New York City dwellers: Do you use Green Mountain Energy for your household power? Why or why not?
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posted by greta simone
on May 21, 2013 -
2 answers
I'm moving to Germany in a couple of months and have a few questions about using various 110V US-purchased appliances on the local 220V power. Specifically the 50Hz/60Hz issue - how big of a deal is it? My understanding is that anything with a motor may have a shorter lifespan and run somewhat less efficiently (and of course anything that uses AC for timing will run slow), but any other issues?
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posted by photo guy
on May 13, 2013 -
10 answers
Why is my oven crackling and sparking at the on/off switch and will it start a fire in my wall?
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posted by fruitopia
on May 4, 2013 -
11 answers
So instead of providing an answer, please help me by showing me how you got your result.
I have a 12v device that consumes 1W in idle mode, and 5W in active mode. How many "amp hours" am I looking at over a 24 hour period (always on). I am looking specifically for amp hours... I don't understand the relation between amps and amp hours yet.
posted by squirbel
on Apr 23, 2013 -
14 answers
My dryer died last night. I'm not sure if it is the outlet or the dryer. I do have a digital multimeter and want to test the outlet. I'm not sure how to do this without killing myself.
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posted by johnpowell
on Apr 5, 2013 -
21 answers
We woke up this extremely cold morning (9F/-13C) and various electric things in our condo seem to be flaky, like there's not enough power. I also noticed that the thermostat for our heat pump says "Auxiliary Heat On", which I haven't seen before. Has anyone seen something like this before? Since it's all electric, it seems like it might be related.
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posted by smackfu
on Jan 23, 2013 -
15 answers
Nearly 12 years ago I underwent cranioplasty, which involved dissimilar metals being added to the inside of my skull. Could it be possible that I'm generating a low voltage current? This would explain roughly 90% of the unexplained symptoms I've noticed since that time. This seems like a case of electrochemical capacitance to me. I understand that YANMD; in fact, it may even be the case that YARNAD. That's just fine, I don't really want anyone's 'medical' advice. What I need is some advice on what questions to ask and which specialists I 'should' actually be seeing to properly diagnose and resolve these issues.
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posted by schade
on Jan 15, 2013 -
11 answers
I know this question is a little bit arbitrary, but any response will be helpful.
I live in a 2 family spilt house/condo. I noticed that my electrical box is powering the OTHER unit's gas boiler. I assume that the electrical just feeds the thermostat and maybe triggering the pilot to boil the water?? (My knowledge here is limited.)
Without knowing too much about their heating use, I am trying to determine the urgency of getting an electrician to switch it from my electricity to the other unit's electrical box.
posted by lccslug
on Jan 13, 2013 -
8 answers
We've been in our new house about 3 months, and our power bills
feel a lot higher than they should be, based on our perceived usage. Looking for ways to track down errant usage.
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posted by hanov3r
on Jan 10, 2013 -
35 answers
I get painful static shocks to my hands where they touch the cart as I'm pushing it around at Costco. As far as I can tell this happens while wearing various kinds of shoes, although I haven't experimented rigorously. Help me devise a method to prevent this that I can realistically implement during impromptu trips to the store.
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posted by fingersandtoes
on Dec 19, 2012 -
20 answers
I need to find about 10 transformers/converters from 240 @ 50hz to 120V @ 60Hz capable of about at least 1000W @ 120V.
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posted by digividal
on Dec 11, 2012 -
17 answers
Why is my business partner always on the receiving end of painful (but hilarious) static shocks in our office, yet I seem to be unaffected?
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posted by Detuned Radio
on Dec 4, 2012 -
22 answers
Explain to me the technology of charging devices. Is it mainly about voltage? About current? How close to the "required" values must you be?
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posted by Obscure Reference
on Nov 16, 2012 -
9 answers
My computer cycles off without warning, and it's on a battery pack/surge protector UPS. What gives?
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posted by Chris4d
on Nov 14, 2012 -
13 answers
Electrical Filter: Help me figure out how an electrical circuit seemingly got rewired overnight.
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posted by dortmunder
on Nov 11, 2012 -
32 answers
How do I keep my iguana alive during an electric blackout? All of her lighting and heating elements demand electricity. I don't have a generator or the funds to purchase one. I'm most concerned about her getting too cold. Under 80*F for extended periods is the danger zone.
posted by pupus
on Oct 27, 2012 -
29 answers
I have a question about my house's ground wire, and may need recommendations for an electrician in Minneapolis.
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posted by COBRA!
on Oct 12, 2012 -
9 answers
What's the best way to protect surveillance equipment from lightning?
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posted by dozo
on Sep 19, 2012 -
8 answers
Power went out... right as I'd gone to the grocery. I put all the must-stay-cold stuff away anyhow because the stuff I'd bought was worth more than what was already in there. So, it's been opened once, what was put in was still frozen/cold from the grocery. I'm not opening it again. How long can I expect stuff to still be good for?
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posted by gracedissolved
on Sep 11, 2012 -
11 answers
I want to buy a fabric steamer to iron curtains, but not sure which model to choose (details inside)
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posted by usertm
on Aug 11, 2012 -
1 answer
Will turning up the thermostat on my central air and buying a window AC unit for the one room I use the most make a significant difference in my electric bill?
