I've gone solar.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Aug 10 2007, 01:59 PM) [snapback]493666[/snapback]</div>

I'm measuring my closet and wondering how high he can mount it so I get the most space underneath. The closet goes right up to the ceiling. The unit is only 23 inches tall and less than 14 inches wide. Depending on the model it's either 6 inches deep or 9 inches deep. Either would be fine. I started looking at tankless in 1994 when my previous water heater needed to be replaced. I was talked out of it by the plumber and now my current water heater needs to go. So now I am going tankless.

I've made a lot of improvements. I'm sure I've overbuilt for the neighborhood. But I'm not flipping my house. And I've found for every dollar I put in to the house I get a return of two dollars or more in value the next time I go to have my home appraised. (I bought at $80,000 in 1987, most recent appraisal: $525,000) I know in the coming years solar will be desired. And because my house is so small, I'm sure getting the space back from the water heater as well as endless hot water will also be attractive to anyone that might be buying my house (after I'm dead.)

I'm putting in an Elfa closet system in the master bedroom closet next. I decided on that rather than the cheaper Home Depot stuff that I have in the other two closets because it's *my* closet.

And while I certainly keep in mind how these decisions increase the value of my home, the bottom line is I do what I want to live with, not whether some generic future owner is going to like it or not. I hate neutrals so my house has color, both inside and out.

All of the hardscape is in so it's a matter of planting and maintaining. I can't wait to retire so I can work in the yard even more.

And for those following the saga, I've finished hanging my second slab door. The french door off the kitchen is in and swings quite well without binding anywhere. Huzzah!.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Aug 10 2007, 02:29 PM) [snapback]493681[/snapback]</div>

What annual sale?

 

Well, it looks like it's going to be a while before my system is up and running. The city inspector was here and won't pass the system until I upgrade all of my electrical. I have no idea how many thousands of dollars that's going to cost me. But I reamed the Borrego Solar guys a new one. I specifically asked if my current system could handle the addition of the solar before I even started this project and I was told yes. I said I didn't want to have to upgrade all of my electrical and I was told no problem the existing system could handle it. Now the inspector says it won't. He also says that he should have been called to do an evaluation before work was ever started. Something I told the Borrego Solar people last week. He also said SDG&E should have done the same. Something I told the Borrego Solar people last week. I also told them *that* was the service call I set up for yesterday that the doofus idiotic moron project manager canceled. "I told you so" doesn't do me any good but I am sure going to use it profusely. I'll be sharing my concerns about the project manager's abiltiy to do his job and whether he should continue to enjoy his current employment status with the owner of Borrego Solar on Monday. I doubt anything is going to come of it because I'm pretty sure the doofus is the boss' son. I did repeat what I said last week to the installers to the Borrego Solar guy (and the inspector) today that the doofus project manager Josh should have hauled his a$$ to my house and looked it over and set up all of the evaluation inspections two weeks before any work was ever done. Then set up all of the inspections and service calls in plenty of time. That way they'd have an organized plan of installation instead of this long, drawn out install by the seat of our pants thing.

Well, they've got $23,000 worth of solar on my roof and only have $1,000 of my money in their pocket. If they want to get paid, they better get my system up and running. If they're smart, they'll offer to upgrade my system for free or at an extreme discount just to make up for all of the careless planning, delays and the general incompetance of their moron project manager.

In the mean time I've got all these panels on my roof looking all shiney and new and doing....nothing.

I think I'll go demolish my closet now.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priussoris @ Aug 11 2007, 06:44 AM) [snapback]493936[/snapback]</div>

According to the inspector, even 100 amp service isn't enough. I need 125. And I agree. If I'm going to upgrade, why upgrade to only exactly what I currently need? Better to anticipate future needs. Who knew 50 years ago we'd have TVs, VCRs, DVD players, digital clocks, microwaves and computers that would push our electrical needs beyond the standard 60. Apparently my circuit breaker box can handle more than the actual power coming in. Is the line from the street, down to the meter and from the meter to the box that the inspector says needs replacing. He says SDG&E might upgrade the line from the street for free because it is so old. Then he talked about having to do some carpentry to upgrade where it attaches to the house. More money and more ugly. Then he talked about the breake box moving from where it is in a closet to outside the house where the meter is. More and more ugly. And inconvenient. So I can come outside in the rair or dark when I want to turn off a breaker and work on something.

I've got nightmares of whoever does this not only doing that but saying they can't move the existing wiring to the new location so I have to have the entire house rewired. I've got the old black cloth covered wire instead of romex. Well....I've got insulation and boards in the attic and lots of boxes stored up there. I can see him going up there and saying...you'll have to remove all of these boxes, then take up all of the boards and remove the insulation so I can drill through the studs and run new wiring.

THIS IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO AVOID.

