The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network







Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Go Back   The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network > Welcome and Discussion > General Discussion

Web 67-72chevytrucks.com


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-04-2010, 12:33 AM   #1
67_C-30
I have a radical idea!
 
67_C-30's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sweet Home Alabama!
Posts: 6,513
Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

As many here know, our house burned on the 4th of May. The cause of the fire was determined to be a overheated surge protector that started in my computer room/office. We had the regular Wal Mart/K Mart $15 surge protectors that most people have, and we've had them for years. After the fire, the adjuster, the contractors, the electrician and even the Serve Pro guys told how many house fires are caused by these things. The electrician told me if you look inside them, you'll clearly see they are barely sufficient (he said they are truly insuffient, but they are considered legally sufficient) for the amount of plugs they have. I am very thankful we weren't there, and that no one was hurt. There are better, more expensive available, and I'd urge anyone to invest in them. We lost all all of the contents and the firemen said if they were 5 mins later we would lost the whole house. We lost all of our normal household belongings like clothes all the kid's toys, pictures, furniture, etc, etc, etc. I lost a bunch of car/truck parts, my guitars, and pretty much all my collectables that were in the room. It was pretty much my man cave, and I had new '72 truck door panels, a Vintage Air A/C system, new Custom Auto Sound stereo I bought on here, lots of my Camaro and GTO parts, A '72 Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty, A '78 Fender Strat, Marshall Amp, all of my baseball/football cards and racing collectibles and die cast and model cars among other things. Its very depressing - but again, my family is OK, so I'm good. We'll just focus on the positives and move on. They are gutting the house and are going to rebuild. We love our house, and even though everybody says "you;ll have all new stuff" or "it will be like new" I know it will lose some of the character that we loved about it. We did come to find out it is a WELL BUILT house. It has true roughcut 4" X 4" on the outer walls, true 4" X 10" floor joices, and true 2" X 6" rafters. There was 1" X 12" tougue and groove planks behind all the drywall, which is amazing to me. Here's some pics after the fire, and some of the demo.













This fan was 3 rooms down the hall from from the rooms that burned.






__________________
'67 C-30 Dually Pickup 6.2 Turbo Diesel, NP435
‘72 C-10 SWB , 350 4bbl, TH350
'69 C-10 SWB , 250 L6, 3 OTT
'69 GMC C3500, dump truck, 351 V6, NP435
'84 M1009 CUCV Military Blazer

67 C-30 Turbodiesel build thread
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=254096

My trucks
http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/d...ediafilter=all

Member of the 1-Ton Club!
67_C-30 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 12:44 AM   #2
67_C-30
I have a radical idea!
 
67_C-30's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sweet Home Alabama!
Posts: 6,513
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Here's some pics of demolition. Serve Pro came in put in machine to draw the moisure out of the floors, and thankfully they are going to be able to save them. This house has beautiful heart pine floors.


























It was heartbreaking hauling the kid's toys to construction dumpster.


This was my restored diesel tach dash cluster for my '67 C-30.
__________________
'67 C-30 Dually Pickup 6.2 Turbo Diesel, NP435
‘72 C-10 SWB , 350 4bbl, TH350
'69 C-10 SWB , 250 L6, 3 OTT
'69 GMC C3500, dump truck, 351 V6, NP435
'84 M1009 CUCV Military Blazer

67 C-30 Turbodiesel build thread
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=254096

My trucks
http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/d...ediafilter=all

Member of the 1-Ton Club!
67_C-30 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 01:03 AM   #3
El Jay
Gone to greener pastures
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Gateway to the Delta
Posts: 7,354
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

That is a real tragedy. But, as you said, thankfully nobody got hurt. Somebody was looking over you that day.

Was anybody home when it started?
__________________
'69 Chevy 1/2 T LWB Stepper: Daily Beater
'72 GMC 3/4 T Fleet: Another Daily Beater
'72 Plymouth Gran Coupe: ?


"Ah women. They make the highs higher and the lows more frequent." Friedrich Nietzsche

"Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day." Harry S. Truman

GUN CONTROL: Never having to say, "I missed you."

