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Post Time: 06/04/2009 04:37:01 |
tsim
Total Forum Posts: 11 |
We are considering renting a home that has a powerline running about 5 feet from the side of the house along an entire side wall (no windows). It is running to attach to a neighbors house which sits forward of this house that we would rent. I have been fairly severely electrically hypersensitive for 4 months (can't watch TV, be on a computer or cell phone, etc.). We have several questions:
1) Is this a bad idea?
2) How could I protect myself? The main living area is one room away from power line, maybe 20 feet. The powerline that goes to the house we would rent comes in from the front of the house, so would be unable to get further than 30 feet from some powerline.
3) Any thoughts?
Further information: we are looking near Coupeville, on Whidbey Island, in Washington State, USA. I am chemically sensitive as well, and finding a house that meets all criteria is proving extremely difficult (looking for about 6 months, purchase and/or rental). This house seems to be chemically safe, and right on the beach with fabulous fresh air, hopefully leading to healing of the chemical issues. But as everyone knows, the eletrical issues are so much larger, and I do NOT want to get worse electrically.
Any help or ideas you can give are greatly appreciated!
Tom and Sandra. |
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Post Time: 08/04/2009 21:53:22 |
alasdairP
Total Forum Posts: 173 |
It depends on the type of line, its size and construction and voltage. You really need to get an EMF meter and find out what the fields are.
If the line is high-voltage, then there will be a transformer, usually on a pole, close to the neighbours house. If it is high voltage then you should avoid it. If it is low voltage (110, 120 volts ac) then there will not be an electric field problem. There may be a magnetic field issue...
Is is one wire or two wires, separated by 6 inches to a foot? Are you sure it just feeds another house?
It is probably OK, but you need to check out exactly what it is and, if possible measure (or have measured) the EMFs (preferably both electric and magnetic fields).
20 feet away will almost certainly be fine - so maybe try it with a reasonable time get-out on the lease and if you are affected in some places, then sleep in the main living room.
Alasdair
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Post Time: 14/04/2009 04:40:44 |
tsim
Total Forum Posts: 11 |
Alasdair,
Thanks for the reply. I have gone back out to the house and there is a transformer out on the pole at the street and then a single twisted line coming into the neighboring house. I assume this means it is a 110/120 volt line. There are other wires which I take to be cable and phone. I will take readings with our Trifield meter for magnetics and electric fields tomorrow when we take possession. As you suggested, we asked for a 7 day trial period where we can back out if it does not work.
And now for another question, related. We, for the life of us, do not really understand the electric field readings of our meter. The magnetic range I understand, and it is reasonably stable. The electric field measures in V/m over various ranges of frequency. It seems to make a huge difference whether we are holding it or set it down. I have searched for reference material, but most talk about magnetic fields and just gloss over the electric field readings, but stress that they are really important.
Could you give a quick guideline for what it means and what is safe, or direct us to a good reference?
Thanks again for the reply. I will let you know how it works out.
- Tom |
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Post Time: 17/04/2009 21:47:01 |
tsim
Total Forum Posts: 11 |
We have further examined the line. It is a twisted triple, with a bare ground (?) wire intertwined with two black clad wires (insulated power lines?). There is a transformer on the pole on the road, and then the lines come down to the neighbor's house.
Does this make the power lines coming down to the house low voltage (110V)? I assume the lines on the street are higher voltage, but the lines to the houses are low voltage, but I could be wrong.
There are two other wires which I take to be the cable and telephone lines. They are black, and look insulated, no bare wires showing.
We have taken readings with the Trifield meter and get no unusual readings, but my wife tends to be more sensitive than the meter, so we are unsure what to do. Above all else we would like to avoid her getting worse!!
Any further insights you can give would be greatly appreciated. We have until next Tuesday (22nd) to back out of the lease.
- Tom and Sandra |
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Post Time: 18/04/2009 04:28:46 |
tsim
Total Forum Posts: 11 |
Alasdair,
One last piece of information. We called the power company and the twisted triple is 220V, as are most houses in this power system I guess, due to needing to run dryers and such. They said only very old houses will have 110V coming in.
So this puts us more on the alert. Your houghts would be greatly appreciated.
- Tom and Sandra |
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Post Time: 23/04/2009 21:36:06 |
alasdairP
Total Forum Posts: 173 |
Tom and Sandra
Sorry to miss your deadline - I was away. The powerline sounds fine and that sort will be just as good as an underground one as regards low EMFs. The wiring and appliances inside your house will create significantly (and usually much) higher EMFs than such a 220 volt twisted pair and earth. Because the wires run together like that, the fields almost perfectly cancel. 220 volts will actually create lower magnetic fields and the current will be halfed c.f. 100 volts for the same load power. Magnetic fields (EMFs) are due to unbalanced current flow. There is no need to worry about electric fields from powerlines until they get into many thousands of volts (e.g. the 7000 or 11,000 feeding the transformer).
I hope you didn't back out from your lease.
Best wishes
Alasdair
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