[TowerTalk] RE: TowerTalk Digest, Vol 25, Issue 139

[Mike Maddox]

A funny story along this line...

I was looking out the window toward the barn one night and saw all lights
going from bright to dim for a second or two, then back to bright, etc.
They were so dim it is almost as if someone was flicking the light switch.
My XYL had just finished riding horses with some friends, and they were
taking saddles off and putting the horses back in the stalls.

Later while we were having supper I remarked about the lights.  She said it
was the water heater.  Seems she installed one of those "instant" water
heaters.  The next day I went out to see the heater.  It is 230/240V, 50A.
The mains to the barn is ONE 50A circuit on 10 gauge romex!

No, my XYL is not a ham.  I'll let you guess the color of her hair. <grin>

The heater now has its own 50A circuit.

Keith NM5G


Hope you are now using 6 gauge wire for a 50 amp circuit.  10 is rated for
30 amps.  There are a lot of those kind of set ups around.  Maybe it's the
horse<sense>!  I've got a horse fanatic nearby that only has a 60 amp
service to her house (a total electric house) and 60 amps going to her barn.
Can't understand why parts of her walls get hot, and electric appliances
don't seem to last very long.  Gave up trying to explain it to her.