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Safe & Sensible:
Natural Gas Safety Call Before You Dig Back Drafting Life Sustaining Equipment Downed Power Lines Dogs and Meter Readers Storms can and do cause power outages in our region during each season of the year. Whether it's a winter blizzard, a spring ice storm or a summer thunder-boomer, electrical service is sometimes the victim. Here are some important tips to help prepare you for, and to cope with, a power outage. STOCK UP! Radios & Flashlights . . . Every home should have a battery-operated radio, flashlight and, of course, plenty of fresh batteries. In fact, don't wait until you hear there's a storm on the way before you run to the store and find them sold out. Water . . . If you have enough warning before a storm hits, and your water supply would be affected by an electric power outage, fill your bathtub and spare containers with water for cleaning or washing. (Do not leave small children unattended near a filled bathtub.) You might want to buy a few gallons of bottled water to have on hand at all times. Food . . . If you know a storm is headed your way and may threaten your electric service, turn your refrigerator on its coldest setting -- but remember to turn it back after the storm has passed. Food in a freezer will keep up to 48 hours under those conditions if the freezer is full. Keep canned food, a non-electric can opener and other non-perishables in the house just in case. Freeze-dried or dehydrated foods can be prepared with a minimum of heat. During an emergency, a can of Sterno in a holder on a flame-proof surface can be used for cooking. But, never use charcoal indoors. It releases deadly carbon monoxide gas. DON'T GO NEAR DOWNED WIRES! Treat all downed or hanging wires as if they are energized -- and, stay away from them. Just because wires may have been knocked around doesn't mean they are "dead." Report any downed, hanging or burning wires to Montana-Dakota or to the police or fire department. APPLIANCES Make sure all sensitive electric appliances such as microwave ovens, VCRs, televisions and computers are protected with surge suppressors. For complete protection when a storm hits, unplug as many appliances as possible. Be sure to turn off or disconnect appliances that would go on automatically when power is restored -- refrigerator, freezer, water pump and especially the stove. If a burner is on when your power returns and there is a flammable object on the element, it could start a fire. Once power is restored, plug in appliances one at a time. BACKUP GENERATORS Please do not use a backup generator if your MDU power has been disrupted. By connecting a backup generator to your home electric circuitry, you might energize our electric distribution lines and endanger our line crews who are restoring power. YOUR GAS APPLIANCES . . . Buy only gas appliances with the American Gas Association Blue Star Seal, an indication that the appliance meets industry safety standards. And make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions. Only qualified technicians should work on your gas appliance. Call Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. or another certified gas appliance repair service. Check your gas flame periodically. It should have a bright blue appearance. A yellow or orange flame means the appliance needs service work. Don't forget to replace your heating system filter several times during each heating season. Combustion air is vital for gas appliances. Make sure no obstructions are blocking the appliance's air intake and regularly check the venting of your gas furnace and water heater by touching the vent pipe (be careful...if operating properly it will be hot). IF YOU SMELL GAS . . . We add an odorant to your natural gas so you can detect a leak should one occur. If you think you might have a gas leak, open all windows and doors to allow the gas to escape then call us using our local telephone number in your directory or our toll-free number: 1-800-MDU FAST (1-800-638-3278). If the gas smell is very strong, leave the building immediately and use a neighbor's telephone. Also, do not light any matches, operate any light switches or electrical devices or pull plugs from outlets because any of these could ignite accumulated gas. NEVER USE YOUR GAS RANGE AS A HEATER . . . Your gas range has one purpose - to cook food. It should never be used as a secondary source of heat. When your oven door is left open, it prevents the thermostat from cycling and periodically turning the gas off. This constant burning could create a situation that could cause asphyxiation or fire.
We Need Your Help -- Before You Dig In recent years, many utility services have been placed underground including natural gas, electric, cable television and telephone. Make sure the first step of your next digging project is a phone call for help in locating underground lines. People digging holes - whether homeowners or contractors - often find more than they bargained for. Hidden beneath the soil and out of view are many miles of Montana-Dakota's cables and piping that deliver energy we all need. Careless digging can rupture these facilities and often cause severe injury, even death, to the unwitting worker - not to mention the loss of utility service to hundreds of people. Repairs can also be very expensive. With spring here, digging projects will be in full swing. Be sure you make a phone call before you break the sod this spring. It could save your life. In North Dakota call your local Montana-Dakota office and we will make arrangements to locate your underground energy facilities.
