Thread: New Guy

I recently signed up with PB Disasters and was told about this forum. It is my desire to learn more about home inspections. Thank you, Bill.

Wellcome New Guy.

Q.
#1 where would you like to start?
#2 where would you like to go with this info?
#3 do you have a $5 sopt for a cup of coffee?

Best

Ron

Bill,

Welcome to THE inspector's forum.

Another Floridian joins us.

Where to learn about home inspections, here, for one, and, because you are in Florida, contact FABI ( FABI-Home Page ).

The next FABI meeting will be in Orlando in December, you are just down the I-4 corridor from Orlando, come join us in Orlando in December.

Hi, I'm a new guy, too. From the south side of Atlanta. I have a couple clients that have lakeside lots, so I'll be searching the past posts for ideas. One of my clients has a sloping property that goes down to a boat dock. GA Power will run underground power to any [new} building on the 3/4 acre site. Since he is at the design stage, he asked what the problems/advantages might be for running the main power to a (soon to be built) outbuilding that is closer to the lake than the main structure. He wants maximum available power nearer the lake (for future outbuidings & a power boat-lift near his dock). He wants to run power from the outbuilding to his home (that will be constucted in 2009). He also wants a high-quality lighning rod installed. Several properties near his lot have been hit by lightning in the past. There are two oak and four Magnolia trees (all excellent conductors of electricity) on his lot. The highest point on his property has a 80' sweetgum tree that is located a long distance from the future home and the main transformer servicing the property, the main outbuilding (where main GA power might enter) and other structures. I'm thinking this might be an ideal site for a high lightning rod. property is near Sparta, GA on Lake Sinclair. Have you or anyone monitoring this board had a similar experience?

Originally Posted by del Securatye

he asked what the problems/advantages might be for running the main power to a (soon to be built) outbuilding that is closer to the lake than the main structure. He wants maximum available power nearer the lake (for future outbuidings & a power boat-lift near his dock). He wants to run power from the outbuilding to his home (that will be constucted in 2009).

I find it hard to conceive he will be running *more power* to the dock than the house will have.

If the dock has 200 amps, the house will likely have 250 amps or more (maybe 400 amps). Too little information to go on.

However, he should have GA Power run their power to the building which will have the largest amp service, and from that building, whatever that building is, he would then feed out to his other buildings.

He will want to tell them what his total planned (all the way into as far into the future as he can envision) load will be, that way they will be responsible for providing an adequate service drop for his full future use, and at the point of greatest load. He wants them to be responsible for providing him with 'adequate power', he does not want to become responsible for being the one to pay for providing adequate power. He only wants to be the one to have to size feeders for voltage drop from their point of service, letting them deal with voltage drop back to the transformer from their service drop.

Another way to do it is to have them drop the service point off at a 'centrally located building', rated for his maximum future load, and he then feeds the other buildings from that centrally located building, whatever it is. That keeps his feeder sizes and costs down, as well as keeps his voltage drop down.

Some may think that voltage drop is a non-issue (I know some do), but look at this way, let's say he drops 20 volts per 120 volt leg from his service point to his farthest building, lets say that is a 150 amps panel and he typically draws 50 amps out there at that building. 50 amps x 20 volts = 1,000 watts being used to keep his feeders from freezing (yes, that's all that 1,000 watts is doing, heating up the feeders).

If he has water pipes running out to that building, maybe he can use the heat from the feeders to keep that water line from freezing.