Berthing or birthing?

berthing,,,,as in the sleeping quarters (berth) assigned to people.

I am no longer a Medical Officer who specializes in Ob-Gyn.

Willing to share the ventilation plan? That seems like the key element in these arrangements. I remember a book by Joel Skousen entitled 'Harder Homes and Gardens" that talked about this stuff a long time ago-has a website now, and no hair.

Okay, here I go and I'll try to be coherent:

Air Ventilation: The air filter that I'm using is a Caterpillar make, used on extra large earth moving (dump) trucks (V-16 diesel engines) with a coarse outer filter element fitted around it, and I fit a NEW shirt (flannel) over that. I mount the filter onto a plywood base and connect 4" pvc piping to it for the ducting running inside the garage. I've got a 110vac squirrel cage fan that sucks air into the shelter via the filter.
I also fit a large piece of plywood over the top of the filter to give it some protection from the rain.

Power: The 110vac comes through a inverter, hooked to a 12vdc battery. I have a magneto that is driven by an appropriately mounted bicycle's rear tire to recharge the batteries. I am also looking at getting some solar panels and/or small wind generator to do the same thing.

CO2 removal: I run 2" pvc piping from the flooring area, from 1/4" above the floor, to the outside and then upwards a few feet. The top of the 2" pvc piping has a simple rubber flapper valve afixed to it. The simple flapper valve consists of a piece of rubber cut in a 3" diameter and stapled into the top outer edge of the pvc piping.

Operation: Energize the squirrel cage fan to suck air INTO the room via the outside filter. Incoming air creates positive pressure that finds release via the CO2 pipe. CO2 (& Carbon Monoxide) are heavier then air. The incoming air forces the low lying CO2 into the exhaust outlet. The forced outflow opens the flapper valve. When the air intake fan is shutoff, the outflow stops, and the flapper valve closes.

All of these parts are assembled in sections and/or stowed in my garage within easy reach so that they can be assembled and sealed together quickly. That also includes the plywood sheets (precut) that I use to seal the garage doors and windows.

I also have to seal around the entrances to the attic and into the house to make this work properly. Another item that has to be accomplished: sealing/bagging all of the roof vents. Sealing up of the house is imperative to prevent contamination of the home while sheltering in the garage.

Most elegant. The big diesel air cleaner should process lots of air at low pressure, preventing blow through of particulates. I have always wondered about how much filter is required to keep out the anthrax and radioactive dust. I dis-assembled and reassembled a couple of a hospital grade hepa room filtration units, and the filter elements were always smaller than I would have expected. (Slow nights in the ER permit lots of time to experiment with the toys- I discovered that it is possible to warm up a hot dog using the defib paddles from a a LifePak 5 set at 200 Joules-and a defib pad will stick to a ceiling tile for 86 days...I was there when it fell off...)

I presume you have a complete set of D50 shot glasses and a few danglies made from vials and IV caths, then? I keep my paper clips in a pair of defib paddles on my desk.

Jeff

we have similar taste in interior design and accessories- or no taste at all. I am still looking for a craft/recycling use for empty IV bags-would make a dandy dry bag if I could figure out a good closure.

Nursemike...

Many moons ago....in medic class, our instructors had a mantra about checking out the IV fluid.....something about:Right solution, check expiration date, bag intact, nothing swimming in it.....

One day while going through a megacode, I had to hang a bag....being the wiseguy, I went through the 'routine' of checking the bag.....when I came to the 'nothing swimming in it' part, I stopped and told them that I couldn't use this bag as "Something was swimming in it." I had cut open the bag and put a plastic fish inside....Aside from the laughs, I did get a few orders for the bags.....

All I needed was a "Seal A Meal" bag sealer.....While it won't allow for repeated opening and closing, it will allow you to seal something indside it....If you take an expired bag that has not been used (still sealed) and cut the top, when you seal it, it will still be 'sealed' shut. You know how durable they are so it will provide a lot of protection for whatever is in it.

You demonstrate the ingenuity, irreverence, and profound lack of respect for custom that have made emergency services what they are today. I am proud to know you-M