In Montana - call In our efforts to reduce heating costs, many of us have turned to wood burning fireplaces and stoves as supplementary sources of heat along with natural gas furnaces. However, many homes are often too tight to provide adequate air for the safe operation of open flame heating systems (fireplaces, wood/coal stoves, natural gas furnaces, etc.). We feel that everyone should try to conserve energy. But, after you weatherize you may need to add a combustion air source to prevent back drafting. Fireplaces require lots of air. If there is not enough air to satisfy the requirements of a fireplace or wood stove as well as a furnace or water heater all burning at the same time, the fireplace draft can pull toxic combustion products from these gas appliances back into the room. This condition can seriously endanger health. The products of combustion (which may contain carbon monoxide) must be continuously removed while the fireplace or stove is operating. In fact, any device that exhausts air from the home (including kitchen or bathroom exhaust fans) can contribute to the back drafting problem. To Check for Back Drafting: Start a fire in the fireplace on a cold day and after a few minutes, touch the vent pipe of the furnace, water heater, or any space heater. (Careful, they may be very hot!) If the vent is cold, your fireplace could be creating a dangerous back draft. Turn down the thermostats and water heater temperature controls, let fireplace burn down and call a heating contractor or your local Montana-Dakota serviceman. Please read carefully. Anyone requiring life-sustaining equipment such as iron lungs, chest respirators and rocking beds must have an emergency standby power supply. Life sustaining equipment includes any electrically operated support system such as tank-type respirators (iron lungs), Cuirass-type respirators (chest respirators), intermittent positive pressure respirators, hemodialysis equipment (kidney machines), mechanical nebulizers, suction machines, rocking beds, apnea monitors or other similar equipment. If you are a landlord with tenants using such equipment, please advise them of the safety equipment requirement to have an emergency standby power supply. Montana-Dakota does everything possible to provide reliable service. But, because of weather, mechanical failure, and other circumstances beyond our control, we cannot guarantee uninterrupted electric service. Downed lines? Stay calm and stay away Severe storms that visit our region from time to time can and do cause electrical outages. Whether the cause is a fallen tree limbs or lightning bolt the result is often the same - downed electric lines. If you see a fallen power line, stay far away from it and warn others to stay away, too. Call your electric utility company or the local police right away. All downed power lines should be considered energized and dangerous. Never try to reposition a downed line with sticks, poles or other items that are normally considered to be "non-conductors." To some extent, electrical current can travel through most materials -- even ones that are said to resist it. If your car comes into contact with a power line stay inside and wait for help. The vehicle's rubber tires help protect you from becoming a pathway for current to flow to the ground. If you must leave your vehicle, open the door and leap as far away from it as possible. Above all, do not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time.
REMEMBER: She's good with kids, but . . . This dog's name is Fanny. She's not the smartest dog in town, but, she's company and always up for a good game of "tug of fur." It's not unusual for an otherwise easy-going dog like Fanny to get cranky once in a while and become a problem for our meter readers. On an average day, our meter readers visit about 10,000 homes and businesses in our four-state natural gas, propane and electric service area. And, each day several will have painful skirmishes with a family dog, some will require medical attention. We understand that dogs like Fanny are just being loyal and protecting their turf. But, that loyalty can cause you a lot of hassle. If your dog blocks access to your gas or electric meter, you might get an estimated bill. If your pet bites one of our meter readers it could get impounded for medical tests. A loose dog can get you into trouble with your city government not to mention your neighbors! You can avoid a lot of inconvenience and, at the same time, help us serve you more efficiently by following a few simple tips:
In general, try to give us clear access to your meter(s). Dogs are the most hazardous obstacles, but not the only ones. Please avoid hanging ropes and garden hoses around the meter. Trim bushes, shrubs and large flowers so they don't completely cover the meter. Remember, if we can't get to your meter, we'll have to estimate your bill.
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