Well, we'll see what solution Borrego Solar comes up with. I consider this their problem as *I* asked over and over in an attempt to avoid this very problem.

In the meantime, the tankless water heater is on hold.

And did I mention that I go back to school in two weeks? So if it isn't done.....it's going to wait until at least Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter or next summer. I can't just take days off from school for this. And I told them all of this up front in JULY.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(n8kwx @ Aug 11 2007, 02:49 AM) [snapback]493921[/snapback]</div>

Yes, but that would entail replumbing the existing pipes, thus adding to the cost. The tankless is on hold right now.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Aug 11 2007, 10:39 AM) [snapback]493976[/snapback]</div>

It is. And I think a lot of solar companies are used to doing new builds. BUT....they should also be knowledgable on retro fitting older homes. It's their jobs as professionals to know the codes, evaluate the systems and create a plan on how to do an install before work ever starts. And if there is anything that the homeowner needs to know...like....gee you don't have enough power coming in and your circuit breaker board isn't big enough and is in the wrong place....the homeowner needs to know before work starts. One of the workmen who was planning to put in two more grounding rods asked me...is this city or county. I told him...I'm in the city. You don't even know where my house is? The codes are different for city and county. You need to know what the city codes are.

The inspector said more than once; the system isn't up to code. It's grandfathered in and as long as you don't touch it you're fine. The minute you touch it, you have to bring the entire thing up to code. They should have known this. It was their job to know this.

I'm waiting until Monday to see what they intend to do. I'm not calling them. I left a message with my sales rep. I'll let them stew and contact me. (After all, I still have $22,000 that they want.) I'm hoping they'll opt to do the electrical either gratis or for just the cost of materials. They can consider it a lesson learned and they'll know better the next time.

If you're doing a new build, it pays to have the architect design it from the ground up to be passive solar, plus allow for installation of the PV, wind turbines and all of that from the start. It's much easier to do it with a new build. You won't have the problems in trying to retro fit new technology into an old house.

But hey...I have cable TV and I have wireless internet. I also have a programmable thermostat. So it can be done. If I wanted to, I could also retrofit all of my original windows for tilt sash jambliners. (But not this year.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priussoris @ Aug 11 2007, 12:06 PM) [snapback]494005[/snapback]</div>

I would have loved to treat your Dad to a great, home-cooked Italian dinner too.

The entire house was replumbed with copper from the street in 2000 so I have all new lines. I had planned on eventually remodeling the bathroom, but when the pipes had to be replaced I had to remodel immediately because they had to get into the wall for the shower. I didn't want the outside cut so that meant demolishing the inside wall, which I did myself prior to the plumbers showing up. They did the pipes. Then I finished remodeling the bathroom. Took me four months of evenings and weekends but I'm happy with the result. I also reglazed my bathroom windows with new glass. Did it myself. I'll be getting some more practice as I have to reglaze my dining room windows now.

Bathroom remodel.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RonH @ Aug 11 2007, 02:49 PM) [snapback]494032[/snapback]</div>

Yes. And the sales rep did show up in a Prius.

There is nothing wrong with the work the installers did. Very neat. The Inspector had no problem with it and said they are top notch.

The problem I had was with their "project manager" Josh. He never saw my property. No evaluation of the existing electrical system was done. Neither SDG&E nor the City was called to inspect before the work was done. Had that happened I would have known about all of this before any work was done. AND Josh CANCELED a service call from SDG&E that *I* had set up that would have identified some of these problems.

I think Josh is their weak link. That's where everything failed.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priussoris @ Aug 11 2007, 03:14 PM) [snapback]494037[/snapback]</div>

Thanks. I really like tile. I started doing tile when I was in high school. Tile was my job when my parents remodeled their house. Also drywall.

I actually like plumbing a lot more than electrical. I've put in boxes and hung ceiling fans and rewired lamps. Don't mind the lamps. But I really prefer plumbing. You can't drown doing plumbing but you can electrocute yourself if your not careful with the electric.

I've sweated copper pipe. I put in PVC. I laid out all of the drip irrigation for the yard. I'll be crawling under the house to replace a gas feed line to the furnace unless the plumber who's giving me a bid on the tankless gives me a really good price on doing the furnace. I really hate crawling under the house even though I have a generous crawlspace.

My Dad always said if you can't afford to hire someone you better learn to do it yourself. I'm a teacher, so pretty much in a constant state of poor. I do a lot myself. My sister does nothing. My brother does some. Probably as much as I do. But he always buys pretty new homes. So does my sister. I'm the only one in a considerably older home that needs a lot more work. I do enjoy looking at what I've accomplished and saying "*I* did that". It gives me more pleasure than spending the time and money to go away for a vacation.

I've finished demolishing the closet. Now I'm just waiting for the drywall compound to dry so I can paint.