First, I'm in Dallas, have the fire hazard-y Federal Pacific supply box in the garage, and need to replace it. While walking the house with a master electrician for different quotes, we got to the breaker box. He looked at it, determined it was around a $1000 job, give or take $100 or so. Got the written quote, $3000. I know that my parents' neighbor used this company for the same project, with similar specs/location/neighborhood, etc. for $1300. Why the difference, and does anyone have an electrical company to recommend to me for a second quote? Second, with the birth of our baby this summer, I have been putting off having a roofer and adjuster walk the roof for hail damage and possible buyout of the roof after the Hailmageddon we had in our subdivision in June. Lo and behold, yesterday, they came by and decided we have enough damage to warrant a new roof. The questions I have are: spend the extra $1700 for impact resistent material, which would then qualify us for a 22-27% reduction in annual premium (State Farm agent told me this is the range I could expect). Plan on staying in the home long enough to recover the cost. Second question--we have 3 turbines on the house-- 2 in main of home, and 1 dedicated to the garage/laundry room/back of house. Roofer quoted me $450 to fill whirlybird holes in decking, and rip slits across the roof for ridge vents. Is it worth it, or would I be ok upgrading to double-ball-bearing turbines? I'll hang up and listen...
I believe ridge venting is much preferred over turbines. You're professional should know, and I bring it up since I did my homework on my place - be sure you have enough soffit structure . Ideally, the air flow thru the soffits should match, or (better yet) exceed the air flow specs. of the ridge venting product.
Did the electrician break down the costs? The box and breakers aren't terribly expensive. However, copper wire is pricey. If he has a long run, it would increase the cost tremendously. Plus, if there is internal wiring in the walls that will have to be replaced, that is expensive as well.
I have ridge vents on a large 1 story, but there were also 3 old electric turbine things up there, and I got 2 up and going. They are triggered by a thermostat and have about a 12 inch fan. Do you give much credit to those gadgets?
Get the regulator to an old Volvo cooling fan. Set it up to run solar and set the temp where you want it. There are conversion kit info's online and I know of one person in Austin and one in NM that use them. It's a dream of mine to one day do the same.
Old thread but there are safe FPE style breakers that can be put in the same panel as long as wiring is up to snuff. Whole lot cheaper than replacing whole thing. I hope OP didn't get taken.
I have a "hip roof" based on the picture of that on the interweb; no gable. Not steep; maybe 9 feet off the ceiling at high point in middle. The ridge cap is one very long line down the middle of the house, probably 50 or 60 feet. What I called an electric turbine/fan is I suppose a fan. There are no turbines, I guess. The inflow is from vents in the soffits all around the house. I spent a day once opening each one (there's probably 25 at least) and using a broomstick to make gaps in the insulation that otherwise was blown into the attic edges and was blocking the vents, so I do get air in there.
VYFan, if you would like you can either send me a PM with your address & I'll look it up on Google Maps or you can copy the image off the web (use the "FN" button while pressing "print screen", then paste into Paintbrush & save as an image on PhotoBucket or a host of your choice). The "9 ft. off the ceiling" doesn't tell me much & the length of the ridge cap in relation to the hip cap point may possibly be important depending on how the elevation change is between them. Opening up the intake is very good - I often suggest people get the narrow rakes that are used for gardening between rows of plants.
Having been a certified adjuster, now director of roofing sales, I must say NCAAFBALLROX is spot on in all of his advice. One major item of importance that he hasn't mentioned is DO NOT let anyone walk on your roof without providing their ID, a copy of valid roofing contractor insurance and in some neighborhoods, a permit to solicit via door to door sales. Although we're competitors, if I'm going to lose a deal to another contractor, it's easier knowing the customer isn't signing with (one of many) unscrupulous companies out there. It's scary how little knowledge and/or training some salespeople have received. Even scarier knowing some contractors pull hourly workers off the streets to work on your dwelling.
