What I've been up to.

4255 Views 88 Replies 16 Participants Last post by greybeard, 2 mo ago

TonyM

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

2

Been helping out my wife's nephew get the rental unit he owns ready to sell. Installed new stairs and railings and did some other trim work to get him out of the jam his "buddy" left him in. Still have to make custom nosings to go from the laminate. They laid it over ceramic tile so stock nosings are not thick enough.

Here's a before of the upper stairs ripped out ready for new risers and treads.

Window Building Wood Stairs Rectangle

Here's the finished product.

Property Wood Stairs Wood stain Flooring

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41 - 60 of 89 Posts

louisbear

· #41 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

Yes, today appliances have a short life span compared to 20 or 30 years ago. The cost of parts and a service call can be scary especially if you’re talking about repairing a lower end model. Apple Inc for example stop making parts for their products after 6 years I believe. They want you to buy a new one.
It’s crazy. Go to the land fill these days and over in one corner is “White mountain” old white metal bodies from stoves, washers, hot water tanks, washer and driers etc.

Reactions: 2

TrueGrit

· #42 · 3 mo ago

I know. Our washing machine wouldn't spin the clothes dry. Asked a appliance repairman that I know, what a good machine to replace it with was. Once he found out that it was a Kenmore top load 110, he told me never to replace it. I pulled it apart and put a new clutch in it, and later changed the drain pump (the impellor had worn through the plastic case) and the old machine is still running like a champ!

Reactions: 2

Thunderstick

· #43 · 3 mo ago

Well a bit of fun the last few days. While remodeling the kitchen and installing a new range hood my power started acting a bit funny upon turning the main breaker back on. I never just shut off individual breakers when working on stuff, always the main just in case. We first noticed it when the wife went to her sewing room and the sewing machine would not run, two bedrooms had not enough power to illuminate the lights. My kitchen out lets were dead, some out lets could not even run my drill. Being Sunday we were on our own. Found a couple outlets powered to run the fridge and freezer but shut every thing else off just in case. Got a hold of an electrician yesterday and they found my main inlet (main power breaker had failed, 240 coming in had dropped anywheres from 0 to 120 volts to the panel. Knowing how things keep changing it looked like a complete panel change for us as this is no longer interchangeable on the newer panels. They had to get NSP to disconnect/ connect. Was lucky that they were able to find an old panel that they could transfer the breaker system out off. Guess this is something that occasionally happen. Now waiting for the bill. This remodeling is getting expensive 😀

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3macs1

· #44 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

Thunderstick said:
Well a bit of fun the last few days. While remodeling the kitchen and installing a new range hood my power started acting a bit funny upon turning the main breaker back on. I never just shut off individual breakers when working on stuff, always the main just in case. We first noticed it when the wife went to her sewing room and the sewing machine would not run, two bedrooms had not enough power to illuminate the lights. My kitchen out lets were dead, some out lets could not even run my drill. Being Sunday we were on our own. Found a couple outlets powered to run the fridge and freezer but shut every thing else off just in case. Got a hold of an electrician yesterday and they found my main inlet (main power breaker had failed, 240 coming in had dropped anywheres from 0 to 120 volts to the panel. Knowing how things keep changing it looked like a complete panel change for us as this is no longer interchangeable on the newer panels. They had to get NSP to disconnect/ connect. Was lucky that they were able to find an old panel that they could transfer the breaker system out off. Guess this is something that occasionally happen. Now waiting for the bill. This remodeling is getting expensive 😀

Dude you have a black cloud following over you it seems

But yep it happens. Had the main one in the garage failed about 5 years ago and you know joe now have spares from the main down to the 15 amp for both the house and the garage panels since as you say some of the ones are hard to get Mine never went to 120 it just went to zero and would let nothing in But like you I always just turn the main off when doing any work in the house
Cheers

Striper66

· #45 · 3 mo ago

Thunderstick said:
Well a bit of fun the last few days. While remodeling the kitchen and installing a new range hood my power started acting a bit funny upon turning the main breaker back on. I never just shut off individual breakers when working on stuff, always the main just in case. We first noticed it when the wife went to her sewing room and the sewing machine would not run, two bedrooms had not enough power to illuminate the lights. My kitchen out lets were dead, some out lets could not even run my drill. Being Sunday we were on our own. Found a couple outlets powered to run the fridge and freezer but shut every thing else off just in case. Got a hold of an electrician yesterday and they found my main inlet (main power breaker had failed, 240 coming in had dropped anywheres from 0 to 120 volts to the panel. Knowing how things keep changing it looked like a complete panel change for us as this is no longer interchangeable on the newer panels. They had to get NSP to disconnect/ connect. Was lucky that they were able to find an old panel that they could transfer the breaker system out off. Guess this is something that occasionally happen. Now waiting for the bill. This remodeling is getting expensive 😀

Take all load off the panel(turn off all branch circuits)before opening the main if you havent been doing it already

3macs1

· #46 · 3 mo ago

Striper66 said:
Take all load off the panel(turn off all branch circuits)before opening the main if you havent been doing it already

New one on me and have no idea on that approach Maybe rembolt can shed some light on this what we should be doing

Striper66

· #47 · 3 mo ago

3macs1 said:
New one on me and have no idea on that approach Maybe rembolt can shed some light on this what we should be doing

Good practice and safety reasons also by turning off all your branch circuits there will be no load across the incoming phases hooked to your main breaker when its opened or closed.

