Project # Uno: the electric
There are no small jobs, just small people. So we've learned. So the full electrical upgrade is actually the second project on which we are embarking. The first was an orange oil treatment for termites. Four hours and a crew of two men equipped to face nuclear Armageddon ambushed the house, maneuvering through the dark nether regions below the floors and into the walls comprised of old wood and cobwebs (and freshly blown fiberglass insulation). Drilling holes and injecting high pressure orange oil into the termite "galleries" with a militant's intent of annihilation (perhaps that's a tad over-dramatized). If it didn't get rid of the termites it certainly eradicated the granny smell of one to many stews cooked by the previous owner.
Yay, we are termite free until the little buggers just crawl back over from our neighbors decrepit homes! Welcome to San Francisco where an estimated 92% of the overpriced homes are infected. Termite treatment complete. We still have to replace all the damaged wood, but that's for another time.
Now onto the case at hand: the electric. Some volts for dolts: We had 30 amps coming into the house (from our favorite feature, the 1920s utility pole that sits on our property line collecting a massive web of wiring that was added to the pole in an ad hoc fashion as each new development in telecom technology outpaced the ability to transmit it). The 30 amp drop is overrated to 60 amps by fuses. The term "suck" can be used in multiple contexts here. We are sucking more power than is safe for the panel, but even still, the amount of power going to the house really sucks.
We interviewed 4 electricians. The first guy seemed rather lazy, but we certainly learned a lot from him: the kitchen is wired all wrong and not even close to being to code. His suggestion: don't do anything but keep the inspector out of there. Um, NEXT..Bjoern met the next two and they were fine. I meet the 4th candidate and felt confident in handing over our 105 year old baby for what amounts to "major surgery."
Bjoern and I are excited because with every project we learn a little more about the house and about the engineering behind it. The house kind of takes on it's own character. It's more of an entity with a history, quirks, ailments, strengths. It's an amazing structure. I was talking about how much we learn. We made a circuit diagram for the house. Bjoern flipped switches and I ran around plugging in a desk lamp, shouting when he flipped the trigger to cut it's power. After 1.5 hours of scrambling and shouting, we learned that the entire house is basically operating on 4 circuits. The kitchen is of course the nexus of all things hazardous: the refrigerator, stove, and microwave are on the same circuit as the entire 3rd floor; the garbage disposal dishwasher and clothes washer and drier are all on one, ungrounded circuit, right next to the sink. Translated: zap.
Bill, from Beyonergy is our electrician. He is replacing the 30 amp panel with a 200 amp panel, more suited for our modern needs. He is also adding about 18 circuits to our system. Remember, we are now on FOUR. This involves cutting channels everywhere to string the new wiring throughout the house. It's sort of like stringing popcorn for a Christmas tree, only much less festive looking. Bill warned us that it will be a mess and very dramatic. Bjoern was there for the first day of "channel cutting." He had to leave because it was so disturbing. The "channel" is the total removal of about 1 foot of the wall snaking all around every single room, and crawling up the wall in the dining room to get into the mecca land: the kitchen. A fine lead-laden dusty coat overlays the floors and every uncovered inch of the first and second floor.
I think I would have shed some tears if I were there on that first day. But alas, I was distracted. Bjoern came home reporting back some rather interesting news that consumed my thoughts and imagination for the next 24 hours. The hole cut into the dining room "ceiling" afforded a wonderful yet perplexing revelation: a small portal into the past. Precisely 1959, when some previous owner made this house their own by creating a lowered ceiling. The original ceiling, standing at an impressive 11 feet, is still intact in all it's minty green glory above the dropped ceiling. Same is the case for the kitchen except for the fact that the real ceiling is a little worse for wear in a few places.
I proclaimed that high ceilings make me happy, so Bjoern called up Bill and let him know to scratch the inset lighting and the new fan, as in 1.5 years after traveling down electric avenue, we will be taking it higher and restoring that old ceiling. Let's go ahead and add one more item to the list!
