Sunday, June 14, 2009

New Homeowner Revelation:

I have a favorite bucket.

Yesterday's painting party was a smashing success, by my standards, and I think everyone had a good time while putting in a lot of work, too. We only got one room actually painted (and I think it needs a second coat), but another room is primed and ready to go, and that's the majority of the work. They also weeded my front yard. Bless their little horrified-gardener hearts. It was pretty bad. I don't think they could stand to leave it alone if they tried.

I now have a favorite bucket -- the grey 5-gallon I purchased at Lowe's released the dried latex in big strips as I cleaned it. We weren't very diligent about cleaning up, so it was awesome to see some paint come off of something so easily. Awesome!

Advice needed:

Here's the situation:
This is one corner of my dining room.

It appears to be a phone jack with an outside power source, namely, an outlet. The wires are very old, and when I tried to pick up the plug the wires fell off.

Question: any objections to just taking it out? I don't use the phone company anymore, so I don't know if it works, but I doubt it. I don't think the past owners used it, and I don't plan on using it. And by the time I'm trying to sell it, no one will have anything but cell phones anymore anyway (hopefully, right?) This is the only phone jack I know of in the house.

What think ye? Objections? Alternate solutions?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don'e see anything our of the ordinary (35 years ago). The phone companies pushed phones with lighted buttons and etc. The power supply on ours was a wall wort in a downstairs room and the low voltge hooked to the phone. To remove yours:

1) Find you VOM and test for voltage between wires and between each wire and an established earth ground.

2) If voltge is found trace the wire to it's source. Find a safe way to disconnect it.

3) Find the telephone system entry to your house. There should be a 'disconnect' point near the entry (probably insife the house),=. Disconnect it.

4) Remove the internal wiring at your pleasure.

Some years back the (I think federal government regulations) the wiring in a home was declaired the property of the home owner even if the phone company insdtalled it. We then had to purchase our own phones - maybe alternatively pay monthly lease charges on the phones. Any way the wiring is yours.

Dad

Unknown said...

I think you got your answer from your Dad, but I say pull it - get rid of it. We have 2 of those in our dining room that I'd like removed. Good luck and I'm glad the painting went so well!

-Colleen