Electric Facts
- Lightning is a form of electricity. Electrical charges develop inside a storm cloud with positively charged atoms moving to the top of the cloud and negatively charged atoms moving to the bottom. When the negatively charged atoms get too crowded, they move to a new location, sometimes the ground.
- In 1700 Benjamin Franklin figures out that static electricity and lightening are the same. This paved the way for future development of electricity.
- 7% of power generated at large central stations is lost during transmission to the user over high-voltage lines.
- 10% of total US generating capacity is fuelled by natural gas, about the same as hydropower. More than half of US capacity is coal-fired, with nuclear accounting for 20 percent.
- 24 cents per kWh: Price charged for electricity produced at Thomas Edison’s first plant, built in 1882. Current average US price is about 6.3 cents/kwh.
- 27% of US electric utilities generate their own electricity. The other 63 percent are distribution utilities that purchase wholesale power from others.
- There are 103 commercial nuclear power plants producing electricity. Between 1975 and 1980, 63 nuclear reactor projects cancelled in the United States.
- $212 billion in electrical bills paid by US customers each year.
- Facts about your home electric heating
- 48% Space Heating.
- 27% Space Cooling.
- 11% Appliance and Lighting.
- 14% Water Heating.
- 857 kilowatt-hours of electricity used monthly by typical American household.
- Shocking Facts
- Electrocution is one of the top five causes of workplace deaths.
- Workers younger than 25 have the highest rate of death from electrical shock.
- Many workplace electrocutions involve touching a power line with long or tall equipment.
Natural Gas Facts
- Natural Gas is colorless, shapeless, and odorless in its pure form. A sulfur-containing organic compound called mercaptan is added prior to distribution to give it an odor to help detect possible leaks.
- Natural Gas is formed primarily of Methane.
- Natural Gas accounts
- 24% of the energy consumed
- 43% Industrial use
- 22% residential use
- 14% commercial use
- 18% is for electric generation
- Natural gas becomes a liquid at –260 F at normal pressures
- According to the Department of Energy, natural gas is the lowest cost conventional energy source. It costs nearly 30% less per BTU than any other conventional source.
- More homes in the United States are heated with natural gas than any other energy sources.
- When natural gas is burned it produces mostly carbon dioxide and water vapor. These are the same substances emitted when people breathe.
Water Macro Facts
- Water is an odorless, tasteless, transparent liquid at room temperature.
- There is the same amount of water on Earth today as there was 2 billion years ago.
- Earth’s water is:
- 97% Salt Water
- 0.6% Lakes and Streams
- 2.4% Captured in glaciers and icecaps
- 0.001 atmosphere
- Only 1% is available for human consumption.
- Over 75% of the earth fresh water is located in the Midwestern United States.
- A human body is 60% water.
- The human brain is 70% water.
- A tree is 75% Water.
- A human can survive about a month without food but only 5 to 7 days with out water.
- On average, each American uses about 160 gallons of water a day.
- It takes about 39,000 gallons of water to produce the average auto, including tires.
- One Gallon of Gasoline can contaminate 750,000 gallons of water.
- Water Micro Facts : The typical person spends less than 1% of their personal expended dollars for water, waste water and waste water disposal.
- Two thirds of water usage in the average home is used in the Bathroom (ie showers, baths, and flushing).
- A toilet flush uses up to 7 gallons water.
- A tap uses about 5 gallons a minute. On average the typical person uses 2 gallons of water
- to brush their teeth.
- A shower uses 5 to 10 gallons a minute. A 10-minute shower uses 55 gallons of water.
- Many washing machines use up to 40 gallons or more of water per load.
- A drip leak can add up to 15 to 20 gallons a day or 600 gallon in a month.
- A 1/16” faucet leak will waste 100 gallons a day or 3,000 gallons in a month
Electric Safety Tips
- Keep combustibles (paper products, curtains, and other things that burn) away from heat sources like stoves, fireplaces, and heaters.
- Store and use flammable liquids (gas, kerosene) only when outside in well-ventilated areas – and only use them under adult supervision.
- Never use an electric appliance if you are wet or standing in water.
- Always unplug power tools or appliances before trying to clean, adjust or move them.
- Check the wattage of all bulbs in light fixtures to make sure they are the correct wattage for the fixture.
- Check electrical outlets for loose-fitting plugs, which can overheat and lead to fire.
- Replace missing or broken electrical plates.
- Make sure electrical cords are in good shape.
- Electrical cords should never be nailed or stapled to the wall, baseboard or other objects.
- Do not place cords under carpets, rugs or other furniture.
- Do not over load extension cords.
- Make sure all electrical outlets and extension cord have safety closures to prevent young children from shock hazards and burns.
- Make sure your plug fits the electrical outlet. Never remove the ground pin (Third Prong) to fit a into a two prong outlet.
- Use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters “GFCI’s” where water and electricity may come in contact.
- Outdoor Safety
- Check for power lines in trees before using a ladder (even a wooden ladder) or scaffolding.
- Check for power lines running through or near trees before trimming branches.
- Install antennas away from power lines. Never go near or touch a fallen power line.
- Call your local Electric Utility or 911
- Do not throw anything over or at a power line, substation, or transformer.
