Episode 125
From Sheds to Circuits....Modular Building and the Electrical Safety you need to know..
The discourse presented herein delves into the burgeoning phenomenon of modular living, prominently featuring insights from the esteemed Shed Gal, Susan Frayer. We explore the transformative potential of sheds and modular homes, highlighting their rapid evolution and increasing relevance in contemporary society. The conversation extends to encompass crucial electrical readiness and safety protocols, as we anticipate the impending holiday season, with invaluable guidance provided by our guest, Sean Lapointe from Mr. Electric. Through this episode, we aim to illuminate the significance of constructing smarter environments and fostering sustainable lifestyles. Join us as we navigate the intricate intersection of innovation in living spaces and the essential practices for ensuring safety and efficiency in electrical systems.
The discourse commences with an insightful exploration of modular living as we engage with Susan Frayer, affectionately known as the Shed Gal. She elucidates the transformative nature of sheds and modular homes, highlighting their rapid evolution in contemporary society. During our conversation, we delve into the intricacies of sustainable living, emphasizing the shift from traditional housing to innovative solutions that maximize space and efficiency. Susan articulates her journey from a novice DIY enthusiast to a seasoned entrepreneur with a burgeoning business that encompasses a diverse range of stylish sheds and outdoor structures. The discussion progresses to encompass various applications of sheds, from functional storage units to aesthetic enhancements for residential properties, thereby emphasizing their versatility and the burgeoning trend towards modular living solutions in contemporary architecture.
In the latter segment of the podcast, we are joined by Sean Lapointe from Mr. Electric, who offers a wealth of knowledge regarding electrical safety and preparedness as we approach the holiday season. The conversation addresses common misconceptions regarding electrical systems in homes, particularly during periods of increased usage due to festive decorations and lighting. Sean emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to ensure electrical safety, such as the necessity of having adequate circuit capacity and the dangers of overloading circuits with numerous festive lights and appliances. His insights serve as a crucial reminder to homeowners about the importance of electrical inspections and the implementation of safety protocols to mitigate risks associated with electrical faults during the holiday festivities.
Takeaways:
- The podcast discusses the evolution of modular living, emphasizing how sheds and modular homes are rapidly changing to accommodate a sustainable lifestyle.
- Listeners are encouraged to consider the benefits of solar energy, particularly with the impending expiration of the federal tax credit for solar systems by December 31, 2025.
- The importance of electrical safety and readiness during the holiday season is underscored, highlighting common issues that homeowners face with outdoor decorations and electrical overload.
- The Shed Gal shares insights into the shed industry, focusing on high-quality products and exceptional customer service compared to traditional big box stores.
- Expert advice is provided on the significance of smoke detectors and the necessity for regular maintenance to ensure their functionality in emergencies.
- The episode concludes with an emphasis on preventative maintenance, encouraging homeowners to proactively address electrical issues before they escalate into more serious problems.
Links referenced in this episode:
- shedgal.com
- stardustbuilding.org
- idealhomeimprovementaz.com
- boxcaruniverse.com
- mrelectrc.com/phoenix-metro
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Boxcar Universe
- Mr. Electric
- Shed Gal
- Ideal Home Improvement
- Legacy Custom Homes AZ
- Stardust Building Supplies
Transcript
Hey, Boxcar Universe Nation.
Speaker A:Today we're talking about the new age of modular living with my good friend, the Shed Gal.
Speaker A:She's got some amazing insights on how the world of sheds and modular homes is changing fast.
Speaker A:And later, Mr. Electric is stopping by to share some smart electrical readiness and safety tips every homeowner should know.
Speaker A:Whether it's sheds or circuits, we're building smarter and living brighter.
Speaker A:Hop on that boxcar.
Speaker A:Cause the journey starts now.
Speaker B:Since the dawn of time, mankind has searched for ways to shelter themselves from the elements.
Speaker B:Over the centuries, these shelters have evolved from bamboo huts to concrete towers.
Speaker B:The last few years, there's been a push to save the planet.
Speaker B:Are you ready to embark on a more sustainable lifestyle?
Speaker A:Look no further.
Speaker B:You're about to enter the adventures of container Home Living.
Speaker B:And now, contractor, radio and TV personality and your host for Boxcar Universe, Steve Dubel.
Speaker A:Hi, this is Steve Dubell, host of Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:And here's what's coming up on this week's edition of Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:The Shed Gal, Susan Frayer is here with us.
Speaker A:And we're going to be talking about everything that you need to put your stuff into.
Speaker A:You know, my good friend George Carlin, people always tell me I sound like George Carlin, that there's never enough room for your stuff, but Susan's got the most stylish types of sheds in the entire country, and she's going to be talking about some of those and some of the uses that you can use your shed for.
Speaker A:Where to put it, how to put it, how to get it to you and all of that.
Speaker A:And in our second half hour, Sean Lapointe from Mr. Electric is going to be here.
Speaker A:We're going to be talking about some electrical holiday readiness and safety tips for homeowners as we get closer and closer to holiday season.
Speaker A:And obviously, I guess we could start including Halloween in the holiday festivities as everybody's outside putting up in, you know, inflatables, lights, scary things on their home.
Speaker A:So we're going to be talking about things to get ready for your for that part of the season.
Speaker A:That and more right here on Boxcar Universe, your home for remodeling and renovating your world.
Speaker A:And we'd like to thank all of our listeners for tuning into Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:It is a.
Speaker A:It's getting down.
Speaker A:We're in fourth quarter now, and we've got a short window for people that want to get stuff done before the end of the year.
Speaker A:One thing I do want to make a note of, and we'll keep Reminding people, as we get closer to the end of the season, when we talk about homeowners wanting to put solar on their homes, one of the greatest selling features for selling solar systems is that you got a 30% tax break from the federal government.
Speaker A:And so that came into the figuring when we would figure out a system for your home at the end of the year.
Speaker A:That subsidy is going away and there will be no more 30% tax credit at the end of the year.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker A: n you start planning for your: Speaker A:But right now, we want to bring Susan on to the show with us.
Speaker A:Susan, better known throughout the world as the Shed Gal.
Speaker A:Hey, hey, hey, how are you?
Speaker C:I'm doing great.
Speaker A:Well, great.
Speaker A:Great to have you back on the show again.
Speaker A:And here we are back, you know, where it's the end of our.
Speaker A:Can't believe where the year went.
Speaker A:You know, we're at the back the end of October and, you know, another week we're going to be.
Speaker A:We're going to be in Halloween, almost Halloween.
Speaker A:We can call it Halloween Eve.
Speaker A:And, you know, one of the things that I want to share with our listeners, too, is that one of the things that we used to do every year, which we're going to be doing some of it next week, and maybe you might have some, you might have some things to share with us about this.
Speaker A:For next week, we're going to be showcasing homeowner horror stories, things that people do to their home that are scary.
Speaker C:Oh, boy.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And, you know, it could be scary, could be, you know, stupid scary, could be something that could be detrimental to your home and you could.
Speaker A:Or things that you might try and do to, you know, and you can get hurt.
Speaker A:I mean, and there are plenty of scary things, especially homeowners with tools are scary people, especially when they have no clue what they're doing.
Speaker A:So we're going to be talking about that.
Speaker A:But you probably.
Speaker A:We'll get into that a little bit later.
Speaker A:But I'm sure there's some strange things that, you know, of people that have gone out to bought, shall we say, a big box store, you know, shed, where things got a little screwy, especially if it was a, an assemble Yourself, like, it probably was better than ikea, but still, if you didn't know what you were doing, you know, and you've got a layout of plans, it's like, you know, part A goes to part B, connects with part C. But, you know, it's.
