Various Days - More Electrical Stuff

The electrical work was done over a span of days and is still not completely ready for inspection.  We are getting closer though.  In order to run the electrical wire into the exterior walls, we had to notch out the Styrofoam.  W tried a variety of methods including a router.

He ended up using the reciprocating saw to score the Styrofoam.  I went behind him with a chisel and pried it out.  No matter what method you choose, be prepared for a mess.

Here is a shot of the walls after the Styrofoam was removed but before I vacuumed.

W cut larger channels where the outlet boxes were so he had plenty of room to run the wires later.

Then we pulled wire from the panel box to each of the boxes.  The wire fit right into the lines we had cut out.

The other wiring is the same as in any other house.  The only difference we had was dealing with unusual exterior walls.

Although W did do all of the wiring himself, we had an electrician friend come over just to look at everything to make sure it was done correctly.

Days 193 & 196: Heating and Air System - Part 1

I am super excited about this portion of the construction process.  I have never lived in a home with central heat and air.  Well there was the two years we lived in a mobile home, but it was older and drafty.  Our current home is around 120 years old.  I can handle it during the summer as the window a/c units keep it cool enough for me.  The winters are not fun though.  I am looking forward to it being a fairly constant temperature year round.

Here are a few shots of the heating and air portion of construction.  We hired a local company to come in and do this.

Air Vents

Main Duct



The ducts are suspended rather than just left to hang.  I do not have much experience with heating and cooling systems, but this is rarely done by companies in my area.  According to an Energy Star auditor, this is excellent for efficiency over time.