Life in America - I made the move.

[Mr Zog]

The next task was the electrical outlet under the sink.

Someone had previously butchered it, and it needed to be fixed. Most all sinks here have an outlet under them here. That is where the garbage disposal usually plugs in, and sometimes the dishwasher. We don't have a garbage disposal, but the Reverse Osmosis unit I got has a pressure pump that needs power.

I pulled the old blue box out, and made a repair to the hole on the drywall that had been ripped out. I used a small strip of aluminium at the back, and a little offcut of plywood in the gap, and then mounted the new electrical box inside the wall, and refitted the plug receptacle. I also found a cover for the outlet in my stuff in the workshop 

Then it was time to re-install the sink. As mentioned, I used some soopa doopa constructiuon adhesive from Loctite.


I did a couple of dry-fits, just to check if the sink was bent anywhere, that it laid flat all around. Two corners needed a little tweaking, then I applied the adhesive and seated the sink. I used a shed-load of gym weights to hold it all down to make sure that it seated properly and didn't lift anywhere.

[Mr Zog]

While the adhesive was setting I re-installed the drain pipes. Without the "P" trap there was a terrible smell coming back up the pipe from the septic 

Then I got everything ready for the RO install, and moved some of the weights over so I could fit the new faucet.

With the new faucet (tap) done, I did the RO install, and checked everything for leaks. So far so good...

I'll leave the weights on the sink until tomorrow morning, just to make sure that the adhesive sets completely. I'd be gutted if I had to pull the sink out again because I was too hasty in removing the weights... 

I left a plastic tub under the valves under the sink, just in case. I have found in the past that they sometimes leak after being turned for the first time in many years... 

[Mr Zog]

The weather is now going to shit... 

A big cold front is coming through, a very wet cold front. The temp is now down to single digits, and the rain is starting.

The weather forecast predicts pretty much continuous rain for us until Monday morning, and predict we will get between 4 and 6 INCHES (100 - 150mm) of rain by then 

I am glad about the rain though, we have been a in a severe drought for some time now, and the garden really needs the rain. 

I'll keep ya' all posted 

[Skaiidawg]

Do you have a water dispenser that uses those 5 gallon bottles? If not consider getting one and about 4 spare bottles. Now with your RO system installed you can collect and store water for use with the dispenser and for those times when you need to stock up in case of emergencies.

Sent from my SM-J510F using Tapatalk

[Stichhom]

Hijack on - Mr Zog, I for one enjoy all the work and projects you constantly busy on. You kitchen mods look good. I wanted to ask you for some time... We often watch a program called "Building Alaska". These guys and girls build houses in very remote parts of Alaska. I always see them digging holes and trenches with spades without the traditional handgrip at the top end. The shaft also seem to be very long. Are you familiar with these spades there in big USA? Do they work better than the spades you see in South Africa? Hijack off!

Thanks for a great reading thread!
Regards

[Mr Zog]

Hijack on - Mr Zog, I for one enjoy all the work and projects you constantly busy on. You kitchen mods look good. I wanted to ask you for some time... We often watch a program called "Building Alaska". These guys and girls build houses in very remote parts of Alaska. I always see them digging holes and trenches with spades without the traditional handgrip at the top end. The shaft also seem to be very long. Are you familiar with these spades there in big USA? Do they work better than the spades you see in South Africa? Hijack off!

Thanks for a great reading thread!
Regards

Yip   

I have a couple of these spades / shovels. I also have a small spade with a flat handle at the top just like we have in SA.

The long handled shovels do work good, you don't have to bend over as far to get the hole dug. But it also take more effort to lift a heavy shovel-full of dirt out of a hole with the longer handle. Bigger/longer lever effect.

I have a long handled shovel on my work truck for digging the bigger holes, and a small shovel (like the trenching tools we used to get in the military) that I fitted a longer shaft to, but put the flat handle back on the top. I use that one when I am digging in confined spaces, and need to be more accurate with my digging. 

