Higher gas taxes?

[CG6468]

But what about the federal tax itself? In illinois, it's 19 cents,  motor-fuel tax on gasoline/gasohol; 21.5 cents on diesel.

[NHSparky]

And, dear readers, let's not forget the INDIRECT costs such a rapid rise in gas prices would have on the Oconomy.

Remember all those foodstuffs that we can't afford any longer?  Well, production, processing, distribution, and sales points would all be devastated by higher costs due to the 25-35 percent increase in fuel costs, meaning that those razor-thin margins are now gone.  So said companies are either going to 1--raise prices, 2--go out of business, 3--both.

Joy of joys, Obumbles be praised!

[Lacarnut]

I did a little nadining, and found out the 2013 Volt battery has a 16.5 KWh capacity.  CNET claims it can be charged from a 240-volt source in 4.5 hours, or a 120-volt source in about 10.5 hours (oh, joy.)

After purchasing this hunk of shit, you find out that in order to get this quick charge of 4.5 hours, you have to buy an attachment for around $700. Otherwise you are stuck with the 10 hour charge. 

I quit buying car magazines after Automobile touted the BMW mini as a fag car and last year and this year one of the top magazines touted the Volt and Tesla electric cars respectively as car of the year.

[Eupher]

After purchasing this hunk of shit, you find out that in order to get this quick charge of 4.5 hours, you have to buy an attachment for around $700. Otherwise you are stuck with the 10 hour charge. 

I quit buying car magazines after Automobile touted the BMW mini as a fag car and last year and this year one of the top magazines touted the Volt and Tesla electric cars respectively as car of the year.

And how many people actually have 240V in their garage? If they've got an electric stove, yeah sure, there's 240V in the house.

But an outlet in your garage?

Not likely. (I happen to have one but I inherited the line. I had to have an electrician actually install the outlet -- no way am I messing with 240V.)

[NHSparky]

And how many people actually have 240V in their garage? If they've got an electric stove, yeah sure, there's 240V in the house.

But an outlet in your garage?

Not likely. (I happen to have one but I inherited the line. I had to have an electrician actually install the outlet -- no way am I messing with 240V.)

About the only people I can think of that would are people who have their washer/dryers in the garage.  Other than that, not many unless you've converted the garage into a workshop.

[CG6468]

About the only people I can think of that would are people who have their washer/dryers in the garage.  Other than that, not many unless you've converted the garage into a workshop.

I had our son put in 240V for my generator to power the entire house.

[shadeaux]

Where do you live?  It's 3.99 up the street from me.

Northwest portion of Louisiana.

[Eupher]

About the only people I can think of that would are people who have their washer/dryers in the garage.  Other than that, not many unless you've converted the garage into a workshop.

'Zackly. Which makes the whole "quick charge @ 240V" thing just another reason for GM to pound sand up the Volt buyer's ass. 

[NHSparky]

I had our son put in 240V for my generator to power the entire house.

To be fair, most breaker boxes and service from the utilities are 240 volt, and a transfer switch for the generator will, as you know, take either 1 hot for 120 volts or 2 hots for 240 volts, meaning you could in theory have a 10-circuit transfer switch (as I do) but if you have several 240 volt loads like the water heater, well pump, dryer, etc.,  you could in theory be down to only five actual loads, not ten--although in an emergency I can't fathom having anything other than the well pump as a 240 load.

So yeah, I guess you could say I've got a 240 in the garage, but it too is simply a supply point for the generator/transfer switches.

[CG6468]

To be fair, most breaker boxes and service from the utilities are 240 volt, and a transfer switch for the generator will, as you know, take either 1 hot for 120 volts or 2 hots for 240 volts, meaning you could in theory have a 10-circuit transfer switch (as I do) but if you have several 240 volt loads like the water heater, well pump, dryer, etc.,  you could in theory be down to only five actual loads, not ten--although in an emergency I can't fathom having anything other than the well pump as a 240 load.

So yeah, I guess you could say I've got a 240 in the garage, but it too is simply a supply point for the generator/transfer switches.

Our breaker box is from 1964, it is full, so he ran the needed line for me. Scenairo: Power out; pull the main; start the generator; plug the end of the generator cord into the wall box; plug the other end of the generator cord into the 240V outlet on the generator.

Wham, shazaam! Pull a few of the breakers, and power on for the whole house, especially the water pump.

Reverse procedure when the power is restored.

[RobJohnson]

Gas could be $7/gallon and I'm still not purchasing an electric car.  That thing wouldn't hold enough charge to get me to and from work in a single day.

You didn't opt for the charging station upgrade on your new home when it was being built?

That is so un-green of you. Trees are crying.

[RobJohnson]

Trying to trade in a used hybrid or elelctric car is like trying to trade in a computer. The technology is changing and the cars do not hold value due to the expensive batteries that are always changing and a very expensive gamble.

The Volt simply sounds like a pain in the ass even if you have a high speed charging station. If you come home from work and another family member needs to use the car to run a few errands, when will you have a chance to get the battery charged back up in order to use it for work the next day? Some people work different shifts every day. Some nights I work until 11 PM and return to work at 7 AM....I just don't see a Volt in my future.  

As fuel consumption drops, the push to raise fuel tax will be strong. So much for only taxing the rich!  My local ballot has tried twice to raise our fuel tax by .03 a gallon, it gets shot down pretty quick. Of course, at a state or federal level they will just bury it in with 5,000 other pages and it will become law.

[NHSparky]

Our breaker box is from 1964, it is full, so he ran the needed line for me. Scenairo: Power out; pull the main; start the generator; plug the end of the generator cord into the wall box; plug the other end of the generator cord into the 240V outlet on the generator.

