Thursday #619 - Hot Stuff!

[RICHARD]

Let's get some MORE water going and some sandwiches.


The last 6 weeks have been a little wake up call for all the small things that go wrong/happen.

Time to get into the spirit of a new year...........

Done!

[Karen]

Excellent, I'll use some of that water for some cocoa, Richard! I made a batch of mix for a gift, and added cinnamon, and a little ginger and have some good stale marshmallows to pop in it! Anyone want some? (I had leftovers!)

[Karen]

Kettle's on, any takers? Chai, cocoa, anything warm ... Irish Coffee, or even a Hot Toddy - whatever that is! We've got freezing drizzle outside, so warm drinks are definitely in order!

[Lady's Human]

Richard, I hear you on the electrical problems.

I work on electrical systems, so thankfully I know enough to not have to call an electrician most of the time.

Evidently we have similar gremlins popping about... (to anyone reading this, DO NOT try this at home unless you know what you're doing!)

I was sitting in the livingroom tonight trying to do my homework, and lost power in the back half of the house. So, got the boy, a flashlight and my tools to go see what was happening in the breaker panel. I heard an ever so faint infrequent popping (frying bacon) coming from the panel. I threw the main breaker, and pulled the panel face to find one of the neutral wires was loose in it's terminal socket, causing arcing between the wire and the panel frame. No bueno, that's the kind of issue which causes electrical fires.

Clipped it back to good wire, reconnected it, and all is well.

I am, however, going to miss my deadline on homework.

[Karen]

I heard an ever so faint infrequent popping (frying bacon) coming from the panel. I threw the main breaker, and pulled the panel face to find one of the neutral wires was loose in it's terminal socket, causing arcing between the wire and the panel frame. No bueno, that's the kind of issue which causes electrical fires.

So glad you heard what was happening and were able to fix things safely! With electrician in training help? Did Angel want to help too, or are there doggie-eating monsters in the basement?

[Lady's Human]

So glad you heard what was happening and were able to fix things safely! With electrician in training help? Did Angel want to help too, or are there doggie-eating monsters in the basement?

The electrician in training helped, he ran for tools as needed, held the flashlight, and watched. The panel in question wasn't in the basement, it's in the laundry room, so we didn't have to deal with the gremlins down there. If there were issues in that panel, however, I'm going to venture down at some point ove rthe next couple of weeks and check the main panel.

Angel was too busy being warmed by LOH, getting scritched, and soaking up attention.

We won't mention last night when she decided to help Patch try and catch a mouse.

[RICHARD]

The electrician in training helped, he ran for tools as needed, held the flashlight, and watched. The panel in question wasn't in the basement, it's in the laundry room, so we didn't have to deal with the gremlins down there. If there were issues in that panel, however, I'm going to venture down at some point ove rthe next couple of weeks and check the main panel.

Angel was too busy being warmed by LOH, getting scritched, and soaking up attention.

We won't mention last night when she decided to help Patch try and catch a mouse.

LOL, what does your intern charge an hour?

I went down to the breaker box and began to throw switches.

I managed to change one breaker switch, a Bulldog Push-o-matic -which, when the guy at Home Depot looked at, was able to properly ID, then laugh, and tell me that he "hadn't seen one like THAT in a long time". Call an electric warehouse for a replacement.........

Got the replacement, put it in and still nothing....


Thank you THIS OLD HOUSE for the info on how to change a breaker and to the basic tenet of common sense and electric work...

NEVER HOLD ON TO BOTH WIRES AT THE SAME TIME....