[Mr Zog]

It is done 


This morning I removed the gym weights and cleaned up all the adhesive that had squeezed out of the sides. Then a wipe with some soap and water and it's looking good!

And still no leaks either.... heck, maybe I can become a plumber one day   

Rain. It's been raining constantly since last night. Not big heavy rain, just constant soaking rain. Like the "geelperske reen" we used to get in SA. So far we have just over 2 inches in the rain gauge and forecast to rain until early tomorrow morning. I doubt we will see the 5 inches predicted, but probably around 3-4 for sure.

This means that no outside jobs are being done, but that gives me the perfect excuse to get inside stuff done. I cleaned the house this morning, vacuumed all the carpets and stuff. Then I did some sorting and cleaning in the garage. After that some sorting out of stuff in my workshop. One of the things that I did was to put all my electrical terminals and heatshrink into one big organiser. No more fiddling around looking for different boxes and bags and stuff when I need to make connections. 

A while ago a buddy called me, the "big guy" who lived in the street behind our street at the old place. He needs some help installing new lighting inside his house. So Mrs Zog and I will head over in about an hour and I will sort that out for him while the ladies catch up. Big guy has two left thumbs when it comes to handyman stuff 

[Mrs. Zog]

Big guy has two left thumbs when it comes to handyman stuff

That's putting it mildly. Mrs. Big Guy called me and said, "Can Mr. Zog help? I don't want R. to burn the house down!" 

[Mrs. Zog]

Holy cow. I am very drunk on some very good  Portuguese wine... Was nice spending time with friends. 

[Mr Zog]

We just got back from installing the new kitchen downlighters.

Installed 5 of them, the new-fangled LED types. Had to cut 5 holes in the ceiling, each hole 7,5 inches across. That's about 180mm. Then had to climb into ceiling each time to remove the insulation, and then replace the insulation after each install. I just ran all the lights in series, from the house electrical supply. For LED's there will be no voltage drop / high current draw, so all good. Took the last light to a blanked off light fitting that still had the wire in it and still attached to a light switch. Wired it all up, bingo. Easy peasy.

Big guy wanted to pay me for my time, but he just lost his job as a direct result of the govt shutdown (he worked for a contractor to the govt). But he did tell me that they had already bought a new fridge, that would be delivered in a month, so I asked him what he would be doing with the old one. He told me he was going to throw it out. So I made the deal that when he gets the new one he calls me and I will get his old one. It's a really nice Samsung, and works fine. We can put it in our kitchen and replace our old one that is pretty small... So I guess that is a fair trade. 

It's still raining, and the rain gauge is now just over 3 inches. I'll see what it is in the morning when the rain has stopped. The garden is loving it! Downside is that I'll be mowing regularly again now   

[Mr Zog]

Holy cow. I am very drunk on some very good  Portuguese wine... Was nice spending time with friends. 

I was driving, and working with electricity. I had one beer.

But now at home I'm having a strong "spook & diesel" 

[silvrav]

Holy cow. I am very drunk on some very good  Portuguese wine... Was nice spending time with friends. 

Sounds fun...until tomorrow   

We just got back from installing the new kitchen downlighters.

Installed 5 of them, the new-fangled LED types. Had to cut 5 holes in the ceiling, each hole 7,5 inches across. That's about 180mm. Then had to climb into ceiling each time to remove the insulation, and then replace the insulation after each install. I just ran all the lights in series, from the house electrical supply. For LED's there will be no voltage drop / high current draw, so all good. Took the last light to a blanked off light fitting that still had the wire in it and still attached to a light switch. Wired it all up, bingo. Easy peasy.

Big guy wanted to pay me for my time, but he just lost his job as a direct result of the govt shutdown (he worked for a contractor to the govt). But he did tell me that they had already bought a new fridge, that would be delivered in a month, so I asked him what he would be doing with the old one. He told me he was going to throw it out. So I made the deal that when he gets the new one he calls me and I will get his old one. It's a really nice Samsung, and works fine. We can put it in our kitchen and replace our old one that is pretty small... So I guess that is a fair trade. 