Speaker A:It gets kind of screwy because some people can't even figure that out, which is kind of hard to believe in today's day and age.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:But tell our listeners who haven't heard about the Shed Gal.
Speaker A:Tell.
Speaker A:Tell our listeners what your company is.
Speaker C:All about so we can go back a little bit.
Speaker C:So about eight and a half years ago, and this kind of goes into the horror story way back, way, way back, way back.
Speaker C:When I was 29, my husband had built us a shed.
Speaker C:And, you know, it's the diy, you know, that's what you want to do.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And he gave it his best shot.
Speaker C:And we spent thousands of dollars.
Speaker C:And people would drive up and say, your sign on your outside of your wall is crooked.
Speaker C:And I'm like, no, the sign straight.
Speaker C:The wall is crooked.
Speaker C:That's.
Speaker C:That's a true story, Steve.
Speaker C:I have a picture of it in my office.
Speaker A:I used a broken level.
Speaker C:Now, I'll tell you, he gave it his best shot.
Speaker C:And it isn't for the lack of trying, but it was just lack of experience.
Speaker C:So in any event, we were in Western Washington.
Speaker C:I noticed these shed lots popping up.
Speaker C:I went to several over multiple days, called several, left messages, and to this day, eight and a half years later, I'm waiting for a call back.
Speaker C:In any event, I.
Speaker C:One weekend, I was about an hour from home and drove by this plant where there was a whole bunch of sheds.
Speaker C:And I'm like, I'm going there Monday morning.
Speaker C:And that's what I did.
Speaker C:What was up there?
Speaker C:First thing Monday morning, they're like, oh, we build them here.
Speaker C:We don't sell them here.
Speaker C:You have to.
Speaker C:You have to go through our dealer.
Speaker C:Dealers.
Speaker C:And I was like, oh, great.
Speaker C:The same ones that never called me back and weren't there during normal business hours, that con.
Speaker C:I ordered a shed.
Speaker C:I literally, I literally said, you know, I. I just want to order a shed.
Speaker C:You build them here.
Speaker C:You can't sell me one.
Speaker C:That makes no sense, you know.
Speaker C:But in any event, they sold me a shed.
Speaker C:I ordered it.
Speaker C:And I said to the owner of the company, someone in the state of Washington needs a decent shed dealer.
Speaker C:And he said, well, we're looking.
Speaker C:And I literally said, I think he just found her.
Speaker C:He handed me his card.
Speaker C:He Said if you're interested, he had to run, call me, we'll get together in.
Speaker C:And I did.
Speaker C:Two weeks later I sold my first shed.
Speaker C:And we've always wanted to do it differently.
Speaker C:So long story short or short story long, depending on your attitude, I guess.
Speaker C:We ended up with four display lots in Washington state.
Speaker C:They were all manned, you know, full time hours.
Speaker C:We ended up with four lots in Arizona before we even lived here.
Speaker C:I sold my business in Washington state to one of my employees who to this day is rocking it.
Speaker C:Sold my business in Arizona 2 1/2 years ago to a couple of gentlemen I knew from Washington state and they ran it right into the ground.
Speaker C:But what I hadn't done is I hadn't sold the name.
Speaker C:So we decided to revamp and go nationwide.
Speaker C:So in doing that I didn't want to be just your normal shed dealer that might have 10 or 15 or 20 sheds on the lot.
Speaker C:So it was this is go big or go home.
Speaker C:So we're currently in Arizona, South Carolina, Kentucky and Oklahoma.
Speaker C:And our plan is to have 10 shed lots nationwide.
Speaker C:Shed gall lots.
Speaker C:We have multiple metal building displays on each lot, a large amount of sheds on each lot.
Speaker C:We do shipping containers.
Speaker C:We do beautiful Amish made outdoor furniture.
Speaker C:We have at the Phoenix lot, we have the beautiful Mexican metal art that's just absolutely gorgeous.
Speaker C:We do aluma wood pergolas, outdoor bars.
Speaker C:So we are not your grandpa's shed lot.
Speaker A:No, I don't think so.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And you know it's a very, very conservative industry.
Speaker C:And then there's me and that's truth and I, you know, I'm a disruptor in the industry and that, that's not a negative thing.
Speaker C:It's that in these times we have to think differently about how we're doing business.
Speaker C:So it's going great.
Speaker C:Hopefully in the next couple years we'll, we'll keep adding lots to get up to that 10.
Speaker C:But it's never been done before.
Speaker C:Never.
Speaker C:There is no shed dealer in this country that has ever gone nationwide.
Speaker C:Just hasn't been done.
Speaker C:So we're having a great time.
Speaker C:We love it.
Speaker C:But our, our lot in Phoenix, it is gor.
Speaker C:It is a beautiful lot and we're open seven days a week.
Speaker C:We also do a ton of U haul rentals.
Speaker C:So it's a, people come in and almost without exception they're like this is so cool.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You've got a lot lot to offer.
Speaker A:People with that have want to create something special for their backyards.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:And we do things more in a Concierge thing.
Speaker C:Even with U Haul, if you come in and rent a $7 dolly, I'm offering you a free beverage.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:Other dealers don't do, I can tell you, other U Haul dealers do not do that.
Speaker C:We, you know, we don't just say, there's your truck over there a quarter of a mile away.
Speaker C:We go get it.
Speaker C:And we made sure in the summer that it was cooled off so that they could just hop in and go.
Speaker C:We just do things differently.
Speaker C:And that's how, that's why we've been successful.
Speaker C:Because we're not doing it the way that many do it.
Speaker A:Obviously.
Speaker A:Obviously.
Speaker A:And it never gets that hot in Arizona, right?
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:No, beautiful today.
Speaker A:Arizona is a beautiful time.
Speaker A:I mean, what is.
Speaker A:I think it's in the 80s today.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And it's just beautiful outside.
Speaker A:Great day to go play golf.
Speaker C:Yeah, no kidding.
Speaker C:Let's go.
Speaker A:Unbelievable.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:But you know, some of the things I think are, that I've seen that are, are important because you want to talk about what, what's different in, I think in the way of construction of, of what the sheds that you carry versus, you know, some other shed lots around the country as well as, you know, you know, big box stores.
Speaker A:You know, I remember I went up to Sedona about two weeks ago and I remember going up to Sedona and I saw, I think I saw one sign that had shed lot on it and they had some, some sheds, but obviously it didn't look like yours.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker A:And it was, it was just your, your average shed.
Speaker A:And I think people got used to, you know, they see something at a big box store.
Speaker A:Yeah, we need more space and it's cheaper than going out in, you know, buying a, you know, a 10 by 10 space or whatever, 10 by 20 space at a storage facility and put it on your property this way, believe me.
Speaker A:I mean you could spend $200 or better at a storage facility to store some of your stuff, depending on what size you buy.
Speaker A:But if you buy the shed, you know, then it's on your property.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker A:So yeah, convenience, you know, and you don't have to just go outside, unlock the shed and take out what you want and be done with it.
Speaker C:The biggest challenge, for example, I mean we, we, we deliver and build all over the state, Arizona.
Speaker C:So if a customer can have a building, portable building that we've already built at the plant, delivered intact, we do that.
Speaker C:But we also offer on site builds and Maricopa county, you know, most people are in HOA's, you're not getting the normal 8 foot wall height shed approved by your HOA.
Speaker C:But we have an HOA model that's fantastic.
Speaker C:So you know we can, we can accommodate that.
Speaker C:But you know there's no bad shed in this industry.
Speaker C:But when you were mentioning the big box stores.
Speaker C:I went to a big box store when I was looking for a shed eight and a half years ago and you know, I remember going in.
