Hard to believe 220V ability simply lays out inward the sunshine similar this , but it does.
Today was an interesting day. I went to sweep all the pino needles off the roof , which is a routine chore for our family (otherwise , yous volition accept a garden growing upward there). Still surely owning a abode is such a sugariness deal?
Anyway , inward the ninety grade rut , I am sweeping as well as something catches my attention. The wiring on our electrical service drib is bare. The insulation on the "hot" leads has cracked as well as peeled off , as well as to a greater extent than over , the neutral/ground Pb has frayed as well as roughly of the strands accept clearly been touching the hot leads - every bit evidenced yesteryear welding marks. We had been having problems alongside lights periodically dimming , especially inward air current storms. Now I know why - inward the air current , the loose strands of the ground/neutral wire are touching the bare hot leads as well as making sparks. Some fun , eh?
NOTE: Do non fifty-fifty teach NEAR your ability drop. If yous skid as well as autumn on your roof , yous could terminate upward touching these wires , as well as fifty-fifty a tiny scissure inward the insulation could crusade yous to endure electrocuted. If yous didn't piece of work out correct away , the autumn from the roof would complete yous off. I am non suggesting that yous travail the repairs I accept made , and indeed vehemently propose the reverse - call an electrician. I am non exclusively an Engineer , but was trained inward this sort of wiring at Carrier. You could easily kill yourself doing this. I am exclusively discussing this repair to indicate out that abode ownership is basically zilch but a serial of repairs. Which is why yous never consider your friends at the bar , i time they purchase a house.
By the way , this goes double for downed ability lines. Just remain away , period.
So I telephone outcry upward Georgia Power , figuring I'd leave of absence them a message as well as soul would come upward out adjacent calendar week as well as prepare it. They came out inward nether an hour. The swain glances at the wiring as well as says , "Well , we're gonna accept to cutting your power!" as well as I replied , "to prepare it?" as well as they said , "no , therefore you tin prepare it!"
Seems the ability to the drop is their responsibility. Anything from the splice blocks (those dark foursquare things inward the photograph above) onward is your deal. I didn't hear them cutting the ability inward a heatwave , but did they accept to seem therefore happy close it?
Seems the ability to the drop is their responsibility. Anything from the splice blocks (those dark foursquare things inward the photograph above) onward is your deal. I didn't hear them cutting the ability inward a heatwave , but did they accept to seem therefore happy close it?
Once i time again , nosotros are reminded that a family is simply a machine for living - a complicated machine alongside a lot of expensive parts that suspension on a regular basis. Appliances , peradventure xv years. Air conditioners as well as furnaces , peradventure 15-20. Roofs , peradventure 15-30 depending on type. Main sewer connections , water lines , electrical service entrance - 40-50 years earlier problems develop. Eventually all of these things accept to endure replaced or overhauled over fourth dimension - fifty-fifty foundations. And foundations teach expensive , actually fast.
Are yous nonetheless surely that renting is a bad deal? Because I'm not. But I've owned a give away of properties as well as had them for years. So I've seen a lot of bad become down. Leaky basements , tree-root clogged sewer lines , broken H2O mains , outdated electrical panels , as well as appliances , hot H2O heaters , as well as air conditioners , several times over.
Are yous nonetheless surely that renting is a bad deal? Because I'm not. But I've owned a give away of properties as well as had them for years. So I've seen a lot of bad become down. Leaky basements , tree-root clogged sewer lines , broken H2O mains , outdated electrical panels , as well as appliances , hot H2O heaters , as well as air conditioners , several times over.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 family is simply a affair , as well as no it is non the American dream.
Fortunately , I am an Electrical Engineer. But to a greater extent than importantly , I was a lab tech , as well as I used to claw upward three-phase chillers alongside triple-ought copper wires , therefore the large wires don't scare me likewise much. For you? Hire an electrician. I am serious close this. There is no surer way to teach killed that dealing alongside high voltage if yous don't know what yous are doing.
It is strange , that such a unsafe affair as well as such an of import affair is left out inward the opened upward , exposed to the elements (where air current , pelting , ozone , as well as sunlight degrade the insulation). And also where falling tree limbs tin harm it , or squirrels tin nibble through it. Just sitting correct in that location on your roof , waiting to kill yous the commencement fourth dimension yous accidentally seat an aluminum stride ladder upward against it. Odd , ain't it?
We drive to Lowes , which has 4/0 4/0 2/0 wiring which has four-ought for the ability leads as well as two-ought for the ground/neutral. This is what Georgia ability uses , but for roughly argue the family is wired alongside 4/0 4/0 4/0. So nosotros become to Home Depot. One payoff Home Depot has is they are staffed ameliorate , accept a larger choice as well as are to a greater extent than helpful. At Lowes , yous accept to press a push to teach aid , as well as and therefore they deed dumb. At Home Depot , the swain as well as the lady in that location were real helpful.
(Amazon offered to drone the wire to me , but as well as therefore admitted that drone delivery was a fantasy).
