Conversations about your/my setup

Keith Myers
Keith Myers
Joined: 11 Feb 11
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It's not that the wires droop

It's not that the wires droop because of too much current.  It's that the power companies neglected decades worth of line maintenance tree trimming to keep tree growth from the lines in the first place. So when tree branches break and fall directly into lines or force the lines to contact each other when the branch flexes in the strong breezes we have here. Or the lines get bridged together by large winged avians we have lots of here also.  Lots of fires started by smoldering carcasses also.

So now they are asking the ratepayers to fork over the funds to bury all the thousands of miles of power lines that traverse forests to eliminate the problem.

 

Boca Raton Community HS
Boca Raton Comm...
Joined: 4 Nov 15
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Ian&Steve C.

Ian&Steve C. wrote:

different enough to prevent them from being mistakenly plugged in. that's the point. what I was saying that was not "not by a little bit" different was the difference between the standard US wall outlet (NEMA 5-15) and the 18-15R that was likely installed in the school.

 

This.

It is not even close to NEMA 5-15 or 5-20... Actually, not really possible for any other power cord that would be carried by students to fit into this receptacle. Additionally, students won't really mess with power cords/receptacles they don't recognize because they don't really care about things like this. It is also "locking" so the students would have to twist the power cord to get it out, which they have never really seen before. 

Ian&Steve C.
Ian&Steve C.
Joined: 19 Jan 20
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Keith Myers wrote:It's not

Keith Myers wrote:

It's not that the wires droop because of too much current.  It's that the power companies neglected decades worth of line maintenance tree trimming to keep tree growth from the lines in the first place.

while poor maintenance is definitely an issue and contributing factor, transmission line sag from overheating is definitely also a factor. it was one of the major contributing factors to the 2003 blackout in the Northeast. 16 different transmission lines sagged into into trees or other obstacles. as each line went offline, the others took the slack, increasing load on the others, which caused them to overheat and sag, hit something and go offline. rinse and repeat.

_________________________________________________________________________

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
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RAC: 15918

Keith Myers wrote: It's not

Keith Myers wrote:

It's not that the wires droop because of too much current.  It's that the power companies neglected decades worth of line maintenance tree trimming to keep tree growth from the lines in the first place. So when tree branches break and fall directly into lines or force the lines to contact each other when the branch flexes in the strong breezes we have here. Or the lines get bridged together by large winged avians we have lots of here also.  Lots of fires started by smoldering carcasses also.

So now they are asking the ratepayers to fork over the funds to bury all the thousands of miles of power lines that traverse forests to eliminate the problem.

But you aren't a communist state.  That money should simply be added to the electricity bill.

If this page takes an hour to load, reduce posts per page to 20 in your settings, then the tinpot 486 Einstein uses can handle it.

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
Posts: 838
Credit: 519657247
RAC: 15918

Ian&Steve C.

Ian&Steve C. wrote:

different enough to prevent them from being mistakenly plugged in. that's the point. what I was saying that was not "not by a little bit" different was the difference between the standard US wall outlet (NEMA 5-15) and the 18-15R that was likely installed in the school.

This ONE outlet type is so much easier.  240V, 13A each.  Everywhere in the house.  For anything from a phone charger to a tumble dryer or AC unit.  And ours actually have switches!  And since the cord comes out of the bottom instead of the front of the plug, they take up less room behind furniture, and plugs don't get yanked out by mistake.  And there's a fuse in the plug so you can plug a tiny thing in and it has the cable protected at as low as 1 amp, even though the outlet is 13A, on a ring of 32A of many sockets.

If this page takes an hour to load, reduce posts per page to 20 in your settings, then the tinpot 486 Einstein uses can handle it.