Always fire two warning shots into your attacker's chest area before putting a bullet between his eyes. Paraphrased from Louis Awerbuck
El Jay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 01:07 AM   #4
Ron 586
RIP Mr Ron
 
Ron 586's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Big Sandy, Tn. 38221
Posts: 8,166
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Praise God your family is alright. That is a mess and you have a big job getting it shipo shape again. I am truly sorry for your loss.
__________________
Ron (Mr Round Tuit)

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle

TN Message Forum

TN Facebook Group

SETN Truck Show

My Photobucket
Ron 586 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 02:27 AM   #5
gixxerpymp
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Brandon FL
Posts: 258
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

I'm very sorry to see this. This is one of my biggest fears.
gixxerpymp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 08:26 AM   #6
special-K
Special Order

 
special-K's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,764
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

I didn`t know about your fire.Man,I`m so sorry to hear it.Makes you wonder about all UL listings.What a crock! I know you`re glad it was only stuff you lost.But,I also know the "everything is replaceable" phrase isn`t always true.You had some precious things that you were proudly preserving.A dang fire can wipe all that out quick.I don`t know what I`d do.I hardly own a thing that isn`t precious to me and you can only prevent fire to a point.It`s the luck of the draw.Or in your case,the bad luck of buying a BS product that made someone rich while your stuff got burnt.
__________________
"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed"

GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project)
GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling)
Tim

"Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman"

R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~
special-K is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 08:41 AM   #7
Otsa580
I Love Rusty Chevys
 
Otsa580's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 617
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

My house burnt down when I was in 6th grade. We lost everything. Its hard but it will get better. Just keep looking forward!
__________________
1969 K5 Blazer
1997 1500 Silverado Ext Cab Z71
2010 1500 Silverado Ext Cab Z71
Otsa580 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 11:12 AM   #8
GOPAPA
"Tail Gate Best Seat In House"
 
GOPAPA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Nampa Idaho
Posts: 7,293
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

What a shame to lose the things that mean so much to you and I agree even new will not be the same.

Glad none of your family was hurt ..thanks for the info on the surge protector ,,and with the firemens claims for sure will I take a look at mine for what brand it is.

just curious about what you posted on the lumber sizes of the old rough cuts used in your house ..did you mean full 2x4 studs in the outer walls and not full 4x4's? I just never heard of 4x4' before and this would be a first for me..

from your post above

It has true roughcut 4" X 4" on the outer walls, true 4" X 10" floor joices, and true 2" X 6" rafters. There was 1" X 12" tougue and groove planks behind all the drywall, which is amazing to me.

Gp here and not trying to pick on ya ..LOL just curious..
GOPAPA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 11:26 AM   #9
rambler
MOVE OVER
 
rambler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Warrensburg, MO
Posts: 5,470
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

thanks for posting this, I've been meaning to replace my surge protectors anyway, but to protect the computer, as I think that is what helped fry the first one I had...
__________________
No matter where you are..... There you are...
Buckaroo Banzi
rambler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 11:57 AM   #10
72freak
Rottenwood Garage Member
 
72freak's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Marietta, Georgia
Posts: 4,321
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

I had not heard.....that is terrable!!!! Atleast everyone is OK!!!
Sorry for your loss...let me know if you need any help moving stuff around.
__________________
2004 Chevrolet Suburban C1500
2001 Chevrolet 2500HD Crew 6.0
1999 Harley Davidson Electra Glide
1972 Chevrolet C-20 Custom Camper "Dump Truck"
1972 Chevrolet C-20 Suburban "Big Green"
1969 Chevrolet C-50 Wedge Hauler "Leonidis"
1966 C-10 2x4 short fleet 327 4 speed "Race Truck"
1952 Plymouth Cranbrook "Rican" (my grandfathers)
1931 Ford Model A Coupe "Black Beauty"
1930 Ford Model A truck "Club Cab" 4x4


Rottenwood Garage and Speed Shop.....where everything must be racy!

It's not just a hobby..It's a LIFESTYLE!!!

Thanks for nothing Barrett-Jackson

You cant fix stupid or teach accountability!


