Power problems resolved

I don’t know why we put up with it for so long. It was … Oh, I better tell you what I’m talking about.

In June of 2010, Carol and I moved into a threebedroom house that was built in 1979 and is on a half-acre. It wasn’t new, but we liked it and it has a playhouse eight feet off the ground in the back yard, which is great for the grandkids.

I had a 12x24 office built in our back yard. The office is insulated, has an insulated double floor, has a loft to store things and is heated/ cooled with a heat pump. The office contains my library, and I do all my serious writing there.

Everyone who visited us enjoyed the house. The back yard was a haven for the grandkids and for animals. We’ve seen racoons, opossums, deer, red fox, cats, dogs and birds of many kinds — including a road runner, and a vulture trying to carry off the carcass of an opossum that lost a fight with something.

But after seven or eight years, our human visitors — including our kids and grandkids — began to complain about flickering lights. Carol and I didn’t notice it because the problem developed so slowly. When the situation was brought to my attention, I knew that I would eventually fix it, but as we humans tend to do, I kept putting it off.

Then we experienced more serious issues. The power in my office began to intermittently go out. The house lights didn’t just flicker, they began going out for a second, then back on. The air conditioner or heater would shut down for a minute, then come back on.

That’s when I called the electric company.

They came out but couldn’t find the problem. But what they did say was sobering: “The problem is on your side of the system. Hire your own electrician.”

Somewhat hesitantly, I began looking for an electrician. Not knowing any, I prayed about it, then spoke with a friend I trusted. Without a hesitation, Tim suggested calling Safe & Sound Electric Inc. I called, left a message and Justin Peachey came over a day later. He listened to my tales of woe, asked clarifying questions and went to work.

Justin is a Master Electrician and was observant as he trouble shot the system, and he understood related problems that this situation could cause. It didn’t take him long to locate the problem.

Something called the “Neutral Lug” in the main disconnect box out by the street had visible, serious corrosion issues and evidence of arcing from a loose connection. That, in turn, was causing the flickering lights and voltage fluctuations. He also noticed the main 200 amp breaker powering the home was extremely corroded from years of exposure to the weather and voiced concerns about its dependability.

After replacing the neutral lug, reconnecting the neutral conductors and turning the main breaker back on to restore power, sure enough, it would close or connect only one of the two phases of power. That meant no dryer, no fully functioning oven and only half of the circuits in the house would work. That confirmed Justin’s concern that he would have to change the breaker.

Arrangements were quickly made and he went to the electrical supply house for the exact matching breaker for replacement. After installation and testing, it worked like a champ. Full power ahead!

I watched as Justin efficiently did his work. He is a blessing and I joyfully paid him for his services. No kidding! And I’m happy to say that every aspect of the problem has been taken care of. It’s been more than two weeks now and we haven’t had any flickering, dimming or outages. Our power problems have been resolved.

Someone said I was lucky to get Justin Peachey, but that wasn’t luck. I prayed first, the Lord prompted me to ask the right person, that man suggested Safe & Sound and Justin heard the message I left on the phone. God led in each step of the decision.

Years ago, I found that when we turn to the Lord and trust Him, He guides us if we listen. Jesus is God and is the best friend I’ve ever had. And He’ll be my best friend forever.

So learn to trust the Lord. Then, when you have a problem, pray about it. God cares for you more than you may realize. He wants to hear from you.