TrueGrit

· #48 · 3 mo ago

The theory makes sense, I guess, but do you shut off all your breakers when the power goes out? Is your reason based on the breakers exploding or damage to appliances and electronics upon energizing the whole panel at once?

Striper66

· #49 · 3 mo ago

Theory is based on 35yrs in the trade

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3macs1

· #50 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

Striper66 said:
Good practice and safety reasons also by turning off all your branch circuits there will be no load across the incoming phases hooked to your main breaker when its opened or closed.

They are not make for that and you are damaging them switching on and off I have always been told and the power is still on the main and the bars your breakers are attached to is it not or is that BS They donot have the switching duty built in to them like a light switch??? Just asking

3macs1

· #51 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

Read this if nothing else it is putting wear on them that may effect them tripping when required from what I get out of it and was always told By hitting just the main I potentially put wear on one vs them all every time or is this BS also??

madsystems.com

Using circuit breakers as switches

An interesting issue we come across too regularly in installations, usually older ones, is where circuit breakers in a breaker cabinet are used as switches to turn lights and sometimes even exhibits on and off. Here’s an article that tries ...

madsystems.com

TrueGrit

· #52 · 3 mo ago

Striper66 said:
Theory is based on 35yrs in the trade

Wow, good to know. Didn't do much for answering the questions that I asked, though.

Reactions: 1

Striper66

· #53 · 3 mo ago

TrueGrit said:
Wow, good to know. Didn't do much for answering the questions that I asked, though.

The main reason is safety you should always try to disconnect loads working your way back to the source. For example leaving everything plugged in/turned on increases arc potential when opening and closing switches or breakers.So it is better to work your way from the loads back to the source if needing to turn a main breaker to the off position.Hope this helps☺

Reactions: 3

Thunderstick

· #54 · 3 mo ago

Striper66 said:
Take all load off the panel(turn off all branch circuits)before opening the main if you havent been doing it already

Good idea there.

3macs1

· #55 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

Thunderstick said:
Well a bit of fun the last few days. While remodeling the kitchen and installing a new range hood my power started acting a bit funny upon turning the main breaker back on. I never just shut off individual breakers when working on stuff, always the main just in case. We first noticed it when the wife went to her sewing room and the sewing machine would not run, two bedrooms had not enough power to illuminate the lights. My kitchen out lets were dead, some out lets could not even run my drill. Being Sunday we were on our own. Found a couple outlets powered to run the fridge and freezer but shut every thing else off just in case. Got a hold of an electrician yesterday and they found my main inlet (main power breaker had failed, 240 coming in had dropped anywheres from 0 to 120 volts to the panel. Knowing how things keep changing it looked like a complete panel change for us as this is no longer interchangeable on the newer panels. They had to get NSP to disconnect/ connect. Was lucky that they were able to find an old panel that they could transfer the breaker system out off. Guess this is something that occasionally happen. Now waiting for the bill. This remodeling is getting expensive 😀

Reading this again was your panel the one with the top flip style 200 amp breaker only or the one with the top breaker and side disconnect / panel/lever real early one Christ just remembered I have two loads of wash to do you guys are going to get me killed

Thunderstick

· #56 · 3 mo ago

3macs1 said:
Reading this again was your panel the one with the top flip style 200 amp breaker only or the one with the top breaker and side disconnect / panel/lever real early one Something is not adding up to me Christ just remembered I have two loads of wash to do you guys are going to get me killed

Panel was the normal 200 amp panel with main power cut off at the top feeding like 20 seperate breakers on each side. Power coming into the main shut off was not puting the voltage through on the other side when switched on. Electrician got a different reading of output every time turned on.

3macs1

· #57 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

Thunderstick said:
Panel was the normal 200 amp panel with main power cut off at the top feeding like 20 seperate breakers on each side. Power coming into the main shut off was not puting the voltage through on the other side when switched on. Electrician got a different reading of output every time turned on.

Understand Why could he not switch the 200 breaker out without having the power disconnected was it just for safety or something else bad. Understand the wires are live but also seen them done quite a few times with no disconnect Add some line mans gloves I think is all they do or all I seen different their body to risk being fried I guess or stupid

Striper66

· #58 · 3 mo ago

Sometimes these breakers will fail when the internal contacts will arc(switching under load)or corrode over time or possibly just mechanical failure of the breaker itself.Correct a permit is required and nsp would have to do a disconnect/reconnect because the line from the meter to the main breaker is live.

3macs1

· #59 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

Striper66 said:
Sometimes these breakers will fail when the internal contacts will arc(switching under load)or corrode over time or possibly just mechanical failure of the breaker itself.Correct a permit is required and nsp would have to do a disconnect/reconnect because the line from the meter to the main breaker is live.

Thanks for the clarification

3macs1

· #60 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

3macs1 said:
Understand Why could he not switch the 200 breaker out without having the power disconnected was it just for safety or something else bad. Understand the wires are live but also seen them done quite a few times with no disconnect Add some line mans gloves I think is all they do or all I seen different their body to risk being fried I guess or stupid

Sorry got more info they pop the meter first and don't care about the seal Does that do it ?? says by the time they get a notice at NS power they are done and all is back to normal I have no idea but leave it to a caper and please not recommending this for anyone
Do it the proper way and call for a disconnect

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