Time wasters, looky Lous and tire kickers are everywhere!
72freak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 01:13 PM   #11
screwballl
Tonawanda 454
 
screwballl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Liquid Sunshine State
Posts: 2,755
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

First and foremost, sorry to hear about your loss and situation. I will be praying for you.

(sorry for the long post)

As a long time computer tech I hear about these types of things all the time. Having a father with almost 30 years at a power plant plus fire department allows me to see and hear the stories of what is possible.

There can be several causes:

First the age of the house, if it was built from 1990 or older, then it likely has 12 or 14 gauge wire (or smaller in rare cases if the builder went cheap) instead of the suggested 10 gauge, which over the span of the entire house means it can be spread thin. Get a high powered draw on it like microwave, several computers, cheap surge protector, stereo equipment, big (tube style) TVs and so on, it can cause all sorts of problems.
My house was built around 1980 so this is why I have mostly switched to lower draw LCD screens (TVs and computer monitors), more efficient power supplies in the computers and $40-60 surge protectors and battery backup. With 3 computers, 3 monitors, decent 5.1 speaker system, printer and the usual small items, I have measured the total power draw is just under 400W which is well within the old wiring capability. I have seen spikes just over 500W when I do some gaming where the video card, power supply and speakers are working harder but that is still within the maximum 800W max draw for the house wiring (14ga wires) in this room to the junction box.

Second, many times they are actually just a power strip, not a full surge protector. In those cases putting too much power can result anything from tripping the internal breaker on half decent units to causing the fire as seen from the original poster. Cheap units that also label themselves as a "surge protector" may be nothing more than just have an internal breaker that is supposed to trip if too much power (over 15A) tries to get in or is being drawn through it. If that breaker fails to do its job then we see the situation as seen in the original post. Stick with quality names, and ALWAYS look for a "Joule rating". The higher the joules the better the protection, but at minimum try to stay over 2000 Jouels per computer. 3 computers = 6000 joules.
Some quality names: APC, Belkin, Tripp-lite, CyberPower, Fellowes

It may help to spend $70-80 on a small battery backup unit, not for the battery protection but they also tend to have voltage monitoring, so if the computer tries to draw too much it will limit the power itself to prevent it from overloading. Also if the voltage drops or spikes, it will cut external power and use battery power until it returns to normal, many times just a few seconds. I usually hear mine beeping at minimum once a day from spikes or drops. Here is the UPC unit I have on my main system and modem/router: APC BE650G (650VA, 390W). This is only suggested for one computer due to the 390W limit. If you have a high powered gaming computer or want multiple computers on one APC unit, then it would help to get at least a 600W or better unit.

Third, if you are making some home improvements or building an addition for a home office, speak with the electrician and ask him to only use 10 gauge wire in this room and all the way to the junction box on its own 30A breaker. Also having one or more GFCI outlets on the first outlet in the series for that room can help reduce the chance for problems as well. This means you would have 30A protection at the breaker, 15 or 20A at the GFCI (usually 15A for that outlet or 20A for other draw down the line from it), and usually 15A from the surge protector.

In the case of the original poster, I might suggest 10 ga. wire to each room from the breakers, then 12 ga for the outlets, lights, and so on, except the computer room, insist on sticking with 10ga all around that room top to bottom. Some electricians may say that 12 or 14 ga is sufficient, but with my father working for almost 30 years at a power plant AND volunteer fire department, he has seen what electrician recommendations can do (same result as original poster). With more and more electric reliant devices out there, loading up a single outlet with cell phone charger, printer, wireless home phone, electric razor, may seem no big deal but 1A here and 4A there can start adding up quickly and pass the 15A rating.


Wow typed up a lot more than I expected.... as long as it helps a few people I am happy. I am looking for some exact distance and numbers for the various gauge wires but can't find my little black book... may edit and report back later.
__________________
91 Chevy Suburban Tonawanda 454 R2500 - SOLD!!!
04 Dodge Durango 5.7L Hemi 2WD, 24K miles (as of July 2011)
In the past 30 years about 90% of Fords are still on the road, the other 10% made it home.
-------------------
screwballl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 01:44 PM   #12
VA72C10
VA72C10
 
VA72C10's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Midlothian, VA
Posts: 25,269
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Sorry for your loss. This is the first I heard of it. Glad everyone is safe though. Are they reimbursing you for everything lost fully?
__________________
Looking for a 67-72 swb or blazer project in or around VA.
VA72C10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 01:52 PM   #13
markeb01
Senior Enthusiast
 
markeb01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Spokane Valley, WA
Posts: 8,356
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

67 C-30, very sorry about your disaster, and thank you for sharing so the rest of us can learn from the experience. Screwballl, thanks for posting all that information. This is a subject I never really considered, and now I will.

