With the bitterly cold winter and lingering memories of the ice storm of 1998, sales of gasoline-powered generators are steady, and many Mainers have machines purchased during the crisis. These generators often sit idle, and we think little about them until the power goes out. It’s a good time to review the basics and be ready.

First, protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. Never run a generator indoors or in an enclosed area.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Federal Emergency Management Agency warn residents not to use gasoline-powered engines of any kind (or gas grills) indoors or in attached garages because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you want to use a gasoline-powered generator when the power goes out, set it up outside in a dry area, away from air intakes to the home. Opening doors and windows or using fans to ventilate is inadequate and unsafe, even if you have a CO alarm.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning fuel. Symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu, and include dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and irregular breathing. Exposure to high levels of CO can cause death.

CO poisoning from fuel-burning appliances kills more than 170 people each year. Others die from CO produced while burning charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent. Still more deaths happen when cars are left running in an attached garage.

To guard against unnoticed CO accumulation, every home should have a CO alarm that meets the most current safety standards.

In addition, to prevent fires, space heaters should not be used while you are sleeping, and should be kept away from flammable materials and turned off when you leave the room.

If you have a gas-powered emergency generator, make sure it is in running order and ready for an emergency.

If your idle generator contains gasoline that is more than a year old, drain it into a gasoline-safe container. You can use that gas for your garden appliances next summer. Fill the generator with fresh gas and add stabilizer.

It’s a good idea to always add gas stabilizer to your primary container year-round when you fill it at the pump. That way, all gas-powered devices you own will be protected, and should start and run better from season to season.

Once you have refilled your generator with fresh gas, give it a test run outside so you remember how to operate it and can be certain it runs.

To be additionally sure it will do what you need, switch your household power to generator and test that essential equipment such as furnace, refrigerator, freezer, and lights are working.

For more information on safe use of generators, visit www.cpsc.gov.

Now that the holiday rush is over and cabin fever is setting in, we remind readers that COMBAT depends upon generous office volunteers willing to give a few hours a month to help their neighbors.

Right now we are in need of volunteer mediators (we will train) and secretarial help (PC and database experience helpful).

COMBAT’s ambitious campaign to establish statewide dispute resolution, consumer education and advocacy services is in the final stage of fund raising. The goal is $633,000.

If you have fund-raising or grant-writing experience, you could make the difference in protecting Maine’s future. Call 947-331 for volunteer information.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT-The Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. For help or to request individual or business membership information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.