Three hours of thunder and lightning brings out UFO's

About 5 AM this morning I awoke to huge bangs of thunder right over the house and what sounded like a few things falling. About 10 minutes later the power went out and I knew my night's sleep was over. I don't remember 3 hours of a constantly lit sky with every type of lightning there is just one after the other.    Was a memorable night.

Sleeping without a fan in this weather is just about impossible for me and at least I wanted my flashlight.  My most favorite house keeper had just finished the whole house the day before and she moves everything if only a little bit.  In total dark a few inches was too much for me. Then I thought of candles but I needed matches. After our carne asada yesterday the matches were left out but I remembered another box in the bodega ... maybe for the plumbing torch? So with the candles I found the flashlights so staying cool and entertaining myself 'till light was all that was left.

I usually have two security lights on outside so thought a candle or two would replace. I was going to jump into a hammock under the palapa so I put one candle on the table and another on the swing next to the pool. That's when things started to get weird.  Now I could have been swinging in the hammock for these fotos, the wind was blowing the swing ...... or the mighty storm awakened a couple UFO's

Lightning illuminated candle over the pool

I have no idea

I did find a mess in the yard, my palapa lost 1/2 it's palapas, the extension ladder was almost blown off the roof and a plastic storm window was blown out.   Over all not much rain which would have only complicated recovering from the wind damage.

Fixin' fans and fans and fans

Copacabana fans are my favorite for simple, cost, quiet, easy to clean, air movement and have an aluminium blade option. Aluminum blades are not only lighter and easier on the motor but won't rust and throw an amber ring around your living room at fan level. I have 6 ceiling fans and keeping them clean is enough without having to look for rust .... then sand and paint them.

So as much as I like Copacabana, they installed a massive amount of bad capacitors.  These are the start/run capacitors just above the motor, not the speed control on your wall switch. At first I had no idea why I had only slow for speed so I took the whole fan to an electrical motor guy.  He changed the capacitor for 100 pesos.  I took the second, third and fourth to him as well.  The fifth I was moving from my bodega to my palapa patio so it was already down and easy to take to the mechanic.  Number six I decided to just ask the mechanic if he would sell me a capacitor and I'd change it myself.  He didn't have any but suggested an electrical store that would. Sure enough and I bought 2 at 25pesos @ because my neighbors had the same problem.  We both now have fans with a full variety of speeds.

The favorite but one speed fan

New capacitor in place

Right above the motor is the white cup that just covers connectors and the capacitor. It's kind of easy to push the cup up the shaft to expose the capacitor. Cut the plastic Zip Strap, pull out the capacitor, undo the wire nuts and install the new one in reverse order. That is really all there is to it.

A two wire rectangular like the one on the right

Then comes the tricky and more expensive fans .... those of my car. I followed a delivery truck back from Colima a few days ago and thought he had the problem the way I heard the noise. As we dove up our quiet road the noise was still there. This morning I confirmed a bearing was gone in one motor and the blades were flopping around. My air conditioning and electrical guy said better to replace both as a pair and he can pick them up later in the week at a Manzanillo Junk Yard (yonke) for 800 pesos.

Radiator and Air Conditioning Condenser fans

for a 2000 Voyager

I unplugged the one fan for no further damage but when I got home the temperature spiked. First time since new that the car has over heated. No more of that !!!

Master electrician NOT

Been using a pedestal fan under the palapa for the last year or so but really wanted to buy a new ceiling fan. The pedestal fan was always in the way and getting knocked over by the dog. The only light in the palapa was a bulb on an extension cord. The fan I wanted with the light and aluminum blades cost a little over a 1000 pesos now and then there is the wire, switches, conduit and the work of installing it. I finally decided that that fan was in my bodega and hardly ever being used. Why not steal it and use a pedestal fan in the bodega when I need it and where there is no crazy traffic.

So the easy part was making the mounting cross piece and securing the fan so it wouldn't wobble or jump around.   Also running and fastening the green conduit and running wire through.   Even mounting the one switch and finally two wasn't a problem.  What was a puzzle was getting the electricity running where it should be. I finally gave up on the dimmer switch doing it all because the rheostat (volume control) is going to wear out if it's also off and on and speed adjust.   Separate wall switch was the best idea but the light and fan were sharing the current.   Full speed fan and no light ... having only the light made the fan rotate very slowly. Had to be they were connected in parallel sharing a limited current.  Finally a separate power and ground is what worked. Still not totally convinced I know what is going on with only 3 wires to fan motor and light. Glad I had no schedule to meet.

Copacabana fan with light

Bought wire, breaker and switch from the new gringo

electric store - Costalegre Electrica