Speaker C:Well first of all I'm looking and there's like mold and rot on the floorboard and weeds growing up through it.
Speaker C:Now this is in western Washington, not here.
Speaker C:You wouldn't, you're not going to have that mold problem here.
Speaker C:But, but I would go into the store and I asked about a shed and they hand me a flyer and clearly the person had no clue.
Speaker C:And so they're order takers.
Speaker C:And I, I mean that with the utmost respect.
Speaker C:I'm not being condescending.
Speaker C:They are not trained.
Speaker C:We do this full time.
Speaker C:This is our life.
Speaker C:And so if you go to a big box store, yes, they, they definitely have a shed that's not, they're not bad sheds.
Speaker C:There's no bad shed out there.
Speaker C:But the service you're going to get and the follow up care that you're going to get.
Speaker C:There is no comparison between shed gal, our team and really any other dealer or, or any big box.
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean I remember, I remember going to.
Speaker A:Well this was a smaller shed but I remember it was one of the ones that you know, you, it, you, you'd have to assemble yourself.
Speaker C:Oh yeah.
Speaker A:And you pick it up, you know, at, at the big box store and take it to your house and then sit down there and figure out how A goes into B and why.
Speaker C:Oh yeah, well, and we get that with, I've had it multiple times over the years with sheds and more often with metal buildings where someone will buy a kit and then they, it gets there and they're like oh my gosh.
Speaker C:For, you know, for the, for the metal buildings and carports, oh my gosh, I have to cut the metal.
Speaker C:I have to do this, I have to do that.
Speaker C:They have, they're, they're way out of their league.
Speaker C:And then they call us wanting us to install it.
Speaker C:We don't install other metal building companies kits.
Speaker C:We sell a metal building that includes installation.
Speaker C:And so you know, I, I get people wanting to save a little money but if that carport that you need and you wanted sits in a pile beside your house for five years, it doesn't matter if you saved A thousand dollars.
Speaker C:You've wasted every dime you spent on it.
Speaker C:So, you know, we truly are trying to change the industry.
Speaker A:Well, I think it's, it's important as we go on.
Speaker A:You know, in any business, there has to be innovators.
Speaker A:That's how we progress.
Speaker A:And I think if you have a vision of something and you truly believe in your passionate about it, I think you should.
Speaker A:I've done it in the past.
Speaker A:You got to go for it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:You guys just got to go for it.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:I agree.
Speaker C:We, we absolutely love what we do.
Speaker C:I, you know, I've ended up being friends with a ton of my customers and I was in Insurance for 23 years and I used to joke that my customers, customers become friends and my friends become customers.
Speaker C:But it's that way in this industry too.
Speaker C:Like, I've met some really, really fantastic people and, and you know, anything in sales, it's, it's a, it's a people business.
Speaker C:But it blows me away that, you know, a company will put a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of their product on someone's property and then they're not, they're not working full time to sell it.
Speaker C:I mean, to me, that just blows me away.
Speaker C:But that's, that's been the shed industry in the past.
Speaker C:They will hire anybody who is breathing well.
Speaker C:Sad but true.
Speaker A:Well, it's changing.
Speaker A:Well, the thing though, you see a lot of people, though, they go out and then, and I've seen this, I've seen this with contractors.
Speaker A:They go out and they, they promote selling design, build and stuff like that for whatever it is.
Speaker A:And they are good salesmen.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:But when it comes down to the nitty gritty and they are wearing two hats, maybe the second hat for the build is not as strong as the first.
Speaker A:And you're not taking, they're not working through it.
Speaker A:And it just doesn't promote confidence to the consumer for sure.
Speaker A:You know, I agree and I think that's, I think that's part of the problem.
Speaker A:So when you hear, you know, like I was trying to do something.
Speaker A:When you start with a customer and you finish it, you want to have them smiling when you walk away because happy customers give happy referrals.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:That sounds familiar.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:It's so good.
Speaker C:That's something Wes Bergman from the Blocks would say.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:It'S true.
Speaker A:Wes would say something like that.
Speaker C:He absolutely would.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But we're going to take a short break.
Speaker A:When we come back, we get to get into a little bit more some challenges in the future.
Speaker A:And I want to talk about a little bit about, you know, sheds and some of the container stuff.
Speaker A:And also, you know, people want to get into, if anybody's interested in the container pool, now's the time to get it because, you know, all those people, and I'm talking to all those people that have all that disposable income and they want to dump it by December 31st.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker A:So they don't have to worry.
Speaker A:Pay taxes on it.
Speaker A:Why not?
Speaker A:You got a rental property, put a container pool on it.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You'll only be able to charge more money for the rental or if it's a vrbo and it's, it's a great investment.
Speaker A:So hang tight.
Speaker A:We'll be right back.
Speaker A:You're listening to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker E:Looking to transform your space with over 30 years of construction experience and featured on radio and TV, Ideal Home Improvement and Legacy Custom Homes AZ does it all from repairs, remodeling and restorations to new builds, container homes and container pools.
Speaker E:Plus cutting edge solar systems to help homeowners save money on their utility bills.
Speaker E:Hi, I'm Steve Dubell.
Speaker E:Let us help you design and build your dream home with the expertise that comes from decades of experience in the business.
Speaker E: -: Speaker E:Remember, Ideal home improvement and legacy custom homes az, where your dream home becomes reality.
Speaker E:Don't wait.
Speaker E:Call today.
Speaker B:Stardust Building Supplies is your home improvement thrift store.
Speaker B:Find salvaged and gently used cabinetry, doors, windows, appliances, lighting, plumbing and much more.
Speaker B:Save money, be green and support the community.
Speaker B:Shop and donate at Star Building Supplies Valley location.
Speaker B:For more info, visit stardustbuilding.org.
Speaker A:All right, we are back and you are listening to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:And we are here with Susan the shed Gal, world renowned and almost, almost probably working on it.
Speaker A:That's right, we're working on it.
Speaker C:That's right.
Speaker A:And we're going to be talking a little bit more about it.
Speaker A:But I want to remind everybody who watches television or on your tablet or phone, Roku, the Roku channel.
Speaker A:We're going to have our own Roku channel and it should be debuting the beginning of November.
Speaker A:It's called Home Renovation iq where we're going to be talking everything about remodeling, restoration, everything that pertaining to the things that you need to know about your home so that you are a homeowner and become dangerous with tools.
Speaker C:Nice.
Speaker A:We don't want to do that.
Speaker A:We Want to make sure that you're safe and you're educated about what you need to do.
Speaker A:That's why we call it home renovation iq.
Speaker C:I love it.
Speaker A:So make sure you check that out.
Speaker A:Won't be announcing the exact debut date, but it should be the first week in November.
Speaker A:So it's going to be real, a lot of fun and we're going to have a lot of great people on there, a lot of great vendors on there and people that have products for home improvement and residential, luxury homes too.
Speaker A:So it's going to be really good.
Speaker A:Well, one of the things that we want to just talk about real differently, I should say, in addition to what we spoke about in the first segment, want to talk about, you know, let's talk a little bit about pros and cons in, in having a, you know, a shed completely re, you know, built prefab.
Speaker A:Prefab versus traditional building.
Speaker A:Like whether if you had somebody come in and do it or, or you did it yourself.
Speaker C:One of our biggest referrals over the last eight years has been from licensed contractors.
Speaker C:So I think contractors in general can stay pretty busy.
Speaker C:A lot of contractors like the bigger jobs.
Speaker C:And so we have gotten a ton of referrals from contractors who literally just don't want to touch the smaller projects.
