.

Station life surrounds (especially in my department) the satellites rising and setting. It is interesting that in a place that has 24 sunlight and no visible moon the culture surrounds an artifical satellite rise and set. Sleep and meals and other activities are scheduled around the visibility of the satellites. You may hear in the galley "Well, I might as well wait till the satellite rises since I am up now"

This place is so much like a sci fi story waiting to play out. The scenes are built, the characters are cast, the lighting is set. We just need a story.

I got another radio call last night. The air-to-ground radio system was out with planes in the air. Luckily, I didn't have to walk out to the RF building a mile away to get it going again.

The prime minister of New Zealand will be arriving today with the head of the NSF and some other folks. I suspect I won't be having dinner with them.

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Carbon Monoxide!?

-
Image
Weird The smoke alarm went off, not incredibly odd when I am using the fireplace, but it wasn't the smoke detector. It was the CO alarm. I was totally surprised. It had never gone off as long as I have had one, over many many years. Yep, after resetting it a few times. It was getting a reading over 200 ppm CO. When I took it downstairs I got a reading near 300 ppm. I started getting light headed at this point. After thinking maybe the furnace heat exchanger failed and puzzling around a bit I figured oout what happened. As part of the huge winter storm that recently covered almost half of the US, we lost our electricity. So, being well prepared I rolled out the generator and started doing what I normally do. The generator (although it was completely outside) was creating CO to get in the house. Using the fireplace (and possibly other leaks) the whole house created a vacuum around the seal of the basement garage door. After the CO got into the house the forced air heating eff...
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