New Build in Khon Kaen

[sirineou]

Getting ready to have the electric connected.

 The Electric company came and took a look. Our house is the second house from the main road , that has proper , modern , electric poles and service, coming down our road they have those short concrete poles with light and and wood extension where the wires are attached 

Aside that they are kind of low, I like to have them done right , so PEA quote  about 10,000 bht each, for two poles. 

Now it comes to the kind of service.

I know a few things about electric, Mostly the theory and OHM's law and such , and have done the wiring at one of my US homes when I did an addition ( certified inspection co. came , inspected and signed off on it) but I know very litle about Thai systems so.

All Thais, included my wife says  15/ 30 is adequate. 30/100 is available and only  $300 more  so IMO a no brainer.  I asked for 30/100

What exactly does 15./30 and 30/100 mean ?

Any other advise on the subject would be highly appreciated.

 

 

 

[Jeffrey346]

On 3/7/2018 at 7:30 PM, sirineou said:

 

All Thais, included my wife says  15/ 30 is adequate. 30/100 is available and only  $300 more  so IMO a no brainer.  I asked for 30/100

What exactly does 15./30 and 30/100 mean ?

Any other advise on the subject would be highly appreciated.

 

 

 

Check this thread. It may help..

 

[Naam]

38 minutes ago, Jeffrey346 said:

All Thais, included my wife says  15/ 30 is adequate.

all these Thais including the Mrs. obviously forgot that you have a washer, a dryer, most probably two or three aircons and two or three hot water gadgets. add the watts, calculate the amps (watts divided by voltage = amps), forget the wisdom of all Thais and compare that with the ''all Thai'' 30 amps (which might not be 30 amps depending on your area. saving 300 bucks is pennywise, pound foolish.

[sirineou]

58 minutes ago, Naam said:

all these Thais including the Mrs. obviously forgot that you have a washer, a dryer, most probably two or three aircons and two or three hot water gadgets. add the watts, calculate the amps (watts divided by voltage = amps), forget the wisdom of all Thais and compare that with the ''all Thai'' 30 amps (which might not be 30 amps depending on your area. saving 300 bucks is pennywise, pound foolish.

 

1 hour ago, Jeffrey346 said:

Check this thread. It may help..

 

Thank you both for confirming my opinion. I tried to do a search, but the search function on this forum is useless, or perhaps I am not using it properly. I have already requested the 30/100 service hookup from PEA,. 

I read the linked thread and will look into a voltage regulator when I am back in Thailand.  

[sirineou]

4 hours ago, lapsa2018 said:

I think you did right think chosing aluminium windows. Here in Europe even have windows with anti solar glass panels, those mixed with good aluminium windows would we great

 Thank you

 Same here in the US, it is called E-glass , there is also a film you can put on the window. I  looked it up on Amazon and there are many , below is a link to one of them: https://www.amazon.com/Gila-LEG361-Control-Residential-36-Inch/dp/B001735SW4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1522708853&sr=8-4&keywords=window+solar+film

I wonder if there is a company that does that in Khon Kaen?

[Naam]

2 hours ago, sirineou said:

there is also a film you can put on the window.

film is more expensive than the best available glass! homework not done!

[Naam]

On 3/9/2018 at 5:02 PM, sirineou said:

I have already requested the 30/100 service hookup from PEA,. 

I read the linked thread and will look into a voltage regulator when I am back in Thailand.  

a voltage regulator does not provide amps but gobbles up amps galore if your voltage is too low.

[cheeryble]

Whassup?

[sirineou]

Just now, cheeryble said:

Whassup?

 House is almost finished, and more importantly blessed by the monks.

Very busy lately setting the stage to start a new project at NYC and being plagued by a Nor'easter snowstorm  every week, (four in a month) and other permitting problems. Happy to say all have being resolved and we are set to fully load the job starting tomorrow. Will continue being busy for a few more weeks while i get the building out of the hole (basements, and first couple of floors) after that floors become typical (all the same) and I will have more time to update this thread. 

Perhaps I will have some time this weekend. 

2 am here now and can't sleep. will pay for it tomorrow. 

Best regards to all   

[bankruatsteve]

On 4/3/2018 at 8:45 AM, Naam said:

a voltage regulator does not provide amps but gobbles up amps galore if your voltage is too low.

Not sure how "gobble" applies.  (?)   Nevertheless, the VA is maintained.  So, it's not costing any more/less from the meter's perspective.

[sirineou]

On 4/2/2018 at 9:41 PM, Naam said:

film is more expensive than the best available glass! homework not done!

A lot to be said for doing your homework, or paying someone else to do it for you LOL.

I will settle for a C+  and promise to do better next time 

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Not sure how "gobble" applies.  (?)   Nevertheless, the VA is maintained.  So, it's not costing any more/less from the meter's perspective.

 Though I have nothing against saving money, I think the Voltage regulator (if I understand this correctly) is more  to smooth out voltage fluctuations, prevent the inconvenience of brownouts and protect electrical devices . 

Paid to PEA for 30/100 meter and should be getting it this week, but not sure as they had raised some issues with having to replace electrical poles, (110,000 bht) which I dont want to do right now, because I am not there and want to wait until I am there and I can deal with it my self.

[bankruatsteve]

2 minutes ago, sirineou said:

 Though I have nothing against saving money, I think the Voltage regulator (if I understand this correctly) is more  to smooth out voltage fluctuations, prevent the inconvenience of brownouts and protect electrical devices . 

Paid to PEA for 30/100 meter and should be getting it this week, but not sure as they had raised some issues with having to replace electrical poles, (110,000 bht) which I dont want to do right now, because I am not there and want to wait until I am there and I can deal with it my self.