Reminds me of a tip I heard about clothes dryer fires a few years ago. For those that use fabric softener dryer sheets, you should wash the removable filter every month or so in soap and water. The film residue from the fabric softener builds up on the screen to the point the screen will hold water - and block airflow. It's easy enough to demonstrate, run water on the filter and see if it retains water. Wash the filter and see that afterward the water just falls through.
__________________
My Build Thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=444502
markeb01 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 02:44 PM   #14
Sub-versive
Boss Hogg
 
Sub-versive's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: The Beaver State
Posts: 2,361
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Sorry to hear about your loss and situation. I will be praying for you.
Most important, nobody was hurt.
We lost 90% of our worldly possessions in a storage unit fire. Thankfully it was not our house. We did not have insurance to cover our loss, so it took some time to recover.

I am a licensed electrician in the state of Oregon I was licensed in Washington for a whaile also, been in the trade 20 years, 15 with the IBEW. I have worked many years in residential and many years on commercial and industrial, including a couple of powerplants.
I have worked on many burn jobs and feel the need to respond to this, again no disrepect to the OP, and again, I'm very sorry for your loss and situation.

Quote:
Originally Posted by screwballl View Post
First and foremost, sorry to hear about your loss and situation. I will be praying for you.

(sorry for the long post)

As a long time computer tech I hear about these types of things all the time. Having a father with almost 30 years at a power plant plus fire department allows me to see and hear the stories of what is possible.

There can be several causes:

First the age of the house, if it was built from 1990 or older, then it likely has 12 or 14 gauge wire (or smaller in rare cases if the builder went cheap)In all my years I have NEVER seen a house wired in smaller than 14AWG. The first wiring done in the early 1900's was 12guage knob and tube, even later jute covered wiring was at least 14 AWG for current carrying conductors, though a few years they did use cable with a reduced size ground(when ground wire was first used)
instead of the suggested 10 gauge, which over the span of the entire house means it can be spread thin.
14AWG and 12AWG is what is commonly used, it is the NFPA 70(National Fire Protection Agency) or also known as the NEC(National Electrical Code), required wiring for most receptacle circuits, when installed properly and not overloaded, is sufficient.
They problem most people run into is builders skating by with code required minimums. In today's world of electronic/powered everything, it is often not quite enough. Proper installation of dedicated circuits, and installing more than the code required minimum circuits, you will not ever have an issue if you don't overload the receptacle or circuit.

The other big issue that I have witnessed is the stab-in receptacles. I have personally witnessed these being the cause of a fire. I have worked many burn jobs, when the cause was electrical these were often the start-combined with overloading.

Example:
14AWG wire------------[A]------------[B]---------------[C]-----------[D]

The receptacles a,b,c, and d are stab-in, and fed thru the receptacles, non pigtailed(unfortunately VERY common and is done this way alot of residential wiring)

The lady of the house had a floor lamp plugged into receptacle A, and she plugged in a space heater into receptacle D. A baby crib was in front of receptacle C, after some time she smelled something funny, and suddenly the smoke detector went off.
Receptacle C had started melting and caught the paper face of the wall board on fire. Fire was called out, investigation showed the wiring was stabbed into the receptacle and was being fed through the thin, little metal tabs inside the receptacle. The thermal cycles opened the gap between thin metal tabs and wires, causing arcing and heating, leading to the literal meltdown. There is no way to predict when and where such a failure may occur, why not in receptacle A or B? The
Thankfully no one was injured and the newborn was in a bassinet in the living room at the time.




Proper pigtailing and use of screw terminals with more contact area may have prevented the fire. Personally I prefer using "spec grade" receptacles with a screw clamp type of contact. The added benifit of these, the actual receptacle to plug connection is of better quality also.



