The Old Folks Home

[perchie.girl]

I'm sorry for you but glad for us that we got that story! It seems like that's the way my life goes, too. It's always something and things are never simple.

We had an electrician here a couple weeks ago. We have some switches and plugs that needed replacing, had 2 switches that we couldn't figure out what they went to and had a short somewhere that kept causing a fuse to blow.

It took the electrician hours to figure it out.

One of the rogue switches (next to my computer desk in the kitchen area on the first floor) went to a plug in the basement right above a hole in the floor in the kitchen with a grate over it. There's a wood stove in the basement. Apparently you're supposed to mount a fan in the grate and the switch turns the plug on and off. Except, being nerds, we hid our wireless internet router in the grate and plugged it into that plug. It now makes sense why we had so many internet problems.

The other light switch still goes no where.

The short was eventually solved (although the short was in a 4-way switch so finding it was difficult), although as soon as he fixed it and went and put his tools in his truck, I flipped the switch and blew the breaker again, and he had to come back in with all his tools and fix it again.

I have a whole living room that wont power up.... No lights No electrical outlets... Right now all the breakers are off. Except for the breaker down at the well pump.

Last time I had an electrician out he tested the power coming in to the house and took a look at my breakers and told me my house wasnt grounded properly... Oh there was ground but he said it goes a thousand feet back to the pump house where its grounded from the power pole. He said I needed another ground installed near the house... I pointed to the ground post I had installed for the horse hot wire and hever used it. He asked me how deep it was... I said about ten feet. He said that Might be deep enough ...

So the next time I have him out it will be for an estimate on the condition of the existing wiring. I WILL have him put in a ground stake for the house if the one I have already isnt deep enough.

There are Many outlets and lights that are non functioning at myhouse.

Front patio area
Porch light
Gate lights
Water proof outlet near the gate
Carport light with motion detector
Patio lights
Patio power outlet

Inside the house:
Living room:
recessed ceiling lights
about six outlets are dead
I believe the same breakers are running the patio area

My bedroom:
Wall heater that has NO on off switch that I can find. I either want one installed or want it removed in favor of a more effiecnt version. WITH an on and off switch.
The outside of my back door has an outlet that is bare wire exposed and a halogen light that is hanging by its wires. Needless to say it doesnt work nor do I know if it works because the light bulbs are too expensive.

Green house room has lots of outlets and they work
Bedroom in the house outlets work fine but they too in some cases fall out of the walls. the lights work as well.
Kitchen and dining room and bathroom are all functioning.
but the kitchen wasnt wired for a modern refrigerator... I need dedicated circuits for Refrigerator and freezer.

And to top it all off I NEED to know what breaker operates what... I know for a fact that there is an electrical junction box buried behind the wall of the Shower... Plumber said it was OK but I want to KNOW where those wires hook into the elctrical panel and if they are live and to have them disconnected.

So lots to look at at home... I only know enough to know that I should NOT be messin with it.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: I would be afraid of messin up someones personal tools for sure. Its like borrowing tools from an Auto Mechanic. Or Machinist....

Thought I have seen documetaries regarding professional kitchens... Man o man they bang up their tools ALOT. and they dont buy the foo foo stuf you see on the internet... they just buy decent quality and bang the heck out of it. I am talking pots and pans... The Chef has his own personal knives but the rest get those ones you can bang on the handle with a hammer.... kept sharp of course.

I just found a restaurant supply that isnt half way to the border from me... I am dying to poke my head in there and find out if they sell retail.

I want:
The knifes I listed before
a Better knife block
a larger saute pan
and a cast iron griddle

But I also want to look at those long pans they use for steam tables. I am hoping I can find one that is about twelve to fifteen inches long by four inches wide. They have stainless tops for them...

I also want something to do Turines in. Roasted veggies layered with shrimp and a Chicken broth with Geletin in it poured over to fill all the gaps. sliced after gelling and served up.... Low Low cal but elegent and pleasing to the eye. I am on Weight Watchers and while the reciepes are getting better they are trying to "duplicate" that comfort food into low calorie and its just sometimes nasty tasting.

Also I dont want to have to "adjust" the recipes for company. Light filling food is possible and NO ONE should be able to tell. Thats my goal.

deb

 

[chickadoodles]

Latestarter I am sorry your pluming went beserk. I hope it stays fixed forever for you.

Scg electrical problems are a nightmare too. Sorry!

Our well went dry last week we spent two days trying to get ahold of the guy who put the pump in 30 years ago. When Dh finally got him on the phone the guy said he was busy in the and it would be next week before he could get out here. Dh told him our cows were out of water, I spoke up and told him we did not have any water in the house for us! So he said he would bring out a pump booster and let us use it till he could get back to fix or replace the pump.
The man told DH he had to cut off a leg of our shed lean too and take the roof off the pump house so he could get the truck and boom in to replace the pump.
Dh was on a latter all day Sun. cutting and taking a roof apart. I could not even help. For some reason I have not been able to walk all week.
Then guy came out and put the new pump in yesterday and had to replace several other parts. We are going to have to wait and see what that bill will be.

But at least I have water now!

 

[chickadoodles]

Wow don't even get me started on the electricity in our old farm house from 1849.
Half the plugs and switches go out one at a time. The two I really miss is our bedroom fan and the plug in the living room.
One day the ceiling fan came back on in our bedroom and DH turned the switch off and that was the end of that!

 

[perchie.girl]

Wow don't even get me started on the electricity in our old farm house from 1849.
Half the plugs and switches go out one at a time. The two I really miss is our bedroom fan and the plug in the living room.
One day the ceiling fan came back on in our bedroom and DH turned the switch off and that was the end of that!

yep... been turning stuff off one at a time... Till I saw a pattern. No history her just a Cluster F of a DIY guy who thought he could do everything...