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posted by Vorteks
on Aug 8, 2012 -
14 answers
Please help me understand this bizarre home electrical-wiring problem, and how to fix it. I've got a mid-50s house. I wanted to put an outlet into the second bathroom, which has none, and it looked like the easiest way to do that would be to replace a wall switch with a combination switch/outlet (specifically,
this one).
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posted by adamrice
on Jul 30, 2012 -
10 answers
Home energy advances. Are there any new developments I should know about as I'm about to move into an older single-family home after 13 years of living in an apartment? It is a gas/electric home with heavy tree shade.
posted by usermac
on Jul 13, 2012 -
6 answers
Planing to split the electricity bill with a new roommate - how should the bill be managed in terms of payment so that I protect myself? I don't want to get screwed some how.
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posted by proficiency101
on Jun 28, 2012 -
12 answers
I am considering changing my electricity provider and I have never done this before. What I want to know are what things should be considered before making a switch such as this. My basics reasons are cost and that
Comed, the local provider has treated me like crap over the years and I am tired of their corporate doublespeak and crappy service.
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posted by lampshade
on Jun 26, 2012 -
6 answers
I just installed a new lightswitch in my bathroom. Now, when I turn my living room air conditioner OFF, the power in most of my apartment goes out. And even when the AC is on, the power level is extremely low. WTF???
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posted by Artifice_Eternity
on Jun 10, 2012 -
40 answers
In 2009,
91.2% of Seattle's electricity was from hydroelectric sources, and in 2010,
87.9% was hydro. Is the hydro capacity maxed out, or will it scale up to meet additional demand and maintain that ratio? Here's what I'm getting at: If I were to use more electricity than now, will that incremental power effectively come from non-renewable sources rather than ~90% hydro?
posted by hodgebodge
on Jun 6, 2012 -
14 answers
We've swapped out a three-prong dryer cord with a four-prong one but not wanting to plug it in and potentially blow something up. Approach from here?
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posted by jgunsch
on May 17, 2012 -
12 answers
Explain alternating current distribution across "the grid" to me in terms an educated layman can understand. Specifically, I have a question about how to talk about which power plants are providing power to a particular consumer.
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posted by 256
on May 17, 2012 -
20 answers
Home electrical mystery: Why did tripping a circuit cause all of the GCFI outlets within the circuit to fail (ie none of them can be reset now)? How can I fix this?
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posted by Slarty Bartfast
on May 10, 2012 -
15 answers
I moved into a flat in London in Sept 2011. I wasn't given any meter readings---my agency didn't have them and didn't even know where the meters are. Landlord also doesn't have a good idea where they may be. I don't know previous tenants. There is no gas in this flat---it's electricity only.
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posted by noztran
on May 5, 2012 -
16 answers
I have an odd fascination with lighting. I want to learn how to rewire various consumer electronics into functioning lamps without electrocuting myself and/or burning down my apartment building.
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posted by krakenattack
on Apr 26, 2012 -
13 answers
Want to install an ungrounded hanging light fixture in place of an existing grounded flush-mount dome light. Controlled with existing three-way switches.
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posted by reeddavid
on Mar 27, 2012 -
4 answers
Panel to Garage sub-panel. How many amps can my sub-panel hold? (You are not my electrician.)
I will be hiring a licensed electrician, I’m just curious as to what to expect.
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posted by otto42
on Mar 6, 2012 -
3 answers
A friend of mine has 20+ old arcade games in his basement. He has essentially set up a small arcade museum at his house. It's pretty sweet! The games are split between several circuits in the house but power is becoming a concern. These old electronics are sensitive to spikes and low voltages and we want to keep them running as long as possible - most of the circuit boards are not made and difficult to replace or repair. What should we consider for 110v line conditioning?
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posted by rwheindl
on Feb 29, 2012 -
6 answers
I have a two-plug outlet with a three-plug adapter, meaning that I have four things plugged into the outlet. Am I going to set my sublet apartment on fire? Or rather, how can I keep from doing so?
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posted by kensington314
on Feb 22, 2012 -
10 answers
Can a math / electrician whiz help me figure out how much my little space heater is costing me to run? The heater is listed as 120V 60Hz 1500W, and I run it on its highest setting for about 8 hours a day. According to my last utility bill, my electric was $118.64 for 1536 kWh, or $0.077239583 per kWh. So how much is this little heater costing me to run per hour?
posted by bjork24
on Feb 8, 2012 -
13 answers
In a bid to prolong bed-time, my four-year-old just asked me, "What is electricity made of?' I told her to close her eyes and go to sleep, which has bought me 9-10 hours till she wakes me up and asks me the same question again. What's the most accurate answer I can give her that she will understand and not be bored by?
posted by Hogshead
on Jan 22, 2012 -
22 answers
After months of rambling on the wonders of waffles to my UK housemates, I was gifted the best present ever...
a waffle maker! I am desperate to make this thing work. Need electrical advice.
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posted by iamkimiam
on Jan 12, 2012 -
34 answers