Get a high powered draw on it like microwave, several computers, cheap surge protector, stereo equipment, big (tube style) TVs and so on, it can cause all sorts of problems.
Again overloading is the real issue here.

My house was built around 1980 so this is why I have mostly switched to lower draw LCD screens (TVs and computer monitors), more efficient power supplies in the computers and $40-60 surge protectors and battery backup. With 3 computers, 3 monitors, decent 5.1 speaker system, printer and the usual small items, I have measured the total power draw is just under 400W which is well within the old wiring capability. I have seen spikes just over 500W when I do some gaming where the video card, power supply and speakers are working harder but that is still within the maximum 800W max draw for the house wiring (14ga wires) in this room to the junction box.
Incorrect. Not trying to start an argument, but also don't want this to mislead people. 14AWG (American Wire Guage) wire is rated for max of 15 amperes. The max recommended usage is 80%.
15 x 80% = 12 amps
P=IE Ohm's Law Power=AmpsxVolts
12 x 120 (volts) = 1440 watts per receptacle cicuit
It should be noted this is the MAXIMUM continuous usage for the circuit.

12AWG is 20 amps
20 x 80% =16 amps
16 x 120 = 1920 watts


Second, many times they are actually just a power strip, not a full surge protector. In those cases putting too much power can result anything from tripping the internal breaker on half decent units to causing the fire as seen from the original poster. Cheap units that also label themselves as a "surge protector" may be nothing more than just have an internal breaker that is supposed to trip if too much power (over 15A) tries to get in or is being drawn through it. If that breaker fails to do its job then we see the situation as seen in the original post. Stick with quality names, and ALWAYS look for a "Joule rating". The higher the joules the better the protection, but at minimum try to stay over 2000 Jouels per computer. 3 computers = 6000 joules.
Some quality names: APC, Belkin, Tripp-lite, CyberPower, Fellowes
Agreed. Too often folks cheap out on this.

It may help to spend $70-80 on a small battery backup unit, not for the battery protection but they also tend to have voltage monitoring, so if the computer tries to draw too much it will limit the power itself to prevent it from overloading. Also if the voltage drops or spikes, it will cut external power and use battery power until it returns to normal, many times just a few seconds. I usually hear mine beeping at minimum once a day from spikes or drops. Here is the UPC unit I have on my main system and modem/router: APC BE650G (650VA, 390W). This is only suggested for one computer due to the 390W limit. If you have a high powered gaming computer or want multiple computers on one APC unit, then it would help to get at least a 600W or better unit.

Third, if you are making some home improvements or building an addition for a home office, speak with the electrician and ask him to only use 10 gauge wire in this room and all the way to the junction box on its own 30A breaker. Also having one or more GFCI outlets on the first outlet in the series for that room can help reduce the chance for problems as well. This means you would have 30A protection at the breaker, 15 or 20A at the GFCI (usually 15A for that outlet or 20A for other draw down the line from it), and usually 15A from the surge protector.
You would still have to pigtail to 12AWG or 14AWG at the receptacles, most receptacles available cannot accept 10AWG wire. You could wire most in 10AWG and pigtail in 12AWG with the circuit on a 20Amp breaker and it would still be legal.

In the case of the original poster, I might suggest 10 ga. wire to each room from the breakers, then 12 ga for the outlets, lights, and so on, except the computer room, insist on sticking with 10ga all around that room top to bottom. Some electricians may say that 12 or 14 ga is sufficient, but with my father working for almost 30 years at a power plant AND volunteer fire department, he has seen what electrician recommendations can do (same result as original poster). With more and more electric reliant devices out there, loading up a single outlet with cell phone charger, printer, wireless home phone, electric razor, may seem no big deal but 1A here and 4A there can start adding up quickly and pass the 15A rating.

It is up to the individual to spend the added cost of such a method, the other issue you run into is box fill. You can easily overload a box by using 10AWG in standard residential boxes. An inspector will shoot you down quick. An overfilled box can cause some of the same issues your good intention is trying to prevent.

