Houses in the future

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Mule

Mule

Senior Member
Location
Oklahoma
Here's something Ive thought about from time to time, but it would not be good for our trade :smile:

I've often wondered when a combination plug and play, cut and snap-together, plastic, wood looking, combination baseboard/wiremold type of apparatus will be approved by ULand NEC and used in homes for general lighting recepts. This would be a continous thing around the perimeter of the room.

If the industry did this the electrician would only have to bring a home run to a room and land it in the entry fitting then the light box, and a wireless switch leg. Not good for all circuits, but Ive just wondered why someone hasnt tried a patent on it. I hate plastic, and factory made stuff like that, and would hate to see it, but just thinking society always trying to invent something to cut labor cost and make a buck for theirselves... just curious? comments?
 
If you could perfect that idea, and market it, you could sit at home and collect "mailbox money". I keep telling myself, "I'm only one idea away". Actually that would be a good product for the post Katrina housing I've seen going up down there, and what ever the next one may bring.
 
sparkyjim said:
If you could perfect that idea, and market it, you could sit at home and collect "mailbox money". I keep telling myself, "I'm only one idea away". Actually that would be a good product for the post Katrina housing I've seen going up down there, and what ever the next one may bring.
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Just thinking outside the box, but I think it would be too much of a cultural change NEC wise. UL can be bought for a price....:smile: Besides it would not be near as reliable IMO....but MUCH cheapier. If you think about the labor savings in drilling studs, jerking NM, making up joints, plug'n, and switch'n. A huge area to save money, or make money I guess depending on wich side of the fence your on.
 
Where I am that would still have to be installed by an electrician. The big box stores quickly find this out when they build a store up here and expect that they will send labors to do the store fit outs using reloc systems.

That said more stuff is arriving prefab all the time, Target, CVS, Walmart, Stop & Shop, Jo-Ann's Fabrics are all chain stores I have been involved with that have entire prefab electrical rooms that arrive by truck and are set in place by crane. Lowe's, Home Depot, Pet Smart, BestBuy will often have prefab switchgear with timers, contactors, panels already connected and labeled, set it in place and connect all, the branch circuits.
 
I know this is not exactly what you where suggesting but it is a step in that direction.

Access 5000

The baseboard in this picture is the raceway.

access5000.jpg
 
On the flip side, this stuff renders alterations really easy access. BUT my belly prevents me from bending over that far to install, so my SIL will have to do it :grin: :grin:
 
iwire said:
:D


I am working on that problem myself. The floor is much farther down then it ever used to be. :D
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YEP and when I get down there, I cant get back up....I'll be glad when my SIL serves his apprenticship and gets his J license, I can back off a bit....do estimates, drink more coffee:smile:
 
iwire said:
:D


I am working on that problem myself. The floor is much farther down then it ever used to be. :D
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I've noticed that too. And the light seems a lot dimmer down there than it was in the past.:grin:
 
woring on the floor or overhead = PITN last year i had to switch to occupational lenses (bifocal top and bottom) because of neck pain. and boy, do glasses ever steal light.........dark places get darker. :mad:
i've heard that wisdom comes with old age, just wish they woulda told me about the rest of the stuff that tags along....
still waitin' on the wisdom part :D
 
Speaking on the future of our industry, has anyone here seen Intel's wireless power technology? Google it, it makes me think a little bit about the future of our trade.
 
iwire said:
That said more stuff is arriving prefab all the time, Target, CVS, Walmart, Stop & Shop, Jo-Ann's Fabrics are all chain stores I have been involved with that have entire prefab electrical rooms that arrive by truck and are set in place by crane.
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I worked wiring a super-market that had a pre-fab electric room. Really cool.
 
LarryFine said:
I worked wiring a super-market that had a pre-fab electric room. Really cool.
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The Stop & Shop supermarkets we have been doing come with a 'double wide' prebuilt electric, mechanical, generator room. When assembled it is about 20' W by 60'. They crane it up onto the roof and it is weather tight.

It comes with all the electrical distribution normal, standby and emergency along with the generators. All the compressor racks for refrigeration and the water heaters.

It is kind of cool but it really cuts into an ECs profits.
 
iwire said:
The Stop & Shop supermarkets we have been doing come with a 'double wide' prebuilt electric, mechanical, generator room. When assembled it is about 20' W by 60'. They crane it up onto the roof and it is weather tight.

It comes with all the electrical distribution normal, standby and emergency along with the generators. All the compressor racks for refrigeration and the water heaters.

It is kind of cool but it really cuts into an ECs profits.
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Man I've spent some hours in some rooms like that.....for us it was LOTS of tray cable in confined areas.

Once at a chemical plant, I had a 4000hp synchronous acting up and finally found the "field" drive incoming feeder which had bad connections in a large terminal strip right where this huge MCC was split in two for shipment. The whole house was probably 100-125ft long...I dont know BIG.. It was in a large J box on the ceiling, burnt the wire back about 2ft. (did I say that right, synchronous motors identify the armature and field backwards from a DC machine I believe? Meaning the armature is stationary and the field is rotating...OH my memory, its getting bad)
 
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