It's still raining, and the rain gauge is now just over 3 inches. I'll see what it is in the morning when the rain has stopped. The garden is loving it! Downside is that I'll be mowing regularly again now   

Good old bartering system still works best  Curious though mr Zog, what is the regs. regarding electricity there?  No need for wiremen's license?

I am looking at doing my wiremense license next here in NZ as getting any kind of electrical stuff done is apparently shit expensive  Something I can maybe capitalise on

[immigrant]

Shouldn’t that plug under the sink be GFCI? 

NEC 210.8 (GFCI Protection) – A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet protects your home from a dangerous electrical surges. GFCI outlets prevent electrical current from flowing where it is not intended (e.g. through water or a person). GFCI outlets are required in all bathrooms, kitchens (within 6 feet of the outside of a sink), garages, outdoors (outdoor receptacles), crawl spaces, unfinished basements, and boathouses.

[Fudmucker]

What material is that worktop around the sink - Corian ?

[Mr Zog]

Shouldn’t that plug under the sink be GFCI? 

NEC 210.8 (GFCI Protection) – A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet protects your home from a dangerous electrical surges. GFCI outlets prevent electrical current from flowing where it is not intended (e.g. through water or a person). GFCI outlets are required in all bathrooms, kitchens (within 6 feet of the outside of a sink), garages, outdoors (outdoor receptacles), crawl spaces, unfinished basements, and boathouses.

You are quite correct 

It is covered / controlled by a GFCI, above the kitchen counter there is a GFCI that is then wired to the outlet below the sink. So should anything happen, the GFCI above the sink will pop, cutting the power to the outlet under the sink. I guess that it's just simpler to put the GFCI where it can be seen, so should it pop you can just reset it without having to go scratching around under the sink   

Edit: For the guys in SA, this is something different to the way stuff is wired in SA. In SA you have an earth leakage that trips the moment anything bad happens.

In the USA we don't have earth leakages, just circuit breakers. So as Immigrant mentioned in his quote from the Code, any outlet where a "trip" is needed is controlled by a GFCI. It's just a plug outlet with a earth leakage inside it.

I'll get a pic of one after supper and post it here 

[immigrant]

I should have never doubted your skills Zog. Carry on.....

[Mr Zog]

I should have never doubted your skills Zog. Carry on.....

No worries boet 

Two pics below. The first is of a normal electrical outlet. Note the absence of a switch. Just plug it in, or plug it out.

The second pic is of a GFCI. Still no switch like in SA. But it has a TEST and a RESET button. This particular model also has a red light that will show through the little hole at the right side when it has tripped. Some models have no lights, others also have a green light when it's ok.

The three wires go into the back of the GFCI (two power, and ground) on the LINE connectors. It can operate just like that, stand alone. Then there is another set of connectors on the back labelled LOAD. You can connect another set of wires to these that then feed to another outlet. That means that the second (or even more should you require) outlet is also covered by the GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor)

[Mr Zog]

Wiring of houses in this country is also very different to SA.

Most houses have 230V coming in from the Utility Company (in our instance it's Florida Power and Light - FPL). But there are 4 wires.

1. Power 1 - 115V (Black)
2. Power 2 - 115V (Red)
3. Neutral - white
4. Ground - Green

Most major appliances (Tumble Dryer, Aircon, Stove, geyser) run off 230V. So they have double-pole breakers that supply them the 230V.

The rest of the house is 115V. The rest of the supply is divided equally from the two main wires (red & black) and they get a neutral (white) and ground.

Sometimes the pumps that I install have a 230V supply, sometimes a 115V supply. The pumps can run on either supply, I just change over a breach in the back of the motor.

[silvrav]

US plugs always looks like a scared face to me 

[Mr Zog]

What material is that worktop around the sink - Corian ?

I think so. I can scratch it if I am not careful, and I'm guessing it can crack / break too. But it is pretty durable stuff. It's thin, about 12mm. Like really hard plastic...