Wow typed up a lot more than I expected.... as long as it helps a few people I am happy. I am looking for some exact distance and numbers for the various gauge wires but can't find my little black book... may edit and report back later.
I do not wish this info to mislead anyone into a false sense of security or cause panic in everyone else's house wiring, but it needs to be said. The same type of tiny little metal strips in plug strips are the same type found in most cheaper residential receptacles. The same type of care should be used with your regular receptacles.
I have seen posts about welder wiring also, just because you have been lucky using the 10 or 8AWG wire up to this point, instead of 4AWG, doesn't mean it won't catch up to you at some point.

DO NOT OVERLOAD YOUR WIRING!!!
__________________
RIP El Jay

2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited

2002 Chevy Trailblazer LS 2WD


Quote:
Originally Posted by dammitmitchell View Post
....wear your adult diaper when you go out to play.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shane View Post
I am tard.
Do, or do not, there is no try
Sub-versive is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 05:23 PM   #15
fun in dirt
Registered User
 
fun in dirt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 2,117
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Man so sorry for your loss. Glad y'all are alright.
I do alot of building safety inspections here at work. And overloaded & mis-use of powerstrips are the #1 problem around here. I'll use these pics to show some people why we "worry them" about it all the time.
__________________
'72 C to K20 "Cannibalizer" http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...32#post8653432
'85 K30 "Big Nassy"
'06 3500 Duramax ...tow truck
'06 Silverado SS...DD
'06 C1500 WT...DD
'07 Classic C1500 WT...DD
Built & sold cause can't keep 'em all:
'72 Blazer "The Bucket" http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=433190
'55 Chevy straight axle gasser https://www.trifive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173938
'69 Pro Street Chevelle http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=332541
'86 M1031 CUCV http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=553619
fun in dirt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 05:40 PM   #16
Jerry Jones
Happy Camper
 
Jerry Jones's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 8,408
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Wow! that is awful, sorry for your loss, glad you are ok, and good luck on the rebuilding.

BTW, thanks for the heads up on the power strips, I install computer systems with a PC and 4 21" monitors and I use 1500VA UPS's. Cheap insurance.
__________________
RIP El Jay! Love you brother!
Jerry Jones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 09:22 PM   #17
67_C-30
I have a radical idea!
 
67_C-30's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sweet Home Alabama!
Posts: 6,513
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Thanks guys. It is going to a long process! I'm not really an emotional guy, but I would find stuff the kids made for us or stuff they colored, and it makes you want to cry. I was standing in the house the night of the fire, and I got the sudden realization that the clothes we were wearing was the only thing we had. I still catch myself saying I have things that I don't have anymore. I friend of mine was talking about some 8 track tapes he found recently, and I started naming all the ones I had, and I suddenly stopped and said "Well, I HAD those." That keeps happening to me, and you really stop and think about what you've lost. I hope none of you ever have to go through it.
__________________
'67 C-30 Dually Pickup 6.2 Turbo Diesel, NP435
‘72 C-10 SWB , 350 4bbl, TH350
'69 C-10 SWB , 250 L6, 3 OTT
'69 GMC C3500, dump truck, 351 V6, NP435
'84 M1009 CUCV Military Blazer

67 C-30 Turbodiesel build thread
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=254096

My trucks
http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/d...ediafilter=all

Member of the 1-Ton Club!
67_C-30 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 09:27 PM   #18
67_C-30
I have a radical idea!
 
67_C-30's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sweet Home Alabama!
Posts: 6,513
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Quote:
Originally Posted by GOPAPA View Post
What a shame to lose the things that mean so much to you and I agree even new will not be the same.

Glad none of your family was hurt ..thanks for the info on the surge protector ,,and with the firemens claims for sure will I take a look at mine for what brand it is.

just curious about what you posted on the lumber sizes of the old rough cuts used in your house ..did you mean full 2x4 studs in the outer walls and not full 4x4's? I just never heard of 4x4' before and this would be a first for me..

from your post above

It has true roughcut 4" X 4" on the outer walls, true 4" X 10" floor joices, and true 2" X 6" rafters. There was 1" X 12" tougue and groove planks behind all the drywall, which is amazing to me.

Gp here and not trying to pick on ya ..LOL just curious..
No, they are actually true 4 X 4's.