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Latestarter I am sorry your pluming went beserk. I hope it stays fixed forever for you.

Scg electrical problems are a nightmare too. Sorry!

Our well went dry last week we spent two days trying to get ahold of the guy who put the pump in 30 years ago. When Dh finally got him on the phone the guy said he was busy in the and it would be next week before he could get out here. Dh told him our cows were out of water, I spoke up and told him we did not have any water in the house for us! So he said he would bring out a pump booster and let us use it till he could get back to fix or replace the pump.
The man told DH he had to cut off a leg of our shed lean too and take the roof off the pump house so he could get the truck and boom in to replace the pump.
Dh was on a latter all day Sun. cutting and taking a roof apart. I could not even help. For some reason I have not been able to walk all week.
Then guy came out and put the new pump in yesterday and had to replace several other parts. We are going to have to wait and see what that bill will be.

But at least I have water now!

My water was out for ten days and I had to haul water up from the city 250 gallons at a time... every three days. Just for the horse goats and chickens. The well pump is down 450 feet so it took a crane arrangement to pull it up out of the pipe.

Good thing your hubby could do the demo... that could have run your bill up a lot.

As it is I had one booster tank that was dead and the other booster tank was iffy... Replacing just one was about 500. He said I didnt need two.. But I will replace the second one when I move up there. This way they wont wear out at the same time. My well is a thousand feet from the house and has to be pushed up hill a good twenty...

deb

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I only know enough to know that I should NOT be messin with it.

deb

I'm glad I'm not the only one with odd wiring issues. I also know I shouldn't mess with electricity. Had a major fiasco with it in college (involving a screwdriver, a light socket and a zillion cockroaches). After I got divorced and was on my own the front light went out in my car. I went to the store and the guy gave me the right light, and I came home and with the help of YouTube got the sucker installed with minimal issue. That was bad news for me because it just made me inappropriately cocky. At that point, or shortly thereafter, I bought a light switch to replace one that was making funny noises, turned off the breaker, and then removed the old light switch. I couldn't figure out (even with YouTube) how to get the new switch re-wired. I had to pay an emergency electrician to come out so I could get my power back on. Since then I've admitted defeat when it comes to electricity and just shell out the money up front for a professional.

 

[chickadoodles]

Wow Deb you have been thru it all too. :/ sorry

DH does not let the power issues bother him. :/

 

[Latestarter]

Thanks for letting me vent all... Been a bad couple of days (weeks really) WRT plumbing. After 4 more trips to Lowes today (and 7 hours of messing with everything) I have a fully functional kitchen once again.

While there I saw a replacement dishwasher I want & it goes on sale tomorrow, so ONE more day of demo and repair and I should be good for another 10-15 years or so. My present dishwasher is (I sincerely believe) the original from 25 years ago, and it doesn't clean worth a dang.

Turns out it wasn't just the water supply line to the dishwasher preventing it from being pulled out... In someone's infinite wisdom, they punched a hole in the wall behind it and ran a wire directly up through the wall to the circuit breaker panel for power. So they then cut the wires and attached them to the dishwasher with it pulled about 3/4 out. So once it's that far out, the wire goes taught and that's as far out as it will come.

SO... tomorrow I will buy an outlet box, outlet, and outlet cover, and cut the wire (circuit breaker off first of course) and then install a new outlet box back behind the dishwasher for it to plug into. I could just cap the wires and run the plug from the new dishwasher under the sink and plug it in where the garbage disposal is, but then I'd have an ugly hole in the wall with a wire hanging out, and both appliances would be on a single circuit... So I get to do some electrical stuff too as it turns out. Not a problem as I can do that stuff as well.

SCG, I remember your story about the electricity, screwdriver and cockroaches. Still snicker thinking about it

Silly girl! Gotta love it when even the electrician is stumped trying to figure things out

Glad you eventually got it all figured out. Just curious... why would you "hide" your wireless router under a floor grate?

Deb, your place sounds like a handyman's wet dream

Did I just say that?!

Sorry! Anyway, If I could find a place like that but that is structurally sound, where I could buy it (and/with some acreage with water) for a song and a dance, I'd have a contract on it tomorrow! I can do basic plumbing, electric and carpentry as well as flooring and such... really almost all the construction trades. Since I am now retired (yup, I quit at the slave factory) I could dedicate myself to making the place great over time and as I could afford it.

Chicka; so sorry to hear about your well problems! One thing to have to carry water to the animals... another thing altogether when there's no water to carry to them! Glad the well didn't go dry and it was "just the pump!' I know, I know... that's gonna run some $$, not to mention re-building the pump house, but I bet it's still a lot cheaper than having to drill a new well!!

I can't believe what well drillers want nowadays. It's rape I tell ya! I love the idea/thought of living in a 150+ year old farm home, but then my common sense returns and I realize I'm not a young person anymore and would not enjoy the perpetual repairs and "flukes" involved with living there.

Hope all had a great Tuesday!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

You hide your router for a few reasons... #1 the actual internet comes into the house on the far side of the concrete basement and that grate is actually in a good position with a plug to deliver the internet to the rest of the house. #2 you flipped out when you came home one day and found your ex husband (not ex at the time) cutting holes in the walls to run wires to the upstairs (my house is 3 levels including the basement).

Current BF had to install a metal "access panel" in the closet to hide one of the holes.

Even now with current BF the wireless router is pretty much in the same spot, it works well, except BF put a shelf over the grate and put the router on the shelf.

Edited to add if you ever iron plastic, Mr Clean Magic Eraser is the way to go to get it off your iron. Unplug the iron first and let it cool.