Speaker C:Maybe someone needs a 10 by 20 shed.
Speaker C:And you know, it's, it's not that the contractor doesn't want to do it, it's just that they have projects that will be more lucrative for them, of course.
Speaker A:Be more.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I make more money.
Speaker C:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker C:And so that, that's always been a huge compliment to us.
Speaker C:But I think, you know, prefab again in Maricopa county, it's a big deal.
Speaker C:You know, I have a three, three and a half foot wide gate.
Speaker C:You're not getting a ten foot wide building.
Speaker C:Well, number one, my HOA wouldn't allow it anyway, but.
Speaker C:Right, but even if we could, I mean, yeah, we could have it craned in, but we can build on site.
Speaker C:But I think the biggest thing is you're getting a really, really high quality product from a shed manufacturer.
Speaker C:And if you compare the same square footage and the same quality, meaning same, you know, how it's built, it's going to be a lot more expensive.
Speaker C:My guess is 9 out of 10 contractors, it's going to be a lot more expensive because they're pricing it because they don't really want to do it.
Speaker C:So, you know, people do that, huh?
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker C:There's, there's enough business for everybody.
Speaker C:The, the, the latest thing I've seen mostly in Arizona is companies and we've done it, that we will meet or beat anybody's price.
Speaker C:Well, if that's the case, we're all going to be giving away sheds because if shed gal prices it at 10,000 and the person down the street price at 9,000, well now we're going to have to go to 89.
Speaker C:It doesn't work.
Speaker C:It is just not working because now too many people are doing it.
Speaker C:But sheds do differ from shed company.
Speaker C:But again, there's no bad shed out there.
Speaker C:But it comes down to go in and ask that shed dealer, what kind of trick training did you get?
Speaker C:You're, you're going to find that most of them, when I say none, I mean no training.
Speaker C:They don't know how they're built.
Speaker C:They don't know how manufacturer warranties work on the siding and roofing.
Speaker C:They, they don't know.
Speaker C:Ask that question, you know, what training did you get?
Speaker C:What, what makes you the expert in it?
Speaker C:You're going to get an expert when you call the shed gal.
Speaker C:Because we all know what we're doing because this is what we do 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Speaker C:But going back to the, you know, prefab and listen, if someone wants to hire a contractor and have a shed built, I mean there's enough business for everybody.
Speaker C:But this is certainly a really good market.
Speaker C:Now as far as finished off buildings and this, we do finish off buildings in Arizona.
Speaker C:As far as wiring, we, we can have the plumbing done from an outside plumber.
Speaker C:We can finish off the walls like with Shiplap.
Speaker C:My absolutely beautiful.
Speaker C:But at my Oklahoma lot, they truly make finished off tiny homes.
Speaker C:And when I was there and saw that building for one of the ones on my lot, it says 16 wide by 50 long.
Speaker C:It is absolutely spectacular.
Speaker A:Oh, it's a beautiful, it's a beautiful, you know, unit.
Speaker C:Yeah, really just spectacular.
Speaker C:And so you're not going to.
Speaker C:It would be a lot more expensive if you have a contractor do it.
Speaker C:But that's fine.
Speaker C:If you want to pay that.
Speaker C:That's totally fine.
Speaker C:If you compared it to like a single wide mobile home, one is an appreciating asset and one is a depreciating.
Speaker C:So there is that.
Speaker C:And just the quality of how they're built is just absolutely amazing.
Speaker C: So I mean, our lot, we're at: Speaker C:We're open seven days a week.
Speaker C:Come in and see our Office.
Speaker C:It, it's absolutely finished off.
Speaker C:It's spectacular.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And then obviously the one thing that you could also do, like for instance, if people are interested in putting it on their lot and if they don't have, you know, electricity, we could always have Adam come by and.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:Put solar on top of that unit for you.
Speaker C:We love our solar.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But in fact I talked to Adam today and we take, actually take it a size of system for, for the shed and you could put it out and you don't.
Speaker A:It doesn't, you know, we talked about earlier about, you know, using it for storage.
Speaker A:But you could also use it for, you could make it an outdoor office.
Speaker A:You could, you could do a lot of different things with it, you know, besides.
Speaker C:Oh yeah.
Speaker A:Store your stuff in it.
Speaker C:Yep, absolutely.
Speaker C:And you know, Adam did our solar and having fought with generators over the year, our first lot, we didn't have any power of any kind for the first 18 months that they did just an absolutely fantastic job.
Speaker C:And the biggest test was this summer.
Speaker C:You know, when it's 110 or 115 degrees and we're open from 8am to 6pm, you know, five days a week at 9 to 4 on weekends.
Speaker C:How is that solar going to hold up?
Speaker C:We never ever went down anywhere near zero in the summer, even though we were running too many splits all day long every day.
Speaker C:So it's a great way for folks.
Speaker C:There's a lot of folks that are off grid, especially up in the mountains.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker C:In Arizona it is.
Speaker C:Oh my gosh.
Speaker C:We can, we've got connections to everybody you need.
Speaker C:If you want a shed that's fully finished off and you want solar and mini splits and all that, we, we can hook you up.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think that's the most important thing to be able to know that there is somebody there.
Speaker A:And I think it's a, it's a welcomed pleasure to be able to deal with you and someone like you that actually is knowledgeable will see it through from not just the sale to, but to the installation of it instead of going to.
Speaker A:And I hate to bad mouth big box stores, but sometimes not every worker in the big box store is knowledgeable in every area.
Speaker A:No one could be.
Speaker A:However, I think a lot of, a lot of the people will nowhere give you anywhere near the service that you can.
Speaker C:Oh, I agree.
Speaker C:I mean, Joe behind the counter at the big box store isn't going out on your delivery.
Speaker C:You know, if you have a problem, well, Joe, Bob, whoever you want, you know who, you know, any name Joe.
Speaker A:Bob, I like that, Joe.
Speaker C:You're not going to talk to Joe two times in a row when you call either because you know they work different hours.
Speaker C:So it's just a different type of service.
Speaker C:You know, we offer, you can purchase our buildings outright or the metal buildings.
Speaker C:We offer a no credit check rent own plan.
Speaker C:You had mentioned, you know, you could pay 200amonth for a storage unit.
Speaker C:So let's go back four years ago.
Speaker C:I was renting to 10, 10 by 20, I believe they were 10 by 20, possibly 10 by 10 storage units before we moved down here and I was paying over 200amonth for each one.
Speaker C:Now that was my only option.
Speaker C:We didn't live here yet.
Speaker C:I didn't have a place to put a storage building.
Speaker C:But you can get just about the same square footage on our no credit check rent own plan.
Speaker C:And yes, it caught.
Speaker C:It's more expensive than purchasing it outright.
Speaker C:There's fees involved, monthly fees.
Speaker C:But the storage unit place, they're really nice people.
Speaker C:But you get nothing.
Speaker C:When you're done with us at the end of your term, you own that building.
Speaker A:Well, it's like paying rent when you live in an apartment for sure, you know, you don't gain any equity from it.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:You know, you just know that that's my only option.
Speaker A:So you have to live with it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And we've also brought on, we have two credit based financing options for folks.
Speaker C:So we've had a lot of customers utilize that where even sometimes when they've had the cash, they don't want to part with it right now.
Speaker C:And you could say, oh well, why would someone want to pay interest?
Speaker C:Well, it's, it's their money.
Speaker C:And, and you know, for a security thing, sometimes people want to just keep that money in their account and finance it and pay it off when they're a little more comfor.
Speaker C:So I mean we've got an option for everyone, for everyone.
Speaker C:We just encourage people to come on in.
