I've been living in my apartment since December, and I still haven't received an electric bill from ConEd. It was made clear that we had to sign up to receive power and we did that -- my wife called in, gave them her social security number, address, etc. Still, no bill. The meter man comes by every month and checks the meter. Still, no bill.
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posted by jeffxl
on Apr 26, 2006 -
28 answers
On our property there's a rather substantial brook running through it, which runs year round and doesn't freeze over. It's probably too wide for a traditional undershot waterwheel (at least 12 feet across at its most narrow), to supply some alternate power to our house, but maybe there's something else that could make the most of the constant flowing water?
posted by Gudlyf
on Feb 25, 2006 -
16 answers
How can the energy cost of an electronic device over a span of time be calculated?
posted by airguitar
on Feb 21, 2006 -
6 answers
Cat Filter - In the winter the static electricity gets in the way of the cat & my... well... lets just say personal time. Any advice?
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posted by meta x zen
on Feb 16, 2006 -
19 answers
I'm looking for a book that teaches electricity
well. The
Mims book definitely doesn't cut it - I want something more along the lines of "
The Way Things Work" in clarity and accessibility, but I still want it to actually teach the underlying math; i.e., I want it to show me the material in pictures
and equations.
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posted by dmd
on Feb 11, 2006 -
10 answers
I was typing on my laptop and my husband touched my face. His hand gave me a shock, and then my computer restarted itself.
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posted by JuliaKM
on Feb 7, 2006 -
9 answers
I can sequence DNA, but when it comes to electricity, I can't tell my AC from my DC. Help me.
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posted by docgonzo
on Jan 10, 2006 -
7 answers
Can you buy power strips in the US that have separate on/off switches for each socket?
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posted by holgate
on Dec 22, 2005 -
15 answers
Why is electricity so much more expensive then natural gas? Am I reading my bill wrong, or is it really an order of magnitude cheaper?
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posted by delmoi
on Nov 30, 2005 -
18 answers
I'd like to help power the house and exercise, both solved with one solution, and need some suggestions.
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posted by vanoakenfold
on Nov 21, 2005 -
21 answers
If the bulb is out, or empty, but the switch is on, are you still paying for power?
posted by airguitar
on Oct 1, 2005 -
17 answers
How do I fix a light fixture which causes a bulb to blow out, but only after a month or so?
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posted by mono blanco
on Aug 25, 2005 -
6 answers
Please help me find this great picture of electrical arcs. I saw this photo a while back. I'm pretty sure it was in a magazine. It was of a great big round room, with some sort of large apparatus, like a collider or something (it wasn't a collider I don't think). There were scaffolding and cat walks running everywhere. Lots of pipes and fittings. Everything was gold or copper or something. And the entire room is covered in arcs of electricity. Great big bolts running all around the room, with smaller and smaller branches and fingers breaking off to fill up every metal surface area with arcs. It was some sort of electrical discharge as a result of the experiment that was being run. I can't remember what it was, so I don't even know what to look for in Google. Any help would be appreciated. Even just a guess as to what the device was that would produce that, so I have a starting point to try and find it. Thanks.
posted by gummo
on Aug 1, 2005 -
12 answers
I'm losing a lot of electronic gadgets to lightning strikes. What are the best ways to prevent further damage?
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posted by junkbox
on Jul 26, 2005 -
18 answers
SolarPowerFilter: My wife and I love the idea of solar power and would love to compliment our current electrical consumption with some tasty renewable energy, but where do we start?
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posted by bjork24
on Jul 22, 2005 -
13 answers
How much does it cost (or what is the amount of electricity / volume of water used) to do one full load of laundry, as an average. Or, how would I go about getting precise figures for this? I want to know how much too much we pay to operate the pay-per-load laundry machines in our new apartment building.
posted by ChrisR
on Jul 16, 2005 -
5 answers
Why is it that if I walk up and stick my finger in a wall outlet, I'll get shocked even though I'm not grounded? I can see getting shocked when standing barefoot on wet ground, but come on... on a floor wearing tennis shoes? How does that work?
posted by rolypolyman
on Jul 10, 2005 -
20 answers
My boyfriend and I live in a flat built in the '20s. We have reason to suspect that the outlets provide inconsistent amount of electrical current. Is there something we need to get for our computers to protect them?
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posted by FortyT-wo
on Jul 7, 2005 -
16 answers
I have two computers, each with something like 350W power supplies. By keeping them on 24/7, am I consuming the equivalent of seven 100-watt light bulbs around the clock? What can I do (either software or hardware) to make my machines more power-efficient?
Also - while I'm on the subject - does an incandescent bulb consume less when it's on a dimmer and that dimmer is turned down?