AVR's can/will stabilize fluctuations in the mains supply.  However, in low voltage situations, if the overall consumer demand is more than the grid can supply the brownout becomes a blackout and nothing an AVR can do to help.  The PEA loves it when they can get somebody to pay for their stuff but I would question why a pole for 30/100 would need to be any different then a pole for 15/45 or 5/15.  Not to mention why it would cost 110K THB.  Maybe they need an additional transformer?

[sirineou]

A update :

The house was finished and Dook the builder had being taking care of a few final   tie ups .

First we had the obligatory monk house blessing . Many family friends came over, There was music, food and drinks for everyone, and a good time was had by everyone , except for my who I am back in the US working to pay for it all . LOL

 The girls have being busy planting a few things before Nuy comes back to the US.

   Electric meter was installed and upgraded to 30/100

A new electric pole to replace old doggy pole, mailbox, and police red box  was installed.The cops pass by and sign the log once a day , hopefully the police activity will increase the security while we are not there, and it makes the girls feel more secure when I am not there. 

I will be back in August or September (depending on the work project progress) and will have my hands full with landscaping. Will Post more than.

 

 

 

[sirineou]

Oh and I forgot to mention my very confused cats and dogs LOL

[zaZa9]

Not wanting to worry you , but I have heard of water meter theft here before.

The standard prevention measure was to form up  around it and bury it to almost screen height in cement. Check with the family , maybe it doesnt happen in your area...

 

Oh , and congrats on a job well done and an interesting thread !

[sirineou]

14 hours ago, zaZa9 said:

Not wanting to worry you , but I have heard of water meter theft here before.

The standard prevention measure was to form up  around it and bury it to almost screen height in cement. Check with the family , maybe it doesnt happen in your area...

 

Oh , and congrats on a job well done and an interesting thread !

 Thank you for that heads Up, I will look in to it and when I am back  in Thailand this fall I will form around it and set some cement .

[Rdrokit]

Been here 12 years now and never hear of someone getting their water meter stolen. If you are not living in the house you still have to pay a monthly rental fee on the meter, something like 50 baht, or the water company will remove the meter. I have heard of water pumps being stolen. Some people have a metal cage with a lock built over the pump to prevent theft.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Been here 12 years now and never hear of someone getting their water meter stolen. If you are not living in the house you still have to pay a monthly rental fee on the meter, something like 50 baht, or the water company will remove the meter. I have heard of water pumps being stolen. Some people have a metal cage with a lock built over the pump to prevent theft.

A lot of houses put some concrete on their meter to prevent theft.



Doesn’t seem like a very secure method but there must be a need for it as I see many !

My neighbours house also has his water pump “ strapped down and locked with a padlock.

[cheeryble]

On April 22, 2018 at 6:00 PM, sirineou said:

Oh and I forgot to mention my very confused cats and dogs LOL

They make a house into a home.....

[kannot]

On 10/30/2017 at 10:52 PM, Morakot said:

 

This is already an  "advanced" way. Your average formwork is a hole in the ground...

 

While at MIT and elsewhere in the West, star architects are experimenting with expensive flexible formwork, many Thai builders have already mastered the art of clay formwork.

 

I  built  on rock some bases had only partial formwork, some of the boulders were 2metres  across

[kannot]

On 4/26/2018 at 8:00 AM, Rdrokit said:

Been here 12 years now and never hear of someone getting their water meter stolen. If you are not living in the house you still have to pay a monthly rental fee on the meter, something like 50 baht, or the water company will remove the meter. I have heard of water pumps being stolen. Some people have a metal cage with a lock built over the pump to prevent theft.

Had two stolen out in the country in 12  months, now entombed in concrete but  not really used as have 2  wells

[kannot]

On 2/22/2018 at 11:19 AM, zaZa9 said:

Considering your absence , I would go with a largish area of gravel .  Particularly at the front ... most of  it can later be raked off when you are there to attend to a new lawn ( and you really need to be there )..  A bit mixed through the lawn soil wont hurt a new lawn.

For now the gravel would be accompanied with a large bottle of herbicide like 'Round Up ' and somebody to spot weed any thing that starts growing through the gravel once a week.

  The good soil you have laid wont go to waste - it will stay good soil.  If you've noted the price of Mangos , I 'd put in a high quality young Mango  tree ( maybe a meter high ) now  ,  and place it where I envisaged people  would be sitting under for shade   one day. Somewhere to the right of the dog in your pic.

Maybe a coconut  well away from the house.

Also consider rows of Areca Palms for a hot fenceline . They can grow quite high bit , provide great shade , and  are not particularly messy.

The rest of the garden would wait till someone was permanently in attendance.

 

These WILL produce  masses of seed, best to cut them off as the flower appears, all seed  will germinate quickly

[sirineou]

2 hours ago, nicolesmith said:

Well said and also children. Me with my husband, kids and a cat are about to move in a new apartment in Singapore. Unfortunately its almost impossible to afford a house here.

However the condominium we've chosen is nice - piermont-grand-ec

Definitely Children, My Daughter is now 22 yers old , she is still my baby, and a source of indescribable, love, pleasure , and pride.greatest thing that ever happened to me.

In Pre-law now she just made the dean's list again.  (Proud Dad) I Treasure every moment, Even the teenage years LOL

Children is what it is all about.

   Moving to a new place is always very exciting and full of possibilities. I looked at the link you provided and it looks like a great place to raise a family. Enjoy it all in good health  great spirits, and the best of luck.