It’s Always Something

I am about 4 hours into the installation of improved electrical service in my workshop, and I have run into a terrible snag. The house has no water because the pump has no power.

You hire someone to do a job, you think you’ve thought of every problem that could pop up, and then you find yourself walking into the woods because you’ve had too much Powerade.

I can’t cook. I can’t do anything that might get me dirty. I had to brush my teeth with bottled water.

The installation has gone well, apart from the water crisis. They dug up two sprinkler pipes, but they repaired them, so that’s over with. Right now they’re taking a break because they have to come up with a clever way to get the new wires into my main panel.

I really should have done this job myself, but I was tired of being cheap with myself. I clear all the downed trees here. I do the yardwork. I do whatever repairs I can. I felt like it was time to watch someone else work.

It’s not like I can’t afford it. Still, I feel like God is watching over my shoulder, checking to see if I waste money.

Most people don’t do their own wiring. They pay people. It’s normal. I will concentrate on that. It’s not like I’m an NBA rookie and I just bought my three best friends their own strip clubs.

I think I’m doing it right. I didn’t go for a massive amperage increase, but because someone may build a second shop some day, I made sure the new conduit was big enough for heavier wire than the gauge they’re using today. It seems wrong to cheap out and cause problems for future owners.

The trench was the thing that put me off. Digging over 120 feet of trench, around roots, pipes, and wires, sounded like more work and trouble than I was willing to confront.

The old wire wasn’t in conduit. They just buried it. This is allowed under the code, but it’s not first-class. I wonder if it’s the reason so many bugs got into the box in the workshop. All they had to do was climb up the wires, into the little bit of conduit that goes from the workshop into the dirt.

I have been picking the electrician’s brains all day, in order to find out how to make changes to the circuitry on my own after he leaves. He doesn’t care. He seems happy to give me information.

It appears that running a whole bunch of circuits off the existing box will not be impossible. I just need to get some tandem and possibly quad breakers. The bottom line is that my workshop power problems are done, unless I decide to install a 3-ton air conditioner. I can have some more 125V boxes. That will be very helpful. Imagine, building a big workshop with only 4 indoor outlets. Plug in 16 things, and you’re done.

I can hear him drilling a giant hole in the side of my beautiful house right now. Arggh.

He’s finished.

No, he’s not.

I will be strong.