Downtown Power Failure
- Thread starter Esco!
- Start date
AimlessWonderer said:
Power shut down in downtown Toronto
Canadian Press
Sunday, Jan 23, 2005
A broken water main caused a power outage in the city's downtown core on Sunday, prompting the closure of stores and tourist attractions and leaving some residents without power for nearly 12 hours.
The City of Toronto opened Metro Hall for condo and apartment-dwellers were left without heat as temperatures outside hovered well below freezing. Personnel from the Red Cross were on site.
Fire crews said they hoped to have power restored by 7 p.m., but added that frozen pipes could complicate repair efforts. They were called to a water main leak at a downtown hydro power station at about 7 a.m. Sunday.
Hydro crews shut off power before 9 a.m. after the water main caused flooding at the facility. "We don't know the extent of the damage (of the leak)," Hydro One spokesman Alan Manchee told a news conference. The ramifications of the outage would have been worse had it happened on a weekday, Manchee said, as it struck much of Toronto's financial district.
"I'm not sure you could say any time is a good time for an incident like this," he said. "[But] it's good that it happened today rather than a weekday."
Ryerson University and the Toronto Eaton Centre were shut down for the day and both were set to reopen Monday. Manchee said crews would restore the power incrementally to avoid overloading the power system.
zzap
a muddy reclining Buddha
Just think of all the water pipes that froze in all of these buildings without power and heat for 12 hours.
Escohort said:
That depends on your perspective I guess. On a weekday I probably could have gained a day off work as most of the financial core was out of power. Ah well - c'est la vie. I guess in the end it's good that no one got hurt or froze to death or anything like that.
Escohort said:
Pretty scary scenario, as the major hospital are in that area. I know they have back up genarators, but still:
www.pulse24.com/News/Top_Story/20050123-005/page.asp
I have an extra gas generator for sale, yamaha EF4600dx or a coleman ~ 5000 watts, if anyone is in the market:
www.cpmarine.com/ef4600dx.htm
www.mts.net/~dougsss/generators.html
'FEATURES:
Type: 4-cycle, gas, air-cooled, OHV
Displacement: 301cc
Rated/Max. HP: 7.9/10 hp
Engine Starting: Recoil
Fuel Capacity: 21 litres (4.62 imp. gallons)
Cont Operation Rated/ 1/2 Rated Load: 8.1/10.1 hrs
Noise Rating: 72 dB(A) @ 7m (23 feet)
Frequency: 60Hz
Rated AC Output: 4,000watts
Max. AC Output: 4,600watts
Max. 3-second Surge: 12,000watts
Rated/Max AC Current @ 120v: 33.3/38.3 amps
Rated/Max AC Current @ 240v: 16.7/19.2 amps
DC Output: N/A
Dry Weight: 81 kg (178 lbs)
Dimensions: 670L x 520W x 510H mm
MSRP: $2,294.00'
zzap
a muddy reclining Buddha
After the big blackout in the summer of 2003 and went out and bought that Coleman 5000 watt generator from Canadian Tire. A few days after they delivered it I decided to test the thing out, I filled the tank with gas and filled the motor with oil. I started it up and it was so damn loud I had no idea it would be so loud.
I went inside for 5 minutes and when I came outside I was in for one of the scariest experiences of my life. I come back outside to find the thing on fire in my driveway! I quickly grabbed the garden hose and dowsed the flames. The generator was still running at this point and I was lucky I didn’t get killed pouring water all over it but I had no choice. If that plastic 5 Gallon talk on top had burst it would have been a huge fire ball. Luck too it was in my driveway when it caught on fire… not my garage where I was planning on using it in the winter if the power went out. If it had caught fire in my garage it would have caught the house on fire too. So I then called up Canadian Tire and told them what had just happened and they guy tells me that if I put gas and oil in it I can’t return it! I then called up there head office and got the run around. I then called up Coleman in the USA and they told me that the engine on my generator was known to do this and there was a recall on my model however this recall was in the USA only. She said since I was in Canada that I had to deal with my retailer. The engine was made by Tecumseh and on there website there was the recall notice saying a miss directed fuel line in the engine could over heat and burst resulting in a fire. I then called up Canadian Tire and left a message about the defective and dangerous generator they sold me and they better take it back and refund all my money or I’m going to next call a Lawyer. I was surprised how quickly they got back to me… She was some big executive at there head office. She said they wanted to come over right away and pick up the generator and I would get a full refund. They came over and took it… and gave me a check for the $900 I paid them for it. I would like to get another one but one that runs of propane…. From what I hear it’s much safer and burns very clean.
