🔌Our Main Electric Wire Exploded 💥 $500 USD For More Amps ⚡
There was a major power surge recently and our main electric house wire took the brunt of the hit apparently, the extra electricity seemingly having burst its way out of our wire.
⚡ More Amps Yo!
The past few days have been very difficult to work online due to not having electricity, the number one source of fuel for most modems and computers. Our wire exploded in the middle of night, but it took a full day of troubleshooting to identify the cause of our lack of electricity. During this time I was maintaining my blog and ASEAN Hive duties via my trusty portable camping battery.
For a couple days we were without electricity, and during this time I was charging my battery at my neighbor's house. It takes several hours to charge the battery though, and this really killed my productivity. Well, turns out we are also outgrowing our amperage, so we had to bite the bullet and upgrade from a 20-amp breaker to a 32-amp breaker, as well as a new 100-meter heavy duty electric cable. Electricity is limited in Cambodia, so in order to get more amps you have to request it from the state and pay a fee, around $250 for us to upgrade to the next amperage tier and roughly $250 for the new cable ☹️.
The Deck Is Still Coming Along 🔨
All the construction work we are doing at this time requires electricity because we are mostly planing wood and using a circular saw. I think this is going to be the coolest area to hang out in the mornings and evenings, especially the reclining bench made wide enough to sleep on just in case anyone feels the need.
There are no major cities near us or sources of light pollution, and on a clear night the Milky Way is visible and many shooting stars can be seen. Because of this I wanted to make sure there are some roofless spaces to enjoy the night sky, and I think this will prove to be a very popular place despite the fact there seems to be about 8 months of rain here and 4 months of drought.
In the above photo you can see the built-in reclining bench on the left, nearly complete. On the far and near sides there will be a top rail to close things in, and I think I'll run 4 or 5 ropes through the posts to keep folks from falling overboard, plus the ropes will allow any future flood waters to pass through this structure without destroying it. On the river's side will be a standing bar with a place for plates and drinks. Perhaps one day we'll buy bar stools, but initially it will be a standing bar due to financial constraints.
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My daughter and I wanted to visit there for a while, but in our house we were under too much pressure to handle, especially financially and some jobs that could not be abandoned, especially when the exam was near. Teachers often do experiments to give students experience, so this time is really bad for us.
I understand, you are always welcome here anytime you want to come and visit sister. Maybe when there is a school break you can come to stay for a few days.
too bad about the lekkky. That's always an issue in these rural places. I am surprised that the cable was just lying on the ground though... or was that just where the workers were patching it and upgrading it to later make it aerial?
There are plenty of cables lying on the ground here in Cambodia, but in rural areas it's not much of a threat. I have seen 3-foot thick bundles of cables drooping into flooded alleyways in big cities, and you never know when you ride your moto into a puddle of water if it will be your last thought as a living human⚡. The guys patched our existing wire and left it on the ground for a day until they returned with a fat black cable that cost more than a decent used motorbike.
well i suppose they have their reasons for this and most of it is probably money or lack of infrastructure capabilities. I know here in Chiang Mai that the aeriel stuff, particularly in the old part of the city is just a mess of wires going in every direction. I asked someone someday about what the hell all of these could possibly be and he told me that most of the cabling isn't even used anymore but they don't know which ones to get rid of and which ones to keep.... so they just keep them all.
Hope everyone is safe, I fear electricity and those accidents are the worst but its first time I know of a tax for more amps for a residence, I guess for a business is ok, deck looking good do you plan to stain it?
Yes, eventually we will stain the deck with some acrylic product, but now we are just building up funds because we are going to buy a 20 liter bucket. You're right about the electric upgrade, even though the breaker only costs a few bucks, to use more amps from grid a one-time fee must be paid.
I hope they will be able to run your new electric line soon, so you won't be without power for long. The riverside deck is coming along quite nicely! Kudos for such a multi-use design! 😃
New line is up but not properly installed yet. We paid in full, regretful, and even though it's a government utility, it will be next to impossible to make them finish the job now that they've got our money already 😠🤣.
The deck is now done minus a coat of stain and finishing the rope fence, so exciting to see it come together.
What happened was very bad. But it's great that you did the electrical wire repairing job at the right time. Because any sloppiness when it comes to electricity can be very expensive
You're right, and with our construction project going on there are many power tools that could be damaged in a surge.
Wow, how can it explode like that? Over here such troubles will only lead to the main switch to turn itself off, nothing more will happen besides that! 🤔
The breaker in the utility box was destroyed as well, and electricity is already mystical to me, but here in Cambodia it's even more mysterious because things aren't grounded and there aren't all the safety precautions and measures that exist in most other countries. I'm like you, I had never seen this before Cambodia, but seen plenty of melted wires back in the USA.
Funny, when the electric utility man came and pulled the wire, he already knew what he was looking for, exploding wires are normal in Cambodia where nothing makes sense 🤣.
Sorry to hear about the electricity problem. I hope it will be fixed very soon. Looking forward to see the completion of the deck.
We finally have our bigger and better cable up, and even though it was mandatory, it sure wasn't a fun way to lose $500.
I hopes that your problem about the electricity will be address very soon. I am excited to see that deck too. 😊
It sure cost us a lot of money, but we are glad we have a more stable electric system for our house. The deck is now 95% finished, I hope to post about it soon.