- If a power line falls on your car, stay in the car and try to drive away. Do not touch the metal parts of the car. If you can’t drive, wait for help. Call 911 for assistance if you have a cellular phone. If you must get out of the car, jump clear without touching the car and the ground at the same time.
Natural Gas Safety Tips
- Keep combustibles (paper products, curtains, and other things that burn) away from heat sources like stoves, fireplaces, and heaters. Avoid using or storing these products near the furnace: paint stripper, fabric or water softener, bleach, adhesives, or salt for melting ice. The chlorine or fluorine in these items can lead to furnace corrosion.
- Store and use flammable liquids (gas, kerosene) only when outside in well-ventilated areas-and only use them under adult supervision.
- Keep forced-air furnace filters clean. Clean the filters or replace them according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.
- If your owner’s manual recommends it, oil the furnace fan, motor and bearings.
- Keep your heat registers and cold-air returns clean so the air can flow properly.
- Also, arrange your furniture and drapes so they don’t block the air flow. Have a qualified heating contractor inspect your furnace or boiler annually.
- A properly tuned furnace saves energy and helps avoid costly repairs. Check the flue to make sure it is clean and open.
- Any fuel that does not burn completely can create harmful levels of carbon monoxide (CO). CO is a gas with no color, odor or taste. It can collect in your home if a fuel-burning appliance isn’t working properly or venting, as it should.
Natural Gas Leaks
- Natural gas has an odorant added to it at the local gas gate station so that is has a distinct, pungent odor for ease in detection.
- Leaking gas can cause an explosion and/or fire, so if there is a weak smell of natural gas detected:
- Open the windows and doors– natural gas is lighter than air so it will quickly ventilate.
- Check for an extinguished pilot light – if it is out, wait for the gas odor to dissipate before re-lighting any pilot light.
- Check to see if the range’s burner has been left in an on position – then simply turn it off and follow the safety rules until the odor has dissipated.
- If the source of the odor cannot be detected:
- Immediately…get everyone out of the house.
- Do not use a lighter or matches.
- Do not turn any electrical switches or lights to the on or off position.
- Call the local Gas Company from a neighbor’s house; or use a cell phone when safely outside of the home.
Note: If a strong odor of natural gas is detected do not follow the above instructions. Instead…
- Call PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, A QUALIFIED PLUMBER, OR A HVAC/MECHANICAL CONTRACTOR IMMEDIATELY.
- IF THE ODOR IS STRONG CONTACT YOUR LOCAL GAS COMPANY OR 911
- Do not turn any lights or electrical appliances on or off.
- Open the windows and door to ventilate your apartment.
- If the odor is very strong, do not use your telephone– leave and report it from another telephone.
- Do not re-enter your apartment until Physical Plant Maintenance has declared it safe to do so.
Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips
- Carbon Monoxide is a chemical compound of carbon and oxygen with the formula CO. It is a colorless, odorless gas, about 3 percent lighter than air, and is poisonous to all warm-blooded animals and many other forms of life. When inhaled it combines with hemoglobin in the blood, preventing absorption of oxygen and resulting in asphyxiation.
- Examples of carbon monoxide producing devices commonly in use around the home include, fuel fired furnaces (non-electric), gas water heaters, fireplaces and woodstoves, gas stoves, gas dryers, charcoal grills. It also includes types of fuel driven engines like lawnmowers, snow blowers, and automobiles. Carbon monoxide is a part of everyday life.
- The following is a checklist for where to look for problem sources of CO in the home:
- A forced air furnace is frequently the source of leaks and should be carefully inspected.
- Measure the concentration of carbon monoxide in the flue gases.
- Check furnace connections to flue pipes and venting systems to the outside of the home for signs of corrosion, rust gaps, holes.
- Check furnace filters and filtering systems for dirt and blockage.
- Check forced air fans for proper installation and to assure correct air flow of flue gases.
- Improper furnace blower installation can result in carbon monoxide build-up because toxic gas is blown into rather than out of the house.
- Check the combustion chamber and internal heat exchanger for cracks, holes, metalfatigue or corrosion. Be sure they are clean and free of debris.
- Check burners and ignition system. A flame that is mostly yellow in color in natural gas fired furnaces is often a sign that the fuel is not burning completely and higher levels of carbon monoxide are being released. Oil furnaces with similar problems can give off an oily odor. Remember you can’t smell carbon monoxide.
- Check all venting systems to the outside including flues and chimneys for cracks, corrosion, holes, debris, blockages. Animals and birds can build nests in chimneys preventing gases from escaping.
- Check all other appliances in the home that use flammable fuels such as natural gas, oil, propane, wood or kerosene. Appliances include water heaters, clothes dryers, kitchen ranges, ovens or cook tops: wood burning stoves, gas refrigerators.
- Pilot lights can be a source of carbon monoxide because the by-products of combustion are released inside the home rather than vented outside.
- Be sure space heaters are vented properly. Unvented space heaters that use a flammable fuel such as kerosene can release carbon monoxide into the home.
- Barbecue grills should never be operated indoors under any circumstances nor should stove tops or ovens that operate on flammable fuels be used to heat a residence.
- Check for closed, blocked or bent flues, soot and debris.
- Check the clothes dryer vent opening outside the house for lint.