I went inside for 5 minutes and when I came outside I was in for one of the scariest experiences of my life. I come back outside to find the thing on fire in my driveway! I quickly grabbed the garden hose and dowsed the flames. The generator was still running at this point and I was lucky I didn’t get killed pouring water all over it but I had no choice. If that plastic 5 Gallon talk on top had burst it would have been a huge fire ball. Luck too it was in my driveway when it caught on fire… not my garage where I was planning on using it in the winter if the power went out. If it had caught fire in my garage it would have caught the house on fire too. So I then called up Canadian Tire and told them what had just happened and they guy tells me that if I put gas and oil in it I can’t return it! I then called up there head office and got the run around. I then called up Coleman in the USA and they told me that the engine on my generator was known to do this and there was a recall on my model however this recall was in the USA only. She said since I was in Canada that I had to deal with my retailer. The engine was made by Tecumseh and on there website there was the recall notice saying a miss directed fuel line in the engine could over heat and burst resulting in a fire. I then called up Canadian Tire and left a message about the defective and dangerous generator they sold me and they better take it back and refund all my money or I’m going to next call a Lawyer. I was surprised how quickly they got back to me… She was some big executive at there head office. She said they wanted to come over right away and pick up the generator and I would get a full refund. They came over and took it… and gave me a check for the $900 I paid them for it. I would like to get another one but one that runs of propane…. From what I hear it’s much safer and burns very clean.
Apartments take a while to cool off. If you think about it, that makes sense. You've basically got a giant chunk of warm air contained in a steel, concrete, brick container. Toss in a bunch of people who radiate heat themselves and you've got a fair well insulated place. So unless some dolt is stupid enough to open a bunch of windows & doors, the building as a whole should stay relatively warm for a day or so.
goodtime
Travelaholic
Still in catalog
For Electical fire, would need Type C extinguishers. Hung out with Fireman types at Emerg prep shows. Of course, when in a hurry, tend to grab whatever at our disposal.
Escohort, try a can of Magic Heat for Emerg heat and can cook with it, mind you slow. It costs $7-10, good for 4-6 hrs, in camping section of Canadian Tire.
I'm amazed the Fire department didn't activate the emergency plan and call in TTC buses for temp. shelter like they usually do for Apartment/Condo fires, given it was cold day. It's true, there aren't as many residence in that area but still for home-bound that rely on medical equipments.
I may be wrong but I think Canadian Tire and Home Depot still carry that model as I was considering one for myself. With Y2K, Ice storm, power outage, I'm ready except lack generator due to the noisey engine. I have propane camping heaters and hotpot stoves for cooking, sold in most Chinese grocery stores. Ok, no radioactive bunker in backyard for potential Pickering leak...zzap said:
For Electical fire, would need Type C extinguishers. Hung out with Fireman types at Emerg prep shows. Of course, when in a hurry, tend to grab whatever at our disposal.
Escohort, try a can of Magic Heat for Emerg heat and can cook with it, mind you slow. It costs $7-10, good for 4-6 hrs, in camping section of Canadian Tire.
I'm amazed the Fire department didn't activate the emergency plan and call in TTC buses for temp. shelter like they usually do for Apartment/Condo fires, given it was cold day. It's true, there aren't as many residence in that area but still for home-bound that rely on medical equipments.
Thanks for sharing zzap!
I got mine at home depot, near yorkdale.
Sorry to hear of your bad luck/ exp.
Do you know what the coleman model number is, or what phone number you called at coleman, as I want to check mine out, as it is still new in the box...I tested the Yamaha model when I bought it at the dealer in Toronto, but have it around for emergencies, after 8/2003 blackout...
That is why I think contractors/ fire depts./ etc. use Honda, Yamaha, etc. generators...
zzap said:
I got mine at home depot, near yorkdale.
Sorry to hear of your bad luck/ exp.
Do you know what the coleman model number is, or what phone number you called at coleman, as I want to check mine out, as it is still new in the box...I tested the Yamaha model when I bought it at the dealer in Toronto, but have it around for emergencies, after 8/2003 blackout...
That is why I think contractors/ fire depts./ etc. use Honda, Yamaha, etc. generators...
goodtime said:
You can get a quieter generator, but the cost goes crazy high per watt...
Where is a good place to buy a "Type C extinguishers" for a good price/ value?
goodtime
Travelaholic
Extinguishers.
Best value I found was Canadian Tire for 1-2lb between $19-25 for an all-purpose Type A, B, and C extingishers which cover most type of fires. There is usually a sale on fire/safety related goods at CT every quarter.
Been told the Honda and Yamaha are the quieter and dependable but pricey and rarely go on sale. I noticed Home Depot is selling high KW UPS that can power several households. Hm, imagine the only MP that's open in the city. Oh, forgot, MP can get by with candles. Ok, SC then.RogerRabbit said:You can get a quieter generator, but the cost goes crazy high per watt...
Where is a good place to buy a "Type C extinguishers" for a good price/ value?
Best value I found was Canadian Tire for 1-2lb between $19-25 for an all-purpose Type A, B, and C extingishers which cover most type of fires. There is usually a sale on fire/safety related goods at CT every quarter.
zzap
a muddy reclining Buddha
RogerRabbit said:
The Coleman I had said on the box it used a Briggs & Stratton engine but what I found out was the engine that I got was really a defective engine made by Tecumseh.
Here is all about it http://www.dps.state.mn.us/FMARSHAL/recalls/TecumsehPowerEquipmentEngineRecall.htm
love how they say "Tecumseh has not received any reports of incidents. This recall is being conducted to prevent the possibility of injuries."
Sure!!!!!
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