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That time a squirrel's stash nearly took out a whole panel
Found a main breaker that kept tripping at a house in Bellingham, and after an hour of checking circuits, I pulled the outdoor panel cover. A squirrel had packed it with over two pounds of acorns and nesting material, completely bridging the bus bars. Ever had a job where the real problem was just a very ambitious rodent?
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angelam805mo ago
Yeah, @ramirez.vera is right about that smell... it really sticks with you.
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ramirez.vera5mo ago
Honestly used to think those stories were overblown until last fall. Found a whole mouse nest built inside a disconnect box for a heat pump, all chewed up wires. The smell alone was awful, like burnt hair and pee. Totally get it now, animals will move into any warm spot they can find lol. Makes you check every outdoor cover twice.
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rileymartinez5mo ago
Did you have to replace the whole unit or just the wiring?
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nancy_wood5mo ago
Ugh, that's brutal. I read a whole article about how rodents love the soy-based insulation on new wiring. They'll ruin brand new stuff just as fast as the old. Makes you want to wrap everything in metal conduit.
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