Speaker C:We've got a really fun giveaway that has not been announced yet, but there is a video we posted a week or two ago in partnership with Pro Home Solutions H Vac company.
Speaker C:There's going to be a really fun giveaway coming up and you can find out more information about that very soon on our Facebook page, which is Shed Gal.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:Convenient.
Speaker C:The name is very convenient.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And it's very, it's very short, concise and very descriptive about who you are and what you do and well, someone.
Speaker C:Suggested I need to change the name because we've got you know, the metal buildings and outdoor bars and this and that.
Speaker C:And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, I'm not changing my name.
Speaker A:No, you could, yeah, I could see it now, all those names and buildings.
Speaker A:Gal.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's not going to work.
Speaker A:Shed Gal is very descriptive and it's very, it's very.
Speaker A:You've built, you've built a legacy around that name and that's what you, you need to keep going forward with.
Speaker C:Yeah, I had the.
Speaker C:And I've heard this many, many times over the last few years.
Speaker C:But there's a big hitter in our industry that I was talking to last month when I was out at the Shed Expo in Michigan or wherever I was, Knoxville, Tennessee.
Speaker C:And as he was leaving, he says, I got to tell you something, you literally have the best branding in the entire Shed industry.
Speaker C:Now if it was a brand new dealer that had been around two weeks and they said that I, I would know that.
Speaker C:You know, they're just being kind, they're just trying to straight this person.
Speaker C:I was like, wow.
Speaker C:Like that is a huge compliment.
Speaker C:And here's the thing, he's right.
Speaker C:He's right.
Speaker C:I do a lot of training with dealers across the country and, and helping them.
Speaker C:I had someone reach out earlier today from a video that I did on the upflip channel on YouTube.
Speaker C:It was done almost.
Speaker C:Well, March will be four years ago.
Speaker C:I think it's got like 360, 000 views.
Speaker C:I had someone reach out this morning.
Speaker C:I have had over the years, hundreds of dealers reach out and I'm always happy to help them.
Speaker C:So we're always wanting to move the industry forward in a positive way.
Speaker C:But that was a huge compliment for him to tell me that I have the best branding in this industry.
Speaker C:And I happen to agree.
Speaker C:So as humble as I am.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, but you're humble?
Speaker A:I don't think so.
Speaker C:Just as humble as, you know.
Speaker A:Well, you know, what can I say?
Speaker A:But anyway, Susan, thanks so much for being on the show.
Speaker A:Today is really, really great and all our listeners out there and are interested and obviously people outside the state of Arizona, they can buy one from you as well.
Speaker C:Yeah, we do metal buildings nationwide.
Speaker A:Okay, so there you go.
Speaker A:So any, any type of Shed structure that you need, give the Shed Gal a call and what's the phone number and the web address where they can reach you again?
Speaker C:So Our website is shed gal.comtiktok We're Shed Gal on Instagram, Shed Gal Steel buildings.
Speaker C: And you can reach us at: Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:And I definitely anyone who's interested in in has a need for shed.
Speaker A:Obviously, like I said, people have disposable income.
Speaker A:You don't have to buy it outright.
Speaker A:You could finance it and Susan will have the answer that fits your needs.
Speaker A:But we're going to take a short break.
Speaker A:When we come back, we're going to be talking with Sean Lapointe for Mr. Electric, talking about that electrical readiness and safety tips for homeowners coming as we coming towards the holidays.
Speaker A:So everybody hang tight.
Speaker A:We'll be right back.
Speaker D:Hi, I'm Erica Thompson, the dominating designer, a hard working artist with a sense of humor.
Speaker D:What is the Dominating Designer process?
Speaker D:It's just like what you see on tv.
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Speaker A:All right, we are back and you're listening to to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:And we want to say thanks again to Susan the shed Gal with all her great information.
Speaker A:But right now we want to talk a little bit about holiday electrical safety and readiness as we're coming into the holidays and there is no better person to talk about it is our good friend and sponsor to Boxcar Universe, Sean Lapointe from Mr. Electric.
Speaker A:Sean, how are you doing today, Steve?
Speaker F:I'm doing fantastic.
Speaker F:How are you?
Speaker A:Oh, you know, it's great.
Speaker A:It's Thursday and it's, you know, a week away from the start of the holiday season.
Speaker A:Like I, like I was talking about in the first segment, you know, I think we can include Halloween into the holiday season now because everybody's putting up, you know, lights, inflatables, different types of imaging on their home.
Speaker A:You know, they want to make their home scary if it's not scary enough already, if they're a homeowner who's dangerous with tools.
Speaker A:But they can make it very scary.
Speaker A:But, you know, I think this is the time of the season.
Speaker A:You really probably get a lot of phone calls where people turning around saying, you know, you know, my break is overloading.
Speaker A:I've got like a zillion extension cords outside.
Speaker A:What do you find in this time of the season that people are calling for when it comes to being electrically ready for the holiday season?
Speaker F:Well, it's Interesting because nobody seems to be very proactive about this.
Speaker F:And it's always a reactive mechanism.
Speaker F:So it's not what can I do, it's what just happened.
Speaker A:My whole house shorted out.
Speaker F:Yeah.
Speaker F:Usually involves something like, hey, well this happened and now this won't reset and this happened and now this doesn't work.
Speaker F:And you know, I didn't realize these two were related.
Speaker F:And there's a lot of interrelated, you know, electrical items, especially when it comes to like, you know, trying to put stuff in outdoors and, and that kind of thing.
Speaker F:And you know, some of us have that going in when we build a house.
Speaker F:We say, you know what?
Speaker F:I know I'm going to need this, this and this, and we'll, we'll get it in there.
Speaker F:But most of us aren't like that.
Speaker F:And they're, you know, we just, hey, this is the home I like.
Speaker F:And I bought it.
Speaker F:It was already pre built and unfortunately nobody didn't think I was going to put 600,000 lights up for right now.
Speaker F:It is.
Speaker F:And, and, and I say that as a little bit of exaggeration, but it seems to be a common theme like who's got the biggest display in the neighborhood.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think that, yeah, the homeowners get into competition with each other.
Speaker A:Who could build, who, who could actually have, excuse me.
Speaker A:Have the, the baddest looking, you know, decorations and.
Speaker A:Because, you know, I think they, they're looking for, you know, I mean, every year, you know, one of, one of the things that I'm sure you do and a lot of other people do, you know, if you've got some spare time and you just want to go take a drive out one night and go look at the decorations.
Speaker A:You know, people do that.
Speaker A:They even have what, some of those special neighborhoods.
Speaker A:They have tours.
Speaker F:They do.
Speaker A:Yes, they do.
Speaker F:My, my sister's house is a tour by itself.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:How many lights does she have?
Speaker F:You know, it's not just light.
Speaker F:It's like they, they try to find the biggest thing.
Speaker F:Like, look at this thing.
Speaker F:It's like, this is bigger than the house.
Speaker F:You know, it's like, oh my gosh.
Speaker A:Well, some of those inflated, some of those inflatables are really, are really huge.
Speaker A:I mean, they have some stuff out there, but, but I, I would think over the years it, it gets a little better that, you know, with the advent of solar and people are using solar to do some outdoors lighting where their solar part of the fixture that comes in.
Speaker A:So that would save a little bit on it in Fact, I saw, I was going to ask you about this.
Speaker A:You know, I saw advertising, I think it was Facebook last week that there is a company out there that's advertising year round lighting for, for any holiday, whatever it is.
Speaker A:And they showed stuff for Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, Fourth of July.
Speaker A:And I, I think it's, I don't know if it's LED driven or.
Speaker F:Yeah, it's, it's, it's definitely, you know, strip lighting.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker F:NEMA 3.
