Of course we broke something...

"SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media" (silentbutnotreallydeadly)
10/22/2019 at 00:32 • Filed to: The Sheddening

Digging the power line trench to the shed today. Glad I turned off the water to the house and (ahem) ‘garden’. Cause we found that line...

Right at the point where the previous owner fornicated the original repair in the line when he had the driveway graded. Now it's properly fixed.

DISCUSSION (17)

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
10/22/2019 at 00:44

I had a similar experience doing my shed. Found the main 3 phase feed to the house by digging out the stump of a tree which had grown on top of it and whose roots it was thoroughly entangled in. Fortunately the digger driver was paying attention and stopped before we actually tore it.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
10/22/2019 at 00:48

Your house has 3-phase service??!!

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > VincentMalamute-Kim
10/22/2019 at 01:02

The shed does, and it runs off a common meter to the house so it’s routed via the house switchboard. The house itself actually uses all 3 phases: different circuits are on different phases, which makes for some interesting effects when only one phase drops during a power cut (which I never knew was a possibility before I lived here). But there’s no actual 3 phase plug in the house.

When we moved in I had a sparky replace the fuse box with a modern RCD switchboard. He commented that the guy who owned the place originally must have been an electrician, because nobody who was actually paying for it would have such a complicated setup. We have over 60 circuit breakers - pretty much every power point and light has its own circuit.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
10/22/2019 at 01:53

Have you tried turning it off, and then on again?

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
10/22/2019 at 02:23

Oh I’ve seen one of those go zap. It made the digger operater very sweary in a fear related kind of way .

We thought about 3 phase to the shed until the electrician said we'd need a new transformer on the main supply...so no 3 phase.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick)
10/22/2019 at 02:30

It was off. But when I turned it on again it was still not working!

Turns out that when we don’t have a lot of stored water (like now) and the line fails (as it has) , air gets into the line...and locks it. O ur house supply won’t self prime via gravity feed from the hill tank and there’s not enough water in the house tank to prime the pump. Cue muttering and water cans and thoughts and prayers and no small amount of fowl abuse (due to overly curious chickens) and the pump finally got sorted...and now I can cook dinner. And have a shower and use the toilet...

shop-teacher > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
10/22/2019 at 07:09

Well that figures. At least you have it properly fixed now.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > shop-teacher
10/22/2019 at 07:34

And yet there is another potential opportunity for pipe busting shenanigans looming in the next couple of days. Potential increases exponentially if I can't find the damn pipe first...

shop-teacher > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
10/22/2019 at 07:36

Good luck!

TheRealBicycleBuck > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
10/22/2019 at 09:22

Buy some tracer wire and use it before you bury the water line again. It makes the line easy to locate with a tracing tool.

https://www.kristechwire.com/what-is-tracer-wire/

https://www.trafficsafetywarehouse.com/5-Mil-Underground-Detectable-Tape-2-x-1000/productinfo/D2105/

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
10/22/2019 at 10:19

I bet the privacy of living where you do is still worth it

VincentMalamute-Kim > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
10/22/2019 at 13:00

I’m surprised. I didn’t think any residential service was 3-phase due to the cost.

I wonder what the heck the previous owner was using it for. I’m assuming you don’t use 3-phase in the shed.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > TheRealBicycleBuck
10/22/2019 at 16:59

This is an EXCELLENT idea...that I will act on. Thank you!

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick)
10/22/2019 at 17:01

In so many ways. The only neighbours I have to shout at are the wallabies when they lap water from the pond near our bedroom too loudly...

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
10/22/2019 at 17:25

What a bunch of jerks

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick)
10/22/2019 at 18:12

They have no idea how close they are sometimes to being in a pot roast.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
10/22/2019 at 18:51

I think the parasites would have the last laugh there