If you look at the halls pics here, you can see several of them. They measure a true 4" X 4" , instead of 3 1/2" that modern 4" lumber actually measures.






They're are some true 2 X 4's in some in-between areas, but all the corners, around all of the doors and around all of the windows they used 4 X 4's. In this pic, you can see what I mean. The corners, door, and window is cased in with the 4x4's and there are 2x4's in between.



__________________
'67 C-30 Dually Pickup 6.2 Turbo Diesel, NP435
‘72 C-10 SWB , 350 4bbl, TH350
'69 C-10 SWB , 250 L6, 3 OTT
'69 GMC C3500, dump truck, 351 V6, NP435
'84 M1009 CUCV Military Blazer

67 C-30 Turbodiesel build thread
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=254096

My trucks
http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/d...ediafilter=all

Member of the 1-Ton Club!

Last edited by 67_C-30; 06-04-2010 at 09:32 PM.
67_C-30 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 09:37 PM   #19
67_C-30
I have a radical idea!
 
67_C-30's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sweet Home Alabama!
Posts: 6,513
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Quote:
Originally Posted by fun in dirt View Post
Man so sorry for your loss. Glad y'all are alright.
I do alot of building safety inspections here at work. And overloaded & mis-use of powerstrips are the #1 problem around here. I'll use these pics to show some people why we "worry them" about it all the time.
Feel free. Most people just have no idea they are mis-using or overloading them. The computer, modem and printer was the only thing I had on mine, but I've read older strips like I had could have experienced a surge in the past, and you would have no way of knowing it was damaged without going inside.
__________________
'67 C-30 Dually Pickup 6.2 Turbo Diesel, NP435
‘72 C-10 SWB , 350 4bbl, TH350
'69 C-10 SWB , 250 L6, 3 OTT
'69 GMC C3500, dump truck, 351 V6, NP435
'84 M1009 CUCV Military Blazer

67 C-30 Turbodiesel build thread
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=254096

My trucks
http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/d...ediafilter=all

Member of the 1-Ton Club!
67_C-30 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 11:51 PM   #20
oldblue1968chevy
Grandpa in the rustmobile...
 
oldblue1968chevy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Spokane WA/Viola TN
Posts: 11,422
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

wow! glad no one was hurt im sorry to hear you lost so much...so the house IS salvageable?,,,
__________________
John

Goose-1968 C10 355,9.32-1CR, Vortec Heads ,262 voodoo, 3.73:1 3OTT (HS ride/beater/farm truck)
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=317684

Grams 53-1953 Chevrolet Belair
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post4327784

1969 Chevy C10 Shortbed 4.5/6?" Frame off resto
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=548136

1999 Toyota Tacoma 4x4
oldblue1968chevy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2010, 12:43 PM   #21
72BlckButy
Tot Roddin'
 
72BlckButy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Mid-MO
Posts: 24,461
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

This is the first I've heard about the fire... and I am glad to hear that no one was injured.

Keep us posted on your progress and let us know if you need anything.
__________________
-Nate

1969 CST SWB - Project Blank Slate (4.5/6" ECE Static Drop, 6-lug disc brake upgrade (manual), Billet Specialties Vintec 20x8.5 255/40 (F) 20x10 295/40 (R), 250 I-6)
1960 AMF Skylark - Tot Roddin' (Lowered with custom frame; soon to include custom push bar and interior)
2008 Silverado CrewCab 1LT (5.3L, 3:73, 4x4, LT1, Z-71, Towing Package)

Last edited by 72BlckButy; 06-05-2010 at 12:43 PM.
72BlckButy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2010, 01:06 PM   #22
screwballl
Tonawanda 454
 
screwballl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Liquid Sunshine State
Posts: 2,755
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sub-versive View Post
Incorrect. Not trying to start an argument, but also don't want this to mislead people. 14AWG (American Wire Guage) wire is rated for max of 15 amperes. The max recommended usage is 80%.
15 x 80% = 12 amps
P=IE Ohm's Law Power=AmpsxVolts
12 x 120 (volts) = 1440 watts per receptacle cicuit
It should be noted this is the MAXIMUM continuous usage for the circuit.

