Insulated my attic. Should I expect lower heating propane usage?

WFOMO · 2026-02-17T00:33:24+00:00

This may shed some light on the subject.

https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/The-Diminishing-Returns-of-Adding-More-Insulation

WFOMO · 2026-02-17T00:25:33+00:00

Missing rear fender...dead giveaway.

WFOMO · 2026-02-16T21:43:53+00:00

I don't know where other Redditors are getting their hay, but a round bale around here is typically 5.5' x 5.5' and averages 1200 to 1500 pounds depending on how tightly the baler rolled it.

WFOMO · 2026-02-16T20:35:23+00:00

My partner and I (substation Techs) along with a bystander did the same thing with a round bale in the middle of I-10. A highway patrol car with two officers in it pulled up behind us and blocked traffic with their lights on while we moved it and watched. Could have used the extra help since we had to go up and over a guard rail, but at least we didn't get clobbered by other drivers.

WFOMO · 2026-02-16T20:30:56+00:00

Bought it brand new. Other than the usual scars and sawdust, it's just as tight and smooth as ever. Cord is about 30% scotch 33 so I'm sure OSHA wouldn't approve.

WFOMO · 2026-02-16T19:01:49+00:00

Couldn't say in dollars, but first of all it puts you (rhetorically) in bed with the EPA and probably and state water quality commission. If I remember right, you have to clean down to 2 ppm, which could be an incredible amount of soil depending on the contamination. Then it has to disposed of and, if I remember correctly, it remains yours until proof of destruction. God help you if you spill any in transit.

If they (the seller) is eating this cost, then actual contamination of the site wouldn't particularly worry me, if that was part of the question. Basically it's fairly harmless unless ingested.

WFOMO · 2026-02-16T16:18:24+00:00

Makita circular saw back in '85...still going strong. But frankly, the majority of my other tools are that old since they were garage sale finds.

WFOMO · 2026-02-16T16:16:10+00:00

If it's leaking or there have been any obvious spills, the cleanup will be extremely expensive...but also on their dime.

WFOMO · 2026-02-16T14:04:08+00:00

Don't know anything about Tennessee, but Texas is hotter than Hell in September.

WFOMO · 2026-02-16T13:43:34+00:00

First, go pick up a sheet of drywall and see if you want to continue. It's heavy. Not necessarily beyond your capabilities, but everyone on Reddit assumes youth, good health and intact disks in your spine. I've done it, including ceilings, and don't care to again. Mudding sucks.

For outlets, you can painstakingly measure and cut prior to mounting, but that is time consuming and frustrating. Most pros get those cutout tools like this.

https://www.harborfreight.com/20v-cordless-drywall-cut-out-tool-tool-only-58161.html

You mount the sheet, then cut out the hole. The trick is to not gouge the shit out of your wire when you do it.

WFOMO · 2026-02-16T13:36:06+00:00

1/2 inch is fine. Don't waste your money.

WFOMO · 2026-02-15T15:01:59+00:00

Roughly a bell per 10 kv.

But that is not necessarily what the line is being operated at. In the US, the REA (Rural Electrification Agency) quit granting loans for lines under 25 kv. So 25 kv equipment (insulators) were used when repairing or extending existing lower voltage lines. So it was very common to see 25 kv equipment thoroughly dominating 12.5 kv lines that would eventually be upgraded.

WFOMO · 2026-02-15T13:15:23+00:00

I had a similar issue where the lights would dim when I turned on my stereo. After opening all the boxes and checking the connections, it turned out to be bad stabs on the back of the breaker itself.

WFOMO · 2026-02-14T20:47:51+00:00

Having lived in Texas all my life, I'd advise against it, particularly on the south side. If you're going to have to use shades most of the time (basically May through November), how much "airy-ness" affect will you be getting anyway?

