August All Topic
9 ECHO 1
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 12,467
Likes: 58
From: Missouri
So after only ~4 hours of sleep I was awoken at 7:30 by my neighbor who informed me that we had a water leak. And boy did we...
Tried shutting off the water at the house. No luck. So I go to the street and try to turn it off there. It's stuck. So I called the city water dept. They open at 9. So I called the police. They are trying to get ahold of an on-call water dept employee.
Tried shutting off the water at the house. No luck. So I go to the street and try to turn it off there. It's stuck. So I called the city water dept. They open at 9. So I called the police. They are trying to get ahold of an on-call water dept employee.
9 ECHO 1
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 12,467
Likes: 58
From: Missouri
9 ECHO 1
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 12,467
Likes: 58
From: Missouri
Its the feed line for the sprinkler system, but like I said, before the shut off valve for the sprinklers. If you picture where the pipe comes up out of the ground to the sprinkler do-dads, that is where the leak is. Its underground at the 90* elbow where the pipe turns vertical.
After getting tired of waiting for the water company I went back out to the water meter at the street. I found a second valve. This one still worked. Gee I wonder why
I now have a siphon from the back yard to the front using a garden hose (that I started the old school way. By mouth..) and that is doing well. We have a pool of standing water about 10'x20' and about 9" deep at the deepest spot. I know it was at least 9" because my boots are a 9" high boot.
After getting tired of waiting for the water company I went back out to the water meter at the street. I found a second valve. This one still worked. Gee I wonder why
I now have a siphon from the back yard to the front using a garden hose (that I started the old school way. By mouth..) and that is doing well. We have a pool of standing water about 10'x20' and about 9" deep at the deepest spot. I know it was at least 9" because my boots are a 9" high boot.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,857
Likes: 5
From: Northern CA
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,400
Likes: 319
From: Whittier, CA
We are on the level-pay plan, and we got that far ahead of what we should have paid. Due to changes in how we used the A/C, as well as a very mild summer last year. Also replaced a 20yo fridge with a new efficient unit.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,857
Likes: 5
From: Northern CA
Ah, I get it.
I thought about getting on that plan last year, but I did the math and figured that I'd be paying bout $50 a month more than I thought I should have to. Looking back, prolly would have made sense, since I'm in a constant struggle with the wife on how long the A/C should be on this time of year.
I thought about getting on that plan last year, but I did the math and figured that I'd be paying bout $50 a month more than I thought I should have to. Looking back, prolly would have made sense, since I'm in a constant struggle with the wife on how long the A/C should be on this time of year.
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Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,400
Likes: 319
From: Whittier, CA
A couple/three years ago, I had a new Honeywell t-stat installed, 7-day programmable and all that stuff. So I thinks to myself, I wonder if it would be better to just set it to 75° and let it have the house cool by 5PM when I get home. Instead of just turning it on when I get there.
But that t-stat has predictive/adaptive learning, and it "learned" that in order to be at 75° by 5PM, it would have to start running at 10AM on a hot summer day. It even reads the temp of the wall it is mounted on to figure this out. Bottom line is it was running far too much. Unfortunately, on the level-pay plan, you don't figure this out until you've used a lot of juice. So they jacked our bill way up last year to catch up. Meanwhile, I had figure it out myself and cut way back.
And here we are. It has been nice to not pay for 8 months so far.
But that t-stat has predictive/adaptive learning, and it "learned" that in order to be at 75° by 5PM, it would have to start running at 10AM on a hot summer day. It even reads the temp of the wall it is mounted on to figure this out. Bottom line is it was running far too much. Unfortunately, on the level-pay plan, you don't figure this out until you've used a lot of juice. So they jacked our bill way up last year to catch up. Meanwhile, I had figure it out myself and cut way back.
And here we are. It has been nice to not pay for 8 months so far.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 670
Likes: 1
From: SoCal...LP to the LB
Yeah I almost bought a couple google shares but instead bought more AAPL...I got 20 shares that are doin pretty good
The Pacifier
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,245
Likes: 7
From: Cloverdale, BC
Up here, BC Hydro is trying to ram smart meters down our throats. Jury's still out on if they're good or bad.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 991
Likes: 6
From: Newberry Springs, CA
They started replacing them in SoCal last year, it's mandatory. They just came out and changed it.
To me, it's bad, but I consider myself somewhat of a cynic. What it means is it's an easier way to charge you more during "peak" times.
To me, it's bad, but I consider myself somewhat of a cynic. What it means is it's an easier way to charge you more during "peak" times.
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,400
Likes: 319
From: Whittier, CA
Oh, had two kids boomerang back out during this time too.
Now they are pestering us to sign up on the web to see graphs of our usage, so we can use power "wisely". I haven't bothered. I'm gonna use it when I want it, regardless of any "circles and arrows and paragraphs on the back." I'm happy on the Group-W bench.