12AWG is 20 amps
20 x 80% =16 amps
16 x 120 = 1920 watts
Thanks for the info Sub.... I was trying to find the numbers and was thinking 800W was close to it, I knew I was a bit low, my apologies.

Also the mention about wire size, there have been houses in my area that were thrown together quickly around 1978-83 where a whole block of them built by one company was found to have 16 ga throughout much of the house.

In the early 90s a contractor that was doing an addition found the 16 gauge on an outside outlet. He asked the homeowner if he could open a few more outlets to see if it was the case elsewhere too, and it was. There was a small class action lawsuit in the mid 90s that was not widely publicized so most of the affected houses still have that same 16 ga wiring.

I read about it a few months ago and checked over 12 outlets in my house which was built in that same timeframe. Our house has 14 ga throughout (for the 110VAC outlets and ceiling fans). I also used a meter to find out how much is being drawn at the various outlets and so far the 1100W microwave is one of the major draws when in use. Otherwise everything else including the fridge is 500W or lower.
__________________
91 Chevy Suburban Tonawanda 454 R2500 - SOLD!!!
04 Dodge Durango 5.7L Hemi 2WD, 24K miles (as of July 2011)
In the past 30 years about 90% of Fords are still on the road, the other 10% made it home.
-------------------

Last edited by screwballl; 06-05-2010 at 01:08 PM.
screwballl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2010, 04:59 PM   #23
LONGHAIR
just can't cover up my redneck
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Columbus OH
Posts: 11,414
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Quote:
Originally Posted by 67_C-30 View Post
I friend of mine was talking about some 8 track tapes he found recently, and I started naming all the ones I had, and I suddenly stopped and said "Well, I HAD those." That keeps happening to me, and you really stop and think about what you've lost. I hope none of you ever have to go through it.
My situation was not nearly as severe as yours, it happened at work. We had a shop fire in a very large cabinet shop. There was one interior "fire door" that did actually deploy and seperate the two halves of the building....but it wasn't much good. The stuff on the "wet" side was just destroyed by a different method. My work area (and tools) was nearest the back door. The most intense area was about 20 feet from mine and that door was like a chimney. Nothing of mine was actually burnt, as in "on fire", but 80% if it was melted by the rushing heat.
Luckily for us as employees, the bosses were insured very well. We got a very fair pay-out for our personal belongings, but like you said, so many things are lost. Our fire was nearly 2 years ago and it still comes up that something is missing. Most of us kept notes, drawings, jigs for specific opertions, etc. and all of that stuff is just gone. There is just no way for an insurance company to quantify that kind of thing and you forget about it until you need it.

Rebuilding and replacing is an adventure in and of itself. Embrace it for what it is......the begining of new memories.
__________________
You can review the site's rules here.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Longhorn Man View Post
As for reading directions...
The directions are nothing but another man's opinion.
Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make them all yourself...

Bad planning on your part does not necessarily constitute an instant emergency on my part....

The great thing about being a pessimist is that you are either pleasantly surprised or right.
LONGHAIR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2010, 07:27 AM   #24
68C15
blood type; Retumbo
 
68C15's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: next to my reloading bench
Posts: 10,269
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

sorry for your loss, I kind of understand your situation. where I worked in 94 had an overnight fire. farm-n-fleet type of retail store. clean up was not fun.

forgive me if I sound untactful. what is the possibility of installing sprinkler system during the rebuild?
if and when I build a new house it will have one. fire scares the crap outta me.
68C15 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2010, 08:29 AM   #25
LONGHAIR
just can't cover up my redneck
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Columbus OH
Posts: 11,414
Re: Pics from our fire - REPLACE YOUR CHEAP SURGE PROTECTOR!

Sprinklers are great for saving lives...but your stuff is just as destroyed by the water as it is the fire.
__________________
You can review the site's rules here.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Longhorn Man View Post
As for reading directions...
The directions are nothing but another man's opinion.
Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make them all yourself...

Bad planning on your part does not necessarily constitute an instant emergency on my part....

The great thing about being a pessimist is that you are either pleasantly surprised or right.
LONGHAIR is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:01 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1997-2022 67-72chevytrucks.com