Gas meter upgrade!?

[Hamberg]

Thinking about installing a whole house generator and wife has been saying she wants a pool (for the last 15 years) so I figured I'd be proactive and confirm my (gas) service is adequate. Call local Util, who sends me a form to fill out with total BTU requirements, current & proposed. Fill it out, send it back and get a reply - "we needed to send this to Engineering, someone will get back to you in 2-3 weeks!?

Wow, Engineering!? 2 weeks and 5 days later I get a (nonchalant) email saying Engineering has reviewed your request and you'll need a "service" upgrade - would you like an estimate?

Me, figuring a service upgrade means a new (bigger) meter - sure send it over (how much could a new meter cost!?)

Email back a week later saying they need to "upsize" the line from the street to the meter to 1" & upgrade the meter - $6,200 bucks.

Told the wife she'll be swimming in a cold pool with a flashlight

Emailed them back and asked if there were any other options!? Reply back a week later... "Just as long as you install at least one of the appliances (didn't know a generator or pool heater is an appliance, but, ok) we will credit the $6,200 and do a not charge upgrade! Always pays to ask!!

Day later they are out marking off the street utils.

 

[Twowaxhack]

The electric and gas company compete for your business in my area. They do all kinds of upgrades free if you’re installing equipment.

The monthly meter fee rate goes up though.

 

[Hamberg]

The electric and gas company compete for your business in my area. They do all kinds of upgrades free if you’re installing equipment.

The monthly meter fee rate goes up though.

Same company here . Good point, didn't think that far ahead. Bigger meter will probably mean a bigger monthly service charge!?

 

[Twowaxhack]

Same company here . Good point, didn't think that far ahead. Bigger meter will probably mean a bigger monthly service charge!?

It might not go up unless you don’t meet the minimum threshold for that size meter. I suppose different utility co. do things different from place to place.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

In Scandinavia they swim in ice water and you can always install a propane-fired E/G and a tank to hold the fuel.

 

[Hamberg]

In Scandinavia they swim in ice water and you can always install a propane-fired E/G and a tank to hold the fuel.

OK, Scandinavia is off the retirement list!! :O)

Service/meter upgrade is free (haha) so it's getting done. Did look at the gas bill and the monthly service charge is for a 5/8" meter. Guessing there will be an increase going to a 1" meter... Of course, they never mentioned that!?

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Make sure the pool for your lovely wife is Olympic in size and caliber. She will make you happy you did.

 

[Hamberg]

Make sure the pool for your lovely wife is Olympic is size and caliber. She will make you happy you did.

Yea, she wants the pool, and yours truly will be stuck maintaining...

Actually, my selfish piece would be a hot tub!

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Yea, she wants the pool, and yours truly will be stuck maintaining...

Actually, my selfish piece would be a hot tub!

I hear Nancy Pelosi has some pool boys she's willing to give up. Sorry, I couldn't stay away from politics after what went down last night. SMH. I apologize.

 

[Riickk]

Pool maintenance is not that bad, given you install an automatic chlorinator (don't worry, they're fairly cheap), and some sort of skimmer, for the floating debris pools attract, and buy a creepy crawly (or other brand) pool wall and bottom cleaner. With those goodies, your biggest task, aside from testing water, will be evicting the frogs that may show up.
Have fun!

 

[Twowaxhack]

Pool maintenance is not that bad, given you install an automatic chlorinator (don't worry, they're fairly cheap), and some sort of skimmer, for the floating debris pools attract, and buy a creepy crawly (or other brand) pool wall and bottom cleaner. With those goodies, your biggest task, aside from testing water, will be evicting the frogs that may show up.
Have fun!

Or in my case the occasional water moccasin and alligator

 

[TomFOhio]

Do you have a huge back yard? Are you putting in a built in or above ground pool? Your wife's a lucky gal...

 

[Hamberg]

Do you have a huge back yard? Are you putting in a built in or above ground pool? Your wife's a lucky gal...

Wouldn't call it huge (nor would my wife ) , we're on, just shy, of 1/2 acre. She wants (or should I say has wanted) and in ground pool for 20+ years but something has always taken precedence over that project! Just getting close to running out of projects, so...

 

[Hamberg]

If someone made a (life) checklist app, I think I'd need to subscribe...

Sooo... who else out there has an in ground pool? What size service (amp) is needed/required to run the filter/pump? Guessing the heater (NG fired) would only need a 20amp circuit?

Ran #6 AWG out to the shed (pump would most likely sit next to/behind it), which has a max of 75amp - saying a prayer that'll cover what I need!?

 

[havasu]

I just dealt with lots of issues with my pool. I could never get the chemicals balanced so I had it professionally tested. My phosphates were 2800 PPB, but the acceptable amount was <0-100 PPB. After several treatments of phosphate remover, cleaning the filter daily for 6 days, buying a new pool sweep, and removing chlorine tabs for 2 weeks, that water is about as perfect as it can be. Yep, I got lazy and it came back to bite me.

 

[havasu]

That 75 amp sub panel with 6 gauge wire should do the trick. I used it all when I combined the pump for the pool, the pump for the water fall, the light for the pool, the heater and one 15 amp circuit in the backyard. Do yourself a favor and get a 220v variable speed pump. It is actually saving me $80-$100 a month on electricity. It runs on 4 amps (start up prime is 20 amps), I changed to a LED pool light (another 4 amps) the heater actually uses 6 amps, and I even tied a 220v mini split to my box. it is still calculated well below 75 amps.

 

[havasu]

Also worth noting, is that once I changed to a variable speed pump, I was able to gut out the stupid timer box, which would go "tic-tic-tic-tic" all day and night, since the variable speed has the timer built into the pump.

 

[Hamberg]

That 75 amp sub panel with 6 gauge wire should do the trick. I used it all when I combined the pump for the pool, the pump for the water fall, the light for the pool, the heater and one 15 amp circuit in the backyard. Do yourself a favor and get a 220v variable speed pump. It is actually saving me $80-$100 a month on electricity. It runs on 4 amps (start up prime is 20 amps), I changed to a LED pool light (another 4 amps) the heater actually uses 6 amps, and I even tied a 220v mini split to my box. it is still calculated well below 75 amps.

Wait, where is the mini-split?? You're not air conditioning the whole back yard, are you!?

Looks like I got (stupidly) lucky and dodged a bullet with the 70 AMP service then!!! There is no way I'd be able to pull #3 AWG through the 1" conduit I installed!

 

[havasu]

The pool equipment is right outside the master bedroom. I had a mini split A/C unit installed in the adjacent master bedroom, so at night, Ionly need to cool that room with a 27 seer rated A/C unit, which saves me from cooling the entire house when our temps go above 100 degrees in the day time.