Speaker F:Yeah, and that's definitely, there's a couple of, a couple, two, three companies at least I know that are going out there and it's, and it's a big deal.
Speaker F:You know, they bring lifts and, and, and boom lifts and that kind of stuff to get to the higher stuff and, and you know, it's kind of a, kind of a big deal.
Speaker F:Not cheap.
Speaker A:Oh, I'm sure.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So, so, you know, if they keep doing that though, I, I won't be able to complain about people leaving their icicle Christmas lights up in July.
Speaker F:Yeah.
Speaker A:To take them down.
Speaker A:I mean, it's just, you know, yet I still see them.
Speaker A:They still, they're still out there.
Speaker A:Some people still do them.
Speaker A:They just never take them down and you just never know what's going to happen with them, you know.
Speaker A:But what are some other things that people are getting, you know, for instance, during the holiday season when it starts getting a little colder, cooler here in the Valley?
Speaker A:I mean it gets, people don't understand Arizona, it does get cold, trust me, doesn't get as cold as Chicago or New York or the east coast or the upper Midwest, but it does get cold.
Speaker A:And you know, December, you know, you know, we're definitely coming into sweater weather.
Speaker A:Definitely coming into sweater weather.
Speaker A:Now do you find that, for instance, like a lot of people are using space heaters at all for any areas that they may have?
Speaker F:You know, we do run into that in the, in the winter months for sure.
Speaker F:And, and what a lot of people don't realize is the amount of energy a space heater takes.
Speaker F:And you know, a typical space heater could take up as much energy as like a blow dryer or a vacuum cleaner.
Speaker F:And just putting one of those on there might be enough to stress a normal electrical circuit that has, you know, a couple of rooms on it and some lighting.
Speaker F:You take that one step further and now it's not enough.
Speaker F:Now I got two space heaters going on and, or I've got three space heaters going on, or I got four space heaters going on and we get the Call like, what is going on?
Speaker F:I plug these things in and.
Speaker F:And, you know, the, you know, what ends up happening is we go out there and so it becomes an educational process for the customer.
Speaker F:It's like, hey, you know what this is?
Speaker F:This is the, you know, the current draw.
Speaker F:This is the energy that it takes.
Speaker F:And right here's the energy that's available.
Speaker F:And, you know, the.
Speaker F:So we have two options here.
Speaker F:We can, you know, you can.
Speaker F:You can unplug the space heaters to get things to work, or you can allow us to bring in some dedicated circuitry that'll allow these to function.
Speaker A:Now, do you find that those.
Speaker A:Like, when I think space heater, I think of something more industrial.
Speaker A:But how do they compare to those propane gas heaters that you could put on your patio?
Speaker A:I mean, as far as.
Speaker A:As far as.
Speaker A:And I'm sure there's a distance between.
Speaker A:You can't put space heaters close to combustible.
Speaker A:You know, things in your home.
Speaker A:You've got.
Speaker F:I don't think there's a.
Speaker F:There's a comparison.
Speaker F:I mean, the propane space heater isn't going in your house.
Speaker A:Okay, well, you still could put it, you know, you still could put it too close to the.
Speaker A:Yes, but I think, if I remember right, a regular space heater, I think you got to keep it.
Speaker A:I think it's 20ft away from, you know, a combustible, you know, thing, whether it be another part of your house or something like that, because you do need space in there.
Speaker A:But I remember, I think the.
Speaker A:The worst space heater story I saw was one I did years ago where this family had teenagers, and they had a garage that was slightly detached from the house by about three feet.
Speaker A:And what they did was the kids were in there, they had the space heater on, and they apparently must have had it facing a direction that had combustible material.
Speaker F:And.
Speaker A:And they forgot to shut it off.
Speaker A:And then what happened was all of a sudden, space heater got that combustible material so hot, it started a fire and the.
Speaker A:The whole garage burnt.
Speaker A:It went up in flames.
Speaker A:I mean, and again, education is a big part of it.
Speaker A:I think a lot of homeowners don't know, like you say, they could plug all these things in, and they just assume that there's enough power.
Speaker A:There's.
Speaker F:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, and it's.
Speaker A:It's really not somebody.
Speaker A:That's why I think, you know, an electrical inspection just to.
Speaker A:As a.
Speaker A:As a check to see the condition of your.
Speaker A:Of your, you know, Your usage versus what you have in there.
Speaker A:Are the breakers getting old?
Speaker A:I remember one of the homes they did some work at and one of your technicians came out to do something and he made mention to me that, you know, hey, Steve, by the way, you know, there's like three breakers in the box that were discontinued and they really should be replaced because it now it becomes a safety factor.
Speaker A:And so I told the homeowner and he definitely had them replaced.
Speaker F:Yeah, so quite a bit too.
Speaker F:You know what's funny is, is, you know, some people don't even have any kind of clue, you know, how to, how to make a electrical repair.
Speaker F:And that's great.
Speaker F:We don't, you know, as electricians, we don't expect that.
Speaker F:Then you get, you know, you get a, the, you know, a certain person that knows just enough, what we call to be dangerous.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker F:So we ran into this once and this actually had to do with space heaters also, where he was plugging in four space heaters and it was tripping the breaker.
Speaker F:And so in the customers in his mindset, he goes, well, I'm just going to put a bigger breaker on there.
Speaker F:That way we will stop the tripping problem.
Speaker F:What the customer didn't realize is that that bigger breaker was now allowing too much current to flow through the existing wire.
Speaker F:And unfortunately, in this case, it did end up ultimately resulting in a house fire.
Speaker C:Wow.
Speaker A:Yeah, because that, it, that that line gets so hot if it doesn't have the right breaker on it.
Speaker F:Yep, yep.
Speaker F:And that's basically what the breakers are for, the size to the wire.
Speaker F:So anytime somebody comes to us and says, hey, I just need you to come over real quick and put a, you know, a 20 instead of a 15 on.
Speaker F:And then we get there and there's some educational process again.
Speaker F:And we're really good at educating by.
Speaker F:We're safety oriented and we're educators and we love to give options.
Speaker F:And so, you know, we come out and we say, you know, what the, you know, really the real purpose of this is to protect the wire.
Speaker F:And so if we start, you know, messing around with that protective mechanism, then, you know, then, then it could become a safety issue.
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean, that's so very important that you always have to factor in and get a feel.
Speaker A:Well, much like anything that we do a remodel to get an idea of, you know, what does the homeowner know?
Speaker A:What is he expecting from your, from your service call?
Speaker A:And, you know, what is the ultimate goal and is it feasible to do what he's asking because like you say, sometimes it just isn't got to get.
Speaker A:You've got to get be able to turn around and be able to set them on the right, on the straight narrow as they say, so that they know exactly what's going on.
Speaker F:Yep, we're very good at that.
Speaker A:Yeah, I know you are, it's really true.
Speaker A:But we're going to take a short break, but when we come back we want to just talk a little bit more about some preventative maintenance and things to get ready for the holiday season to make sure that you don't have to have Sean come out with his team and educate you on why you should have had a, an electrical home check sometime, maybe probably in the springtime before the summer came by because that's another season that gets overloaded when you because there is an extreme amount of electrical energy and power needed to run all the air conditioning equipment that you have in your home.
Speaker A:So stay tuned.
Speaker A:We'll be right back.
Speaker A:You're listening to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker G:Hi, I'm Sean with Mr. Electric and I have a tip to help make your life better.
Speaker G:One important reminder is to call a qualified electrician.
Speaker G:When you have frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers.
Speaker G:When a circuit breaker trip or a fuse blows, it's indicating that you have a problem with some other part of the circuit.
