What is it? fireplace.

[Ford Blue blood]

12.5K volts is typically distributed throughout a residential area along with a neutral.  That is one insulated wire and one bare wire on the pole connected to the transformer.  The transformer on the pole then converts it to 220V single phase along with a neutral to your house.  The transformer is what makes the 110V we use for everything.  Your power panel should have two rows of breakers with the total amps for each row being close to the same.

That 12.5K is why you hear the loud bang and see the huge flash when one fails or those flashes when looking at footage of a tornado going through a neighborhood.

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks for all the info guys. I did rewire the house we're in now including main boxes and adding 220 to the garage, but I have to refresh my memory. I never dealt with the 3 phase thing also.
One other question....the new house has 4 electrical/circuit breaker boxes with not one breaker identified as to what it controls. Do electricians have any shortcuts for identifying the individual circuits?? I seem to remember seeing a device that emits audible signals from a remote location to confirm power on to outlets/switches/fixtures.

Kerby....electrical stuff aside, I'd love to meet you and Jack. It would be best after we got settled in the new house so I can spend some time doing car stuff with you guys.

I hate this moving thing...no place to put stuff while I'm sorting thru a 18 x 36 storage shed that's been full for years. This morning I'm going to go over my buddie's speed shop 2 blocks from here to see if he's got a place I can park my '57 for a month or so. that way I can use the '57's parking spot for a staging area. I'm also in the middle of rebuilding my compressor so I can blow off 10 years of Texas silt over everything in storage.

[Wirenut]

I totally understand Rich, I hate the moving part too. Let me know what works for you or not. They do make a tool that plugs into an outlet and the attachment with the tool will be used at the breaker panel and it will beep and or squeel when to are next to the breaker that feeds the circuit. I have also used a radio and a noisy drill that I plug into a outlet and I can hear it from the breaker box, turn individual breakers on  or off to locate the corresponding one that powers it. That's the cheapest and very effecting method. 

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks for the info again! Much appreciated.
We got past the VA/lender appraisal today....at least the dollar amount. It came in a little higher than selling price. The inspector listed 3 things that had to be fixed, and then another inspection/appraisal. Two were easy and were previously agreed on to repair. The third is going to be a biggie expense wise for the seller. The appraise wants all the outside trim scrapped and painted. We were aware of it, it was just something I wanted to do as I'm picky. I hope they don't ruin the columns on the front porch doing it. It's all the windows, roof edging, columns etc. If the sellers agree to it without raising the price of the house (if they even can), I'm sure it's going to push things back a week or two.
One thing I've learned from this latest house buying adventure.....you can't buy a fixer upper if you're going VA.

[RICH MUISE]

My friend at the speed shop 2 blocks from here is making room so I can park my '57 there for a month or so. I need to get it out of the garage so I can start cleaning out/sorting thru an 18x36 storage shed that's been full and pretty much untouched for 10 years. I need the garage for a staging area for the sorting and packing and temp storage.
Our closing got pushed back to 4/7 on the new house. VA needed the time.
I finally got my compressor rebuilt. I replaced the old pump with a twin cylinder. Took a couple of days because everything was fighting me. Had to replumb the tank to pump and change the electric motor's pulley to a smaller 2 belt pulley. First place I went to for a pulley wanted 53 bucks! after 3 other stops including Graingers who wanted 113 for the same pulley, I went back to the first place. I also had to relocate the pump mounting holes, etc. I wished I had done this before I repainted my car. I can't believe how much faster the new pump builds up. I was hoping to replace the old compressor with a two stage, but that wasn't in the cards.
LOL>>>I needed to fix the compressor now because of all the Texas silt that has built up on the stuff in my shed that I need to blow off.

[RICH MUISE]

quote from earlier post:
"The appraise wants all the outside trim scrapped and painted. We were aware of it, it was just something I wanted to do as I'm picky. I hope they don't ruin the columns on the front porch doing it."
They did. Totally screwed up all six 8" (round) columns. They apparently used a coarse disc grinder to remove the paint.....or a chain saw.
In 1 day they turned what would have been a 2 week project for me to get the trim refinished correctly into a 2 month project. %$##!!@
we're letting it go, we want to close on the house asap.

I talked in an earlier post about the garage walls appearing to have light water damage along the bottom of the walls for a foot up. I was studying a pic I took of the garage and I'll have to look in person up close, but I think something else was going on. First I noticed the floor had no normal oil stains at all, very clean. Then it dawned on me what we thought was water damage and posible mold may not be that at all. I'm now thinking they had an indoor/outdoor carpet on the floor and it was glued to the walls for a foot. removing it caused the damage, and what I assumed was mold I'm betting when I get down and look close, it'll be black foam from the carpet backing/padding. A pic: (that's the inspector checking the elec. panel)
OR>>>>>>a combination of carpet going up the wall, and getting wet. There appears to be staining on the floor from water at the rear overhead door.

[djfordmanjack]

Rich, what a nice and huge shop ! leave the house to the ladies. you already got everything you need...

[Ford Blue blood]

Rich, what a nice and huge shop ! leave the house to the ladies. you already got everything you need...

Exactly!  When we bought the place we are in 22 years ago I did the inspection thing of the house.  All was good.  Walked into the 30 X 30 shop, saw the power panel, receptacles for 110 & 220, 1/2 bath, and floor pins to tie down for a pull and told her to go back in the house and make sure it was what she wanted because I was in love!:<)

[gasman826]

Those floor pins do double duty.  Anchoring for pulling but I have a friend who locks his cars to the floor.  He says it won't stop a thief but it sure will slow 'em down.

[RICH MUISE]

We closed on the house this morning. Finally the hectic ratrace is over. Yahooo! We spent the day picking up stuff for it we want to change. New storm/screen doors, new locks for all the doors,paint for the garage, a couple pet doors, etc.
I did find out I mispoke about the 220 in the garage. Those were not 220 outlets at all, but 30 amp 120 outlets (one marked RV use only??). So, looks like I need to run 220 from the back of the house to the garage. We had some heavy rain for a few days, and I found out I have a drainage problem outside the back of the garage. The soil level for 15 or 20 feet of the backyard gravel driveway is actually as much as 6" or so above the garage level. I think we're going to need someone with a small tractor to lower it to where it probably was when they built the house, and then do some additional gutter/downspout work to disperse the roof waters away from the house.
Wednesday we're flying to Phoenix to load up the cousin's stuff. Hoping to be back in town late Saturday....we'll see how the loaders/workers she's lined up work out.

[Ford Blue blood]

Congratulations.

[gasman826]

Moving party!!!

[Wirenut]

Congratulations Rich!

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks, Kerby.
Gary.the moving party is full underway. We flew to Phoenix Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday morning a hired crew loaded up a 24 and a 18 footer. I left as soon as the big one was filled Wed. Thursday night, and she left Friday afternoon. Got them both unloaded today with family and local guys I knew.
I'm tired!
It'll probably be a few weeks before we move out of our house, I've got lots to do and until Sherri gets all her stuff gone thru and put away, we wouldn't have room anyways.

[Ford Blue blood]

I feel your pain...we moved from TN to AL with a 24 footer and a trailer.  Got all out stuff unloaded into the shop, the owner let us do this before closing, and then into the house a week and one hurricane  later.