Wham, shazaam! Pull a few of the breakers, and power on for the whole house, especially the water pump.

Reverse procedure when the power is restored.

See, that's why I like a transfer switch...no extra breakers needed, no need to pop the main.  Just plug the generator into the transfer switch, switch loads from LINE to GEN, and close the switches.  The hardest part about putting it in was mounting it.

Easy-peasy.

[Eupher]

It's easy when you're an electrician, Sparky.

I ain't. And like Clint Eastwood was known to say, "A man has to understand his limitations."

I leave that kind of stuff to somebody who knows wtf they're doing.

[NHSparky]

It's easy when you're an electrician, Sparky.

I ain't. And like Clint Eastwood was known to say, "A man has to understand his limitations."

I leave that kind of stuff to somebody who knows wtf they're doing.

Believe it or not, it's actually quite easy.  The instructions are very clear.  You're not actually "rewiring" anything per se so much as re-routing it through the transfer switch.  For each load, you take out the existing load lead after opening the breaker.  For each circuit on the transfer switch there's two wires--one which you put into the breaker (going to the transfer switch) and one coming back into the breaker panel, which gets wire nutted up with the load lead.  Close the breaker in, and make sure that the transfer switch panel stays ON with the LINE position selected.

http://www.connecticut-electric.com/TechDocs/Emergen/EmerGen%20Owners%20Manual%2001%20Series.pdf

(Very similar to the one I own.)

So when the power goes out, turn all the used circuits on the transfer panel OFF, switch over to the GEN position, and once your generator is plugged into the transfer panel and running, simply turn ON the switches (no possibility of paralleling to or backfeeding to the utility supply, so no need to ever open or lift the main breaker leads.

[thundley4]

Believe it or not, it's actually quite easy.  The instructions are very clear.  You're not actually "rewiring" anything per se so much as re-routing it through the transfer switch.  For each load, you take out the existing load lead after opening the breaker.  For each circuit on the transfer switch there's two wires--one which you put into the breaker (going to the transfer switch) and one coming back into the breaker panel, which gets wire nutted up with the load lead.  Close the breaker in, and make sure that the transfer switch panel stays ON with the LINE position selected.

http://www.connecticut-electric.com/TechDocs/Emergen/EmerGen%20Owners%20Manual%2001%20Series.pdf

(Very similar to the one I own.)

So when the power goes out, turn all the used circuits on the transfer panel OFF, switch over to the GEN position, and once your generator is plugged into the transfer panel and running, simply turn ON the switches (no possibility of paralleling to or backfeeding to the utility supply, so no need to ever open or lift the main breaker leads.

Shhh.  Don't give away electrical secrets.  How else can electricians justify charging high rates?   

[NHSparky]

Shhh.  Don't give away electrical secrets.  How else can electricians justify charging high rates?   

Same reason plumbers can.  Sometimes shitty jobs in shitty conditions doing work that may or may not be safe.  You'd be amazed what kind of shit people jury-rig.

[thundley4]

Same reason plumbers can.  Sometimes shitty jobs in shitty conditions doing work that may or may not be safe.  You'd be amazed what kind of shit people jury-rig.

My company has a separate division for electrical contracting and by union rules they have to be brought into the shop to do most electrical work such as light fixtures and outlets.

Every time the company has wanted different styles of lights put in, the electricians have left the old ones hanging rather than taking them down.

[Eupher]

Believe it or not, it's actually quite easy.  The instructions are very clear.  You're not actually "rewiring" anything per se so much as re-routing it through the transfer switch.  For each load, you take out the existing load lead after opening the breaker.  For each circuit on the transfer switch there's two wires--one which you put into the breaker (going to the transfer switch) and one coming back into the breaker panel, which gets wire nutted up with the load lead.  Close the breaker in, and make sure that the transfer switch panel stays ON with the LINE position selected.

http://www.connecticut-electric.com/TechDocs/Emergen/EmerGen%20Owners%20Manual%2001%20Series.pdf

(Very similar to the one I own.)

So when the power goes out, turn all the used circuits on the transfer panel OFF, switch over to the GEN position, and once your generator is plugged into the transfer panel and running, simply turn ON the switches (no possibility of paralleling to or backfeeding to the utility supply, so no need to ever open or lift the main breaker leads.

I've got an automatic transfer switch on my 17kW generator, so that when the power goes out, the generator kicks on and all power routes through the transfer switch. No need for a cable between it and the generator. 

[CG6468]

I've got an automatic transfer switch on my 17kW generator, so that when the power goes out, the generator kicks on and all power routes through the transfer switch. No need for a cable between it and the generator. 

That's great if you have an autostart generator. Not so great for a pull start, though.

[NHSparky]

That's great if you have an autostart generator. Not so great for a pull start, though.

They sell setups similar to what Eupher has at HD/Lowe's.

Pretty sweet setups, if you can afford them.

[Eupher]

That's great if you have an autostart generator. Not so great for a pull start, though.

True dat.

[CG6468]

True dat.

We want outta here and will not spend that kind of money nor justify such an expendature.

[Eupher]

We want outta here and will not spend that kind of money nor justify such an expendature.

I can DEFINITELY relate to that. I was glad to have escaped the People's Republik of Illinois in 1999 -- not a moment too soon.

[CG6468]

I can DEFINITELY relate to that. I was glad to have escaped the People's Republik of Illinois in 1999 -- not a moment too soon.

It's got even worse since then. Now it's just madiganstan, with no end to the corruption in sight.

And - get this - felon Mel Reynolds (child abuser, financial scheme artist) will run for JJJ's place in the House.