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
Posts: 838
Credit: 519657247
RAC: 15918

Boca Raton Community HS

Boca Raton Community HS wrote:

It is not even close to NEMA 5-15 or 5-20... Actually, not really possible for any other power cord that would be carried by students to fit into this receptacle. Additionally, students won't really mess with power cords/receptacles they don't recognize because they don't really care about things like this. It is also "locking" so the students would have to twist the power cord to get it out, which they have never really seen before. 

So when they want to charge their phone, they have to find the right outlet?  When I worked at a school, a couple of girls appeared in my room with hairdryers and wanted some juice, I pointed to some free sockets and they used them.  A teacher then spotted this and yelled at them.  She was quite annoyed when I said I'd given them permission.  Then I added up how much the electricity cost and asked if I should make them put 5p in the kitty.

 

So have your students not got those sockets at home for a tumble dryer etc?

If this page takes an hour to load, reduce posts per page to 20 in your settings, then the tinpot 486 Einstein uses can handle it.

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
Posts: 838
Credit: 519657247
RAC: 15918

Ian&Steve C. wrote: Keith

Ian&Steve C. wrote:

Keith Myers wrote:

It's not that the wires droop because of too much current.  It's that the power companies neglected decades worth of line maintenance tree trimming to keep tree growth from the lines in the first place.

while poor maintenance is definitely an issue and contributing factor, transmission line sag from overheating is definitely also a factor. it was one of the major contributing factors to the 2003 blackout in the Northeast. 16 different transmission lines sagged into into trees or other obstacles. as each line went offline, the others took the slack, increasing load on the others, which caused them to overheat and sag, hit something and go offline. rinse and repeat.

That IS poor maintainence.  Not upgrading them when they aren't big enough.  So how much power gets wasted in P=I2R heating of wires?  If they're getting that hot, I'd imagine a hell of a lot.

If this page takes an hour to load, reduce posts per page to 20 in your settings, then the tinpot 486 Einstein uses can handle it.

Keith Myers
Keith Myers
Joined: 11 Feb 11
Posts: 5013
Credit: 18905235087
RAC: 6801404

Quote:Peter Hucker

Quote:

Peter Hucker wrote:

But you aren't a communist state.  That money should simply be added to the electricity bill.

But yes I do live in a communist state, as far as my choice of energy providers.  I have none. The state decides for me.  So yes, the upgrades DO get added to my energy bill. Why I pay some of the highest electricity rates in the free world.

 

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
Posts: 838
Credit: 519657247
RAC: 15918

Quote:Keith Myers

Quote:

Keith Myers wrote:

Peter Hucker wrote:

But you aren't a communist state.  That money should simply be added to the electricity bill.

But yes I do live in a communist state, as far as my choice of energy providers.  I have none. The state decides for me.  So yes, the upgrades DO get added to my energy bill. Why I pay some of the highest electricity rates in the free world.

I disagree on America being in the "free world".  In the UK we can pick from about 20 energy providers.  I saved 30% (!) by changing.  But.... because of the covid malarky and the Ukraine nonsense, energy providers are all going bankrupt, so they've put a stop on anyone transferring from one to the other at the moment, they're all too busy trying to get people to pay up.  I owe mine three grand, which is gonna get a lot bigger now the prices are being hiked.  If this was a proper free world, I could buy fuel cheap from Russia.

I doubt you pay more than me, I was on 20 cents per kWh before any price hikes from covid etc.  And that's the cheapest energy supplier in the UK, which is actually French, EDF.

If this page takes an hour to load, reduce posts per page to 20 in your settings, then the tinpot 486 Einstein uses can handle it.

Keith Myers
Keith Myers
Joined: 11 Feb 11
Posts: 5013
Credit: 18905235087
RAC: 6801404

I'm currently paying $0.38

I'm currently paying $0.38 Winter rates peak hours and $0.34 off peak hours.

Come June I will be paying Summer rates at $0.42 peak and $0.38 off peak.

Since I have solar generation, only have to settle up with the power company once a year.  The bill comes due at the end of next month.  Looking at forking over around $9000 this year.

 

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