Speaker G:If your breaker trips more than once, you should have a qualified electrician come out and take a look at it.
Speaker G:Contrary to what may be acceptable, you really shouldn't try to continuously try to reset the breaker because there may be a problem somewhere else down the circuit and you could be causing a fire hazard.
Speaker G:There could be a loose connection or some other form of problem on the circuit and every time you reset the circuit breaker it could be causing a spark at the other end.
Speaker G:We recommend having a qualified electrician come out and check on the condition of the circuit and make sure that the circuit does not have any problems and it could just be a bad breaker also.
Speaker G:But you definitely want to have a qualified electrician check that out.
Speaker G:To have someone come out from our team may only take a portion of a day, but it could potentially save you a lot of money or your life.
Speaker G:And that's just another way Mr. Electric has the power to make your life.
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Speaker A:All right, we are back and you are listening to Boxcar Universe, and we are speaking with Sean Lapointe from Mr. Electric, talking about your electrical readiness for the holiday season.
Speaker A:And I think one of the things that, Sean, that you can help our listeners, you know, get on the right track for is what, what kind of preventative maintenance can they do in, in thinking about not just the, you know, well, I'm going to put up this kind of decoration and these lights and, and this and that, but I don't know, I don't think they give it the, the thought of, you know, the readiness from an electrical standpoint.
Speaker A:They're just looking at, from, well, this is going to look pretty cool.
Speaker A:Like you had said, you know, what was it your, your sister's house that you said was.
Speaker A:It had a tour on its own.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker F:Just, just to go through all the, all the big stuff they had on display.
Speaker F:You know, it's, it's.
Speaker F:So to get ready for something like that, it's a little bit difficult because your electrical system is kind of inert.
Speaker F:Right.
Speaker F:And it's not something that your average homeowner is going to go in and say, oh, I'm going to add three more receptacles over here and then add another circuit over here.
Speaker F:But if you're, you know, as a casual user.
Speaker F:Right.
Speaker F:So one of the big problems is most houses only have one outlet in the front.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker F:At all.
Speaker F:Right.
Speaker F:And so now you're getting a little creative to get power everywhere and you're going to be running extension cords everywhere and, you know, are they going to go across pathways and is it going to be a trip hazard?
Speaker F:You know, you know, with the newer stuff nowadays, especially with lighting, it's, you know, very, very efficient.
Speaker F:It doesn't take hardly any current, which is, which is, you know, nice compared to those big giant, you know, C7 bulbs used to have back in the day.
Speaker A:Oh, my God.
Speaker F:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker F:These kids used to steal them and throw them in the street.
Speaker F:But, you know, the bigger thing is, is it's all fine and dandy until you get some moisture.
Speaker F:And then you got all these three or 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12 extension cords and any kind of moisture shows up at any one of those plug in points or connection points, then it's going to potentially, you know, you know, trip a breaker inside or trip a GFI device.
Speaker F:And, and a lot of times that one receptacle is actually on with a whole bunch of other receptacles that are.
Speaker A:Distributed in the house.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker F:So it could affect your laundry room, could affect your bathroom, could affect your garage especially.
Speaker F:Got that refrigerator, you know, with your full of meat.
Speaker F:You got the garage on that same.
Speaker A:Circuit which we tell people don't do, but they do it anyway because.
Speaker A:Oh yeah, you know, I gotta put it somewhere.
Speaker A:I, they need some extra stuff.
Speaker F:But they don't know we know.
Speaker F:We, we've, we've been a solution for that for us lately has been a, there's a GFI device that, that actually has an alarm on it.
Speaker F:So if it trips, alarm goes off, you're like, what is that noise?
Speaker F:And that noise is your meat dethon.
Speaker A:Alert, alert, red alert.
Speaker A:Oh my God.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Well, you know, that is a great, that is a great tool to be able to use especially you know.
Speaker A:Well again, you know, it's the same thing now.
Speaker A:Technology evolves and we wind up having these things that we never used to have way back in the day.
Speaker A:You know, I mean they, they even have those alert systems now.
Speaker A:Like for instance on hot water heaters.
Speaker F:Yeah.
Speaker A:To be able to do that.
Speaker A:So in case the thing starts leaking it, you know, you get an alarm begin to alert to be able to know.
Speaker A:And that'll save a lot of water damage.
Speaker A:I mean, I had something the other day that cabinet person called me about and she said they had again, something, something that probably should never have run that way.
Speaker A:But somebody had routed the air conditioning condensation line down the wall that it emptied into the washer box and it had recycle on it.
Speaker A:So it would recycle.
Speaker A:I don't know how many hours it used to be on recycle.
Speaker A:So it used to drain.
Speaker A:Well, what happened was they had pulled the washer and the dryer out from the wall because they painted the upper, upper cabinets that were in the laundry room well to make sure that they didn't have anything fall down in the hole.
Speaker A:They plugged the drain hole nice and then when they got all done, they forgot to take the plug out.
Speaker A:So in the middle of the night, all of a sudden this thing started recirculating recycling and they had a flood everywhere because it did it for hours.
Speaker F:Oh geez.
Speaker A:Oh yeah.
Speaker A:So I mean, I did, I did, you know, like baseboard, baseboard repair.
Speaker A:Just had to take it out and put new stuff in.
Speaker A:Fortunately enough they had somebody come in and dry it all out.
Speaker A:So it wasn't too bad.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:But again, the alert system on what they have now is, is so very important to be able to help you with stuff like that.
Speaker A:But I do like that alarm on there.
Speaker A:That's good.
Speaker F:Yeah.
Speaker F:You know, I could have used a system like that back when I was in college.
Speaker A:Really?
Speaker G:Yeah.
Speaker F:The toilet wasn't exactly in the best of repair.
Speaker A:Oh, I see.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker F:When I woke up and it was like, like a foot of water in the place and it's like, who flushed the toilet?
Speaker A:Oh my God.
Speaker A:Yeah, well, well, you know, that's what people.
Speaker A:And one of the things too is actually, you know, I spoke to a homeowner yesterday and they went on a trip and they actually live in California and in Arizona, she's a realtor.
Speaker A:And they actually went out on vacation something and they used, they had bidets in the bathroom and they turned around when I came over and we were talking and she said, well, you know, I've got this electrical problem.
Speaker A:And in this electrical problem I said, well look, I said I have to have, you know, one of Sean's people from Mr. Electric come out and I can go, we can go through all these issues because she's got.
Speaker A:Somebody came up and put like four of those short blade, high efficiency ceiling fans in, but they didn't wire it right.
Speaker A:So the switches don't work properly.
Speaker A:She's got one room, it doesn't work at all.
Speaker A:Another one, she's got a dead switch.
Speaker A:The other one turns everything on at one time.
Speaker A:And I mean it's just a, it's, it's a comedy of errors.
Speaker A:But then she said, well, I want to have, and I mean, I want to put an outlet in because I, I have, I've purchased all these, the, the bidet piece, the product itself to put on the toilet.
Speaker A:But I have no outlet.
Speaker A:So that's another thing.
Speaker A:When they get back into town in November, you know, I'll have them come out to be able to do.
Speaker A:And that's one thing to think about.
Speaker A:You know, if, if you have something that you want to do like that, you know, it, it can be done.
Speaker A:You just have to bring the power in.
Speaker A:And every home is, is different.
Speaker A:Now do the, those bidets, can they run, they can run on a 15amp circuit, can't they?
Speaker A:Or do they need a dedicated circuit?
Speaker F:So it depends on the thing.
Speaker F:So some of them have heaters.