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posted by scarabic
on Jul 7, 2005 -
18 answers
Living near power lines? Searching for a home, my girlfriend and I have found a house we want to make an offer on. It's our dream house in a nice town, but there's an issue... the house sits about 100 yards away from
this... a relatively small power distribution/transfer station adjacent to the property. Do we have anything to be concerned about or should I go buy some lead boxer shorts?
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posted by evoo
on Jul 1, 2005 -
21 answers
Just a stupid question that's puzzled me for years: Why is it that, on electric fans, the order of the settings on the switch is OFF - HI - MED - LO? I'm sure there's an electrical reason for this, but I don't know what it is, since I know nothing about circuitry. One would think that OFF - LO - MED - HI would make more sense. Can someone explain this to me?
posted by Dr. Wu
on Jun 14, 2005 -
23 answers
I just replaced a burned out bulb in my overhead kitchen fixture. The bulb that burned out was a 60 watter. I only had a 100 watter on hand. I know I'm hastening fossil fuel depletion, but am I also causing a fire risk? What about ignoring the wattage recomendations in favor of higher watts in table lamps?
posted by incessant
on May 26, 2005 -
16 answers
In my new apartment, the outlet I have to use for my computer system is hooked up to a lightswitch that also controls the room's lights. Any good ideas on how to undo this situation?
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posted by edlundart
on Apr 28, 2005 -
16 answers
If I have AC power at 50Hz, does it mean my lightbulb is flickering 100 times a second and I just can't see it? Is this why, when passing a street light in a speeding train, it can appear as a series of dots in your vision?
posted by Pretty_Generic
on Apr 16, 2005 -
11 answers
The lights in my house occasionally pulse--that is, they'll rapidly get noticeably dimmer and brighter numerous times within a matter of just a few seconds. I'd say "flicker," but they never seem to actually go completely dark. Does this indicate faulty wiring, or something else?
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posted by kimota
on Mar 11, 2005 -
11 answers
I have a number of X10 switches controlling lights throughout my apartment. I have a number of problems with them...
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posted by Caviar
on Feb 22, 2005 -
9 answers
Electricityfilter: standard grounded outlet works fine with a lamp, radio, etc., but I plugged a Belkin surge protector into the outlet and it popped the circuit breaker.
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posted by badger_flammable
on Feb 17, 2005 -
19 answers
Multi-unit property, single utility meter. Unit size/occupancy varies widely, and so does the monthly bill. What's a fair (to both parties) way to bill tenants for utilities since their actual usage cannot be determined?
posted by nakedcodemonkey
on Jan 14, 2005 -
19 answers
Voltage query: What are the disadvantages of regularly using electronics made for 110V using a step down voltage transformer in a 220V - 240V country?
posted by riffola
on Jan 11, 2005 -
14 answers
How many strands of Christmas tree lights (100 lights/strand) can I safely plug into a single outlet and/or connect to each other?
posted by Dr. Zira
on Dec 17, 2004 -
12 answers
Global citizen looking for either 240V only or bicurious with 110V CD Clock Radio in NYC or via online sites. O' Wise Ask MeFi, where do I find the perfect alarm clock to wake up with when in Bombay? I'm not yet desperate enough to make exceptions for 110V clocks in drag using a voltage convertor.
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posted by riffola
on Dec 8, 2004 -
5 answers
Electricity: I'm wiring up a new dishwasher with the power cord from the old dishwasher. Just to make things interesting, the power cord has absolutely no indication of which side is positive and which side is negative. Is this because it's AC and it doesn't matter? I'm in the US on 110.
posted by yerfatma
on Dec 6, 2004 -
14 answers
I'm sitting in my living room watch my dining room light turn on and off, dim and brighten, turn off again, then turn on. I know the house isn't haunted, but what is happening to my light? Should I be worried? [MI]
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posted by pwb503
on Dec 2, 2004 -
12 answers
TransformerFilter: I've just relocated to the US and have a rechargeable drill that uses a 17V DC transformer. I need to replace the transformer, since the one I have runs on 240V power (and has the UK prongs). The problem here is that I can't find a suitable replacement at the likely suspect places: hardware stores, Radio Shack...
I know that the voltage must match precisely and that the amperage must be at least as high as the noted amperage, and that the polarity must also match. So where can I go to find a good transformer? I'm in NYC, but I prefer to shop online.
posted by yellowcandy
on Nov 28, 2004 -
9 answers
Electricity and computers. 3 questions about:
1] Mains frequency
2] Computer clock speed
3] Putting 1 and 2 together. [~240v inside]
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posted by twine42
on Nov 23, 2004 -
9 answers
