Eight. Degrees.

I remember a Saturday morning 30 years ago.  I was working construction while in college. At times the money looked really attractive.  On this particular day, it was bitterly cold and windy.  As I was lifting sheets of plywood up to someone on the second story, my sweatshirt would ride up, exposing my stomach, while the wind tried to wrest the plywood from my hands.

That was the point I decided that I wanted an indoor job.

And so here I am, having stayed in college for eleven years to get that indoor job.  And I am voluntarily filling a dumpster when it’s eight degrees out.  What’s wrong with this picture?  And then I remind myself that this was a choice.  And as a friend used to tell me, “Choices got prices.”

And now that I can feel my fingers again, I guess I need to go finish the job.

Upgrading the electrical service

DISCLAIMER:  Electricity is DANGEROUS.  This and other posts are a record of what I am doing.  Not a recommendation, not a tutorial.  Consult with a professional before doing any electrical work.  In other words – don’t try this at home.  And if you do try this yourself, and you get hurt or killed, it’s your own darn fault.

The house currently has 100A service, and I would like to upgrade to 200A service before I start rewiring the basement.  I’m also trying to do everything above-board, legal, legit.  Whatever you want to call it.  The opposite of what the previous homeowner appears to have done!

I met with a representative of the power company on Thursday.  I thought that based on current rules I would need to relocate the service entrance from the back of my house to the side of the house, near the street.  He reassured me that since my neighborhood has the power running along the back of the property, I could keep the drop in the back.  Center the new meter a bit better between the two windows (3′ clearance), a bit lower to meet the height restrictions (~6′), and I’m in business.

Also trying to coordinate the timing of this so that the new hole in the roof for the power service occurs before the new roof goes on.

I also contacted the local permit office, to make sure I can do all of this myself.  My e-mail:

I would like to upgrade the electrical service at my house from 100A to 200A service. I have spoken with Rocky Mountain Power, and they identified the location for the new meter and service entrance. My plan is to install a 200A panel in my basement, then run a 100A breaker and treat my existing 100A panel as a subpanel.

My questions are:
1) As a homeowner, how much of this work is it legal for me to perform?
2) What do I need to submit in terms of plans, documents, etc? How detailed do they need to be? Down to the level of 4/0-4/0-4/0 for the service drop, specifying connection to the main box, 3-3-3-5 feeding the existing main panel?
3) Do I need to explicitly demonstrate in my plans how I conform to relevant code, like 230.70(A)(1)?

Right now I’m trying to figure out how to perform this legally, how much I can do myself, and what next steps to take to ensure that it is done safely.

Thanks,

And their response:

Hi Bill,

 

If you are just doing an electrical service upgrade, we do not require any plans. If you own the home and it is your residence, you can obtain the permit and do the work yourself.

 

You can apply for the permit at [Link Redacted]

 

Please let me know if you have further questions.

 

Thanks,

So, it’s all doable, and legal.  Just need to pull a permit and get moving on this.  And, the best part is that I can do all of this without playing with live power.  I wire up the new meter and box, then they switch the feed from the old meter to the new meter.  Then I turn the power off at the new meter and switch the inside feeds from the old meter to the new panel.

 

Dumpster #2

The second dumpster arrived yesterday.  Along with 4″ of snow.  Plus another 4″ of snow overnight.  Plus sub-freezing temperatures.  High today of 25, tomorrow 26.

So, will bundle up, clear the snow, and load the dumpster.  Gosh, that sounds exciting.

Hairy Situation…

The drain in the hall bath has been slow for about 10 days now.  Initial attempt to snake out the drain was unsuccessful, in part because of the really crappy tool I bought. A “Liquid-Plumr 1/4-in x 20-ft Flat Rod Drain Auger” from Lowes.

Avoid this at all costs!  The handle broke when a 10 year old tried to unwind it.  I noticed several with broken handles at the store, but assumed that was just vandals.  No, that was representative of the quality.

Then, when I tried to pull out the tape manually, the case fell apart.  It is now in pieces, in a bag, waiting to go back to Lowes for a refund.

A more successful attempt was made with a more traditional hand auger.  But no results. Before I broke out the replacement drain assembly and various other bits of plumbing paraphernalia, I tried one more thing.

I figured out how to disassemble the drain stopper.  Unscrew the pull knob, then use a pair of pliers to unscrew the stem that is hidden underneath.  What did I find?  Yarn, hair, and other drain denizens.  Working just fine now!