Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [utilities]

65 questions
22
votes
6 answers

Will window shrink-wrap make a noticeable difference in heating bill in house with single-paned windows?

I'm curious how well the window shrink wrap really works. I moved into an older house (1927) in Lincoln, Nebraska, this summer. It's all single pane windows with a window screen and a storm window, as well. We have about 20 windows, so I'm…
JWB
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18
votes
7 answers

What are these capped, metal pipes in our yard?

We've owned this home for 5+ years now, and these pipes have been bugging me. Even moreso now that I'm looking to do some landscaping right over one of them. The house was built in the 60's in a Philadelphia PA suburb. We have city lines for natural…
Marisa
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16
votes
3 answers

How to (safely) permanently turn off natural gas?

We're switching out the natural gas oven for a new model, and we opted for electric. We already have the 240v supply in place and ready to go. The oven is the last piece of natural gas equipment in our home. We still have pipes running about for the…
Tyler M
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12
votes
5 answers

Can I have utility location done well in advance of a fence project?

Disclaimer: Before any work is done I'm going to have all utility companies come out to properly mark the utility locations. I'm looking to get a fence installed by a fence company. However, in order to do that, I need to cut down 3 trees that are…
William
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12
votes
3 answers

What are these (utility?) boxes at the side of the house?

What are the four boxes in the picture below for? The fat pipe to the left goes up to the electricity meter. I've also included pictures of the two labels I could find. Also, why is there a green plastic rope coming out of the first box? I found the…
Jet Blue
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11
votes
3 answers

Getting a power pole moved

Anyone ever had this done? What does this kind of thing typically cost if I have to pay for it? The utility cooperative here won't tell me anything without first paying hundreds of dollars for a "tech to review it". That was their immediate answer…
maplemale
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7
votes
3 answers

How reasonable is it to do a panel swap with only one trip from the power company?

This question comes from my comment on this answer regarding a full panel replacement. As someone who works in IT, and has a general distrust of "soft" safety features and many "smart" devices, I'm not keen on the idea of relying on a remote shutoff…
Logarr
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6
votes
2 answers

How can I monitor my mains water use?

I'm in a debate with my water company about usage. Are there any methods to verify that the reading on my water meter outside my house is increasing at the proper rate?
lyncas
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5
votes
4 answers

How can I improve efficiency of my home? Geothermal not saving money

I've been getting very high electric bills since moving in last August. My winter months have averaged $350/mo and so far this spring has been the same. I live alone, work 8 hours a day, do 2 loads of laundry per week, rarely use the stove for…
user1052448
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5
votes
3 answers

What records should I make of underground infrastructure, before covering it up?

We're putting utility services (water, electrical, sewer, telco) in trenches to and on my land. Before we bury everything, what records should I make? Maybe I should take some photographs or draw some maps. (Accurate mapping is difficult,…
Jay Bazuzi
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5
votes
3 answers

How to prepare for a home service call from my DSL provider?

My DSL internet connection has been very unreliable and slow recently. I called my service provider this morning and they told me that they will be sending someone to my home this weekend to fix it. They told me that he would be inspecting the…
Vivian River
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4
votes
2 answers

What type of door can be used for a utility room?

I currently have a louvered door to get into my utility room. The gaps in the door don't allow the basement to keep heat in. Is there a needed code that doesn’t allow for a solid wood door, or am I OK in installing one? I’m in Denver, and the water…
Tchai Quentin
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4
votes
4 answers

Are there pitfalls to joining utility Energy Wise programs?

I'm specifically talking about Duke's EnergyWise program, but I'm fairly sure utilities everywhere are adopting similar programs. The idea is that they tie into your major appliances (i.e., heatpump and hot water heater) - during high demand they…
ctote
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3
votes
2 answers

What are my options for hiding/removing service panels from the outside of a house?

I'm trying to improve my curb appeal and I have several utility panels on the side of my house in full view, including cables running up and down the outside wall. Those were installed before I purchased the house. I can identify the electric, and…
md1337
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3
votes
4 answers

Utility sink close to 220v dryer outlet

We would like to put in a utility sink in between our washer and dryer and the 220v dryer outlet is about 6" to the right and 6" below the top of the sink. I know code doesn't require GFCI for this, 120 washer outlet is GFCI, but is this safe or…
junta
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