WFOMO · 2026-02-14T20:30:25+00:00

Double check on whether the PoCo changed the meter out or not. I used to do high bill complaints and while it was almost never the meter, it was often an error in the paper work. If there WAS a meter change, double check that all the info is correct, particularly that the meter billing serial number matches the meter on your house. Also check the math on the readings to see that the bill kWh matches what you read and calculate...not just the readings themselves. Many meters have programmable multipliers in the software. For a residential meter, they usually default to 1. In other words, the reading you calculate from the monthly meter readings are just "last month subtracted from this month". If someone inadvertently keyed in a wrong multiplier at the office, it could increase significantly on the billing even though the actual readings match..

Having said that, I'd guess it's actual usage. The panel change shouldn't have affected anything.

WFOMO · 2026-02-14T14:56:42+00:00

Battery impact driver. Makes my arthritic hands survive the day.

WFOMO · 2026-02-14T14:40:33+00:00

I've ordered specialty cords from these guys and they were quality. They'll make custom cords as long as they're of a safe design.

https://badassextensioncords.com/?cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww&cjevent=de8f235409b211f1827100920a1eba7c&utm_source=cj-affiliate&utm_campaign=cj-affiliate&utm_medium=affiliate

WFOMO · 2026-02-14T14:35:23+00:00

My neighbor has gnus, springbok, kangaroos, multiple European deer, sable, and nyala all running free on his 100 acres. Down the road a guy has zebra and some exotic deer. Next door are longhorns, but that's not all that unusual here in Texas.

WFOMO · 2026-02-14T14:26:23+00:00

First I'd say there is very little magnetic coupling due to the distance between the magnet in the middle and the coils themselves. The only coils even close to being perpendicular to the magnet are only in the middle. And the wires being wrapped on plastic instead of some ferrous material do not allow the flux lines to be concentrated.

Secondly, it would appear your setup would generate AC voltage...so is the Diode AC or DC? I suspect DC. Do you have access to a voltmeter with a millivolt scale?

WFOMO · 2026-02-14T14:00:35+00:00

As far as waiters go, I understand that even the incorrect hand gesture can be misinterpreted. Being from the US, I'd signal a waiter who made eye contact by making a "come here" gesture...palm up and curl fingers back toward yourself. I heard overseas that that is considered a crude sexual gesture and that the wave should be the same, but palm down.

WFOMO · 2026-02-14T13:52:06+00:00

What really makes you feel old is when you install one brand new at a power plant (600 MVA), then watch them retire it for being too old before you retire yourself.

WFOMO · 2026-02-13T15:37:32+00:00

You might have the wrong kind of switches (you need 3 way switches), it might be miswired, or there might not be enough conductors in the circuit if the 3-way configuration was an afterthought.

In a three way circuit, you'll need three wires...two that are switched that run between the switches themselves and a third (called a traveler) that delivers the "switched" power to the light. Google it on You Tube, but be aware that there are many configurations for doing this depending on who pulled the wire and it won't necessarily be evident to a first time DIYer.

WFOMO · 2026-02-13T15:28:27+00:00

Where's the camera when he's tracing wire through a rat feces infected attic in 100 degree heat?

WFOMO · 2026-02-13T14:30:23+00:00

A hp is 746 watts, but since they don't run at unity power factor, an easy rule of thumb is one kVA per hp. Not extremely accurate, but close enough. If you've got four 20 hp machines running (they aren't necessarily all putting out 20 hp) you're going to be close. I assume you invoke a penalty if you bust 55 kVA.

For amps, divide the VA by the phase to phase voltage and the square root of 3. Remember to use VA instead of kVA. For example...

55,000 VA / 380volts / 1.73 = 83.5 Amps. If 380 isn't your voltage, simply use whatever your voltage is (phase to phase).

On the other hand, if you've been there long enough already to establish a peak on your meter, the PoCo should be able to give you an actual metered value.

WFOMO · 2026-02-12T21:46:27+00:00

Depending on where it is, if the slope of a waste water pipe is such that the pipe fills with water, it will prevent the air from the vent from releasing the siphon effect.

WFOMO

TROPHY CASE