Re: Use of Extension Cord

On Sun, 27 Nov 2005 18:42:48 -0000, Michael A. Terrell <mike.terrell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Peter Hucker wrote: 

Hmmmm.  Taking this house as an example, I've got:

30 amp x2 for outlets.
5 amp x2 for lights.
15 amp for the water heater.
15 amp for the garage.
15 amp for the shower.
1 spare slot.

Total is currently at 80 amps. The electricity boards fuse is also 80 amps. I can do what the hell I like in MY fusebox (it's none of their business), but I'm not allowed to fiddle with the meter (they really don't like people getting free power) or the 80 amp fuse which is on their side of the meter. If I added loads more circuits, it's no problem, but if I go over 80 amps at any time and blow their fuse, they would charge me to come out and replace it. 


   Gee, over here the watt-hour meter is connected first, followed by
the service disconnect breaker that is used to protect everything
downstream, and to provide a easy way to disconnect all power in an
emergency.


If I needed to disconnect everything, I'd use the main switch on the fusebox.  I don't suppose it really matters if the fuse is before ofr after the meter, as if the house overloads the total limit, the fuse will blow and protect the meter either way.  The only differences being if the meter shorted out it wouldn't cause a problem, and if they need to change or repair the meter, they can simply pull the fuse.

My old neighbours house was old and had wiring added to it as an afterthought (the house was presumably built before electricity!) The wire came in overhead(!) into the eaves of his roof. Anyway the wire's attachment to the roof came detached, and with the wire swinging in the wind, something came loose inside his roof. In the middle of the night I heard the transformer on the pole over the road sparking like mad. Shortly afterwards there was smoke and the sound of breaking glass, followed quickly by the neighbours running out of the house. Apparently a fire had started in his roof, smashed the glass in the attic window, which woke them. So he called the fire brigade who arrived promptly, and did absolutely nothing. That's right nothing. They didn't have the key to turn off the power on the transformer pole (tsalk about incompetant). They had to wait an hour (!) for the electricity board to come out and disconnect it before they could put the fire out. By which point, needless to say, there was not much left of his house! If that had been my house I would have been up there cutting that stupid wire with a pair of shears, but I think he saw it as a good excuse to claim on the insurance. His house looked a hell of a lot better after he got a big payout! I told him to sue the fire brigade, he told me he didn't care as long as the insurance paid out. They could sue if they liked.

My meter and main service panel are on a pole by my
driveway, with underground feeds to three buildings.


I can't say I'd like just anyone to have the ability to switch off the power to my house.

The garage has
it's own 100 amp 240 Volt panel with 12 breaker positions, the tool shed
has a 20 amp 240 volt panel with four breaker positions and the main
house has a 150 Amp 240 Volt panel with 20 breaker positions.  The
cottage has two breaker boxes. One for the hot water heater that is in
an attached shed


Your hot water is heated in another building?

and another 60 Amp 240V breaker box with 4 breaker
positions for the lights and AC.  There are nine breaker boxes all
together, and I don't need to list them all.  One more will be added
when I can finally afford a new generator with an automatic transfer
switch.


Christ almighty.  You could power NASA with that lot!

It doesn't make sense to me. Why not charge the correct price in the first place? Our companies simply change the rates every so often. 

   The price is set by the government, and is changed avery couple
years.  The fuel costs change daily and are averaged out for the month
and added on.  The other method is to set the rate higher than it should
be, and then when the actual costs exceed the limit to raise them a
fixed percentage which doesn't reflect the actual costs as well.


That's weird.  Why are the government setting anything?

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