We encounter a Canadian at Home Depot who says , "Well , that's strange , inward Canada , Hydro Quebec would come upward as well as prepare that for me!" Good for Canada. But this isn't helping me , my friend!
It is strange , that such a unsafe affair as well as such an of import affair is left out inward the opened upward , exposed to the elements (where air current , pelting , ozone , as well as sunlight degrade the insulation). And also where falling tree limbs tin harm it , or squirrels tin nibble through it. Just sitting correct in that location on your roof , waiting to kill yous the commencement fourth dimension yous accidentally seat an aluminum stride ladder upward against it. Odd , ain't it?
We drive to Lowes , which has 4/0 4/0 2/0 wiring which has four-ought for the ability leads as well as two-ought for the ground/neutral. This is what Georgia ability uses , but for roughly argue the family is wired alongside 4/0 4/0 4/0. So nosotros become to Home Depot. One payoff Home Depot has is they are staffed ameliorate , accept a larger choice as well as are to a greater extent than helpful. At Lowes , yous accept to press a push to teach aid , as well as and therefore they deed dumb. At Home Depot , the swain as well as the lady in that location were real helpful.
(Amazon offered to drone the wire to me , but as well as therefore admitted that drone delivery was a fantasy).
We encounter a Canadian at Home Depot who says , "Well , that's strange , inward Canada , Hydro Quebec would come upward as well as prepare that for me!" Good for Canada. But this isn't helping me , my friend!
It took less an hr to supersede the cable. The meter box was total of skeletons of dead gecko lizards , who in all likelihood tried to remainder on the hot as well as neutral leads at the same time. What a bug-zapper that was.
I telephone outcry upward Georgia Power as well as believe it or non , they handgrip to post soul out , on a Lord's Day , to claw the ability dorsum up. He arrived simply every bit nightfall is upon us , as well as inside thirty minutes , he has crimped the novel lines to the principal ability as well as nosotros are dorsum inward business. It is a lot easier to similar the guy who turns on your ability than the guy who turns it off.
Total cost , including roughly electrical record I bought for other projects , was $55.11 I was lucky , every bit most electricians would accuse "emergency service" prices , as well as in all likelihood non come upward out for hours , as well as we'd endure looking at tomorrow earlier nosotros were hooked dorsum upward to the grid. I suspect it would accept cost over $1000 for a service call.
And i time again , this is what I strongly propose yous create - telephone outcry upward an electrician , every bit you are non me , as well as would probable kill yourself attempting such a repair.
Of class , the fun is non over. I nonetheless haven't replaced my fire-prone Pacific Electric junction box , as well as in all likelihood should supersede the remainder of the principal ability Pb when I create that. Then in that location are carpets that are wearing out. The garage needs painting. After 12 years , in all likelihood every room the family needs painting. Heck , we've already repaired a lot - remember the john flange job?
And it is non similar nosotros alive inward an "old" family - good , OK , it is 50 years old. But it was basically gutted as well as remodeled 12 years ago. Which agency most of the appliances are close prepare to neglect inward the adjacent 5-10 years.
So what's the indicate of all this? Well , if yous purchase a family as well as are "house poor" yous volition terminate upward inward problem , every bit "unexpected repairs" are to endure expected. Even when yous purchase a newer abode , these problems crop up. And alongside a brand-new abode , yous mightiness endure covered alongside a abode warranty from the builder , getting him to come upward dorsum as well as prepare things tin endure a nightmare.
Home Warranties are an interesting animate beingness , as well as oft sold to first-time buyers. If yous are stretched sparse on your financing , it tin endure comforting to know that if yous accept a broken pipage or bad wiring , it volition endure covered. And they are remarkably inexpensive. I've never bought i myself , but Mark used to recommend them to buyers. If yous are non handy as well as skilled , as well as therefore peradventure such a affair is for you.
But for those of yous renting , good , don't fret that yous can't "afford" to purchase a family or whatever. I suspect yous pass a relaxing Lord's Day at the common or beach , or simply reading a majority or going on a picnic. You in all likelihood didn't pass it driving to lumberterias looking for four-ought cable , or standing out inward the pelting stripping cables as well as wrestling them into the meter box. Some fun , beingness a homeowner!
Even worse would endure trying to figure out where to seat all the nutrient melting inward the freezer or where I was going to slumber this evening alongside no AC or how to shower tomorrow alongside no hot water. And for most people , that would endure a existent concern every bit good (and yes , hotel rooms as well as throwing out nutrient is also expensive). Fortunately , nosotros accept the camper every bit a back-up plan.
But this sense drove abode to me that a family is simply a thing , as well as expensive complex affair alongside a lot of components that suspension downward over time. When yous purchase a family , yous are non buying a identify to alive , just the repair rights. The previous possessor seat inward novel windows , novel doors , as well as a novel A/C unit. Now its your turn to supersede the carpets , upgrade the kitchen , as well as rewire the fuse box. Some fun , eh?
Keep that inward hear earlier soul tries to sell yous on the "dream" of abode ownership. It tin also endure a nightmare!
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