Spring Sprung

Temps in the mid 70’s, clear skies, perfect weather for goin’ shootin’ and no rain in sight until March 1st… Good thing this is a short month because we’re still down on water. The redbuds are starting to blossom purple leaves, and I’m in the yard watering the big pine from the big rain-barrel and re-drawing the drip-line plot. Yesterday I fixed a leaky hose on station #4 that was spraying water all down the hillside from a series of pinholes, today I replaced the rain-barrel diverter that I had removed during the deluge. The birds are frolicking and the shiny little airplanes motor over and drop-down behind us.
UPDATE: Yesterday also replaced two electrical sockets that were having “issues.” One was a GFI outlet in the bar that seemed to “click-off” at any minor interruption (and was old), and another in the garage that had a bad connection to the hot lead. Both now working fine.

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The semi-sprawling adventures of blah-blah-blah...

17 thoughts on “Spring Sprung”

  3. I think my biggest short coming in the “handyman, work around the house, fix stuff” category is that I’m terrified of working with Electrical. I’ll tackle almost anything else in the house, but I always revert back to “call the guy” when it comes to 110.

    Maybe it’s time to take a class or two once I settle in to Northern Nevada. Hmmmmm . . . . . . That’s a thought.

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    • I don’t do anything clever or live. I call on the cell down from the panel, and flip the breakers until “that” light goes out. Thhen I just replace it. Often the lousy ones are the push-to-connect ones, so I strip and wrap the wire on the post and screw it down…

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    • You say you don’t do anything clever or live, and yet just reading that last post gives me sweaty palms. I really have zero experience in anything electrical. Oh well, time to get edumacated.

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    • I have a test-light that will light-up if the wire’s hot, it’s a little LED job for second-checking the circuit. Start with a “cold” circuit so you don’t catch a buzz! Although a little electricity feels like a numb-bump – I think Electricians get used-to it as a sign of their prowess.

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  4. 39 and clear here in the Pacific NW this morning (also known as motorcycling weather) and warmup up to about 55 and sunny. Beautiful day but a bit worrisome for February. Snow pack and all.

    I don’t know what the life cycle of a GFI is but there needs to be a specific time limit where you just replace them all. My friend lost a whole freezerful of food because a GFI crapped out on him in a house that isn’t particularly old.

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    • Better a freezer than a a whole House! This one was acting-up and when I removed it felt warm…time to go. But I think that whole circuit that it is on is too busy with outlets and lights and stuff. May need to get some of that that switched over to another breaker…

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    • I’ve had similar problems with cheap GFIs. It’s no guarantee, but try buying the REALLY expensive ones instead. The ones we use in the high-rise downtown have been in service for 10+ years, with no problems.

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    • GFCI’s should not be used with motor circuits: ‘Fridges and freezers, and A/C systems. The motor start cycle is a very high current draw for a short time, and this doesn’t play well with the electronics in the GFCI. They can be used without a gfci, if it has a dedicated curcuit, and the outlet isn’t accessible for other purposes.

      Microwaves can also be a problem, but you are required to wire the kitchen and bathrooms with GFCI protection. (anywhere you have water located, basically. Limit the total draw as much as possible on any circuit with a motor, to lessen the chance of overload tripping during startup.

      With outlets, never use the push-in connector holes for wires. Either wrap the wire around a screw (one per each) or use the clamp type (wire goes into a hole, then you tighten a screw to clamp the wire.

      Those push-in to connect outlets are a bad thing to use. It is just the tip of a flat spring, and is trouble waiting to happen. High current draws, arcing, fires. Life not exciting enough for you? 😎

      Hear a little buzz or crackle when you first flip a light switch? Replace it now. That’s an electrical arc. Not good.

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    • Yeh I’ve been replacing those that are just push-to-connect wherever I find them. The wet-bar has a GFI because it’s wet, but elsewhere they’re not in use for motors. The microwave is a built in combo thing with the wall oven. Actually everything is very sound, just a few lose connections on push-to-connects.

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  5. Book No 2 is officially done and going to the publisher (who now are calling ME instead of my calling them). Partner and Grime and I celebrated with lots of Thai food at a fancy restaurant then some quality shop time. He said to tell you hello now that my being a book hermit is up and I’m back on the net more. – Brigid

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    • CONGRATULATIONS!!! Glad to hear you kids are havin’ fun in the MidWest Freezerator! 😉 I’ll stop by more often, but tell EJ to try and post quarterly – GBR-X is on!

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