Speaker F:And the ones that have heaters take it quite a bit more energy than the ones that don't.
Speaker A:Well, that's true.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker F:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker F:And so they say, you know, we're just.
Speaker F:We'll just like, you know, blink off of this thing here.
Speaker F:And, you know, and they find that the, you know, the heater comes on for the bidet, and then they try to, you know, blow dry their hair and ends up tripping the breaker pop.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker F:A lot of people, you know, we recommend separate circuits from the stuff.
Speaker F:And there is a cost to that.
Speaker F:There's no two ways about it.
Speaker F:And it's a.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker F:It's a.
Speaker F:It's a project.
Speaker F:And, you know, a lot of people are just like, you know, what, is there just like a cheap way to do this?
Speaker F:And, you know, there is.
Speaker F:And we'll say this, you know, this is a viable way to do it, but here's the scenario that could happen.
Speaker F:And, you know, ultimately, again, we got to be the educator.
Speaker F:And then, you know, based on that education, then the customer can make a decision based off of that.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:The other thing I want to just touch on is obviously, you know, I've seen a rash of homes lately, Sean, that I think the homeowners have just taken down and unplugged their smoke detector because probably, I don't know, they couldn't get their battery out.
Speaker A:They were annoyed.
Speaker A:They took the smoke detector down.
Speaker A:And that could be quite dangerous, especially if you have an issue during the holidays or anytime, really.
Speaker A:But there's, I think people, you know, they.
Speaker A:They should be more safety conscious when you think about that.
Speaker F:Let me expand on this, too.
Speaker F:And we, We.
Speaker F:We've ran into this and it's like, oh, it was beeping, whatever.
Speaker F:We just took it out.
Speaker F:We don't need it.
Speaker F:And it's like, wow, okay.
Speaker F:Well, you know, these are required, you know, by the, you know, basically the, you know, nfpa, which is a governing body, the electric code, you know, as a fire prevention scheme.
Speaker F:And not only that, but, you know, it's a, It's a.
Speaker F:It's a, you know, when, you know, they're actually designed to go off when there's a fire.
Speaker F:And so it's to be able to get you as a person, you know, safely out of the room when that happens.
Speaker F:And, you know, one thing about smoke detectors is that they only really last.
Speaker F:The mechanism that senses smoke really only lasts for 10 years.
Speaker F:There's a radioactive mechanism, very, very small that has a half life.
Speaker F:And that half life is 10 years.
Speaker F:And so that's why I always say, make sure you place your smoke detectors every 10 years, right?
Speaker F:So you can go and you can push that button and it'll beep and it'll set them all off.
Speaker F:But if there's a fire and it's trying to, you know, ionization sense that those particles in the air, it won't, it won't do it.
Speaker F:And there's no guarantee that it will.
Speaker F:And we've been to so many customers where we'd explain what's going on with this, and they're like, you know, what now?
Speaker F:I just, you know, you know, I'm just not going to take care of that at this time, you know, and it's like, well, like, do you have a family?
Speaker A:That's scary.
Speaker F:Do you have kids in the home?
Speaker F:Do you have people that love that, that, that are here?
Speaker F:Because you're really making this decision for, you know, people that might be affected, not just yourself, you know, and it's, you know, we're not afraid to ask these questions because ultimately, you know, you know, we got to be the person that educates this person on, on, on what truly is happening here.
Speaker F:When you decide not to do that.
Speaker A:Yeah, you really, that.
Speaker A:And I would suggest to all our listeners to make sure that your smoke detectors are all working.
Speaker A:You know, what I always recommend to do is, like, for instance, if, you know, a lot of people, you, you know, either the, the battery will let you know when it needs to be replaced, or, you know, you could just, you could, you know, take a felt tip and put the date on it that you replaced it just to get in, just for the hell of it, to see how long the battery lasted in there for the next time that you put it in.
Speaker A:So, you know, I always tell people, you know, find a date on the calendar that you normally remember, and you'll think about, well, I need to change the batteries and the smoke detectors or if I need to change the filters in my air conditioner or something like that too.
Speaker F:Steve, invariably, that thing will always start chirping at like 2:35am it never goes off.
Speaker A:Aren't they, aren't they timed like that?
Speaker A:Isn't that ironic?
Speaker A:They come, you know, and my dog will let me know, oh, oh, my God, he'll turn around.
Speaker F:Yeah, you know, you know, Jim here, his, his theory on that is that, you know, as, as temperatures drop, the voltage in the battery drops correspondingly a little bit, and that batter is like, right on the edge.
Speaker F:He goes, what's when's the coldest part of that morning going to be.
Speaker F:It's going to be in the middle before the sun comes up.
Speaker A:Yeah, you're absolutely right.
Speaker A:You know, I like that theory.
Speaker A:It makes sense.
Speaker A:It does.
Speaker A:Anyway.
Speaker A:Well, Sean, tell our listeners how they, our listeners can contact you.
Speaker F:Steve, I really appreciate having me out.
Speaker F:We can be readily found on the web and social media.
Speaker F:So we're the only Mr. Electric in town, by the way.
Speaker F: -: Speaker F:You can find us@misterelectric.com.
Speaker F:you can find us on social media like Instagram and Facebook and all of those phone numbers that you see come right back to our office.
Speaker A:Well, there you go.
Speaker A:There you go.
Speaker A:And there's no doubt that, you know, I mean, look at the value that the customer is getting, Sean.
Speaker A:Not only are they getting, you know, their work done properly and done in the most expeditious way possible, but they get an education at the same time.
Speaker A:I mean, that's a lot of value.
Speaker F:We think so.
Speaker F:You know, like I said, we, we, we, you know, we, we do not like to be the company that just comes in and, and burns out in five seconds and takes off.
Speaker F:We're gonna, we're gonna, every, every, every residential call that we show up on comes with a complete complimentary safety check.
Speaker F:And if the customer declines that, we're gonna ask why?
Speaker F:Because we're really looking out for their safety as well as potentially ours if we have to work on it.
Speaker F:There's absolutely no cost to these inspections and we do them all the time.
Speaker A:You know, I have to say, we.
Speaker F:You know, it reflects in our satisfied customers.
Speaker F: We got over: Speaker F:We're super, super proud of this.
Speaker F:And I gotta say, Steve, as the owner, I'm super, super proud to be a part of this.
Speaker A:Well, I'm glad that you, you have such great success.
Speaker A:We overly appreciate you being our sponsor on Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:And we try and tell everybody, you know, look for that yellow truck that has says Mr. Electric on it.
Speaker A:And that's the people that you need to call.
Speaker F:Steve, thanks for having me out today.
Speaker A:All right, Shawn, thanks a lot.
Speaker F:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Shawn Lapointe from Mr. Electric.
Speaker A:And we want to thank all our listeners for listening to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:Remember, we are your source for cutting edge information on remodeling container homes, container pools.
Speaker A:So let us help connect you with the right people to build your dream container home, or container pool for that matter.
Speaker A:Don't forget if you have any, any need for solar on any whether it's your home or if you have a container home or an ADU or something like that, remember, please, I made the announcement at the beginning of the show.
Speaker A:The 30% tax credit from the federal government and when you buy solar will be expiring on the 31st of December.
Speaker A:So if you have any need or every thought that you want to do solar for your home, don't, don't get left behind and not be able to take advantage of that 30% tax credit.
Speaker A:But if you have any questions at all, you could email me at steveoxcaruniverse.com and Boxcar Universe can be heard weekly on any podcast player.
Speaker A:And always remember, let us remodel and renovate your world.
Speaker A:Have a great weekend.
Speaker F:You're a great American.
Speaker F:I love you.
