Truck is running after charging the battery. Radio didn't sound weak (didn't check lights) but just not enough to turn over. DH cut 6 ft hoops out of the 9AWG wire and I got bird netting up over the strawberries (going to be a pain to get in there, we put so many pegs in to hold it into the ground and keep critters out). Pulled a bunch that strayed, waiting to hear if my cousin wants them, if not I might pot them up tomorrow to sell ? DD helped me pot up a couple dozen cherry toms that were outgrowing the 7206 (is that the right term?) 6 packs. DS helped DH put up the deer netting around the garden - DH put in T posts and cable-tied the ENT to them, but since he expanded the garden the 100ft we had from 2 years past wasn't enough. Only need 30ft more and I didn't want to cut the 100ft roll I bought at HD the other day so we just knocked off to clean up and run to local ice cream shop for burgers and cones before DS has another Scout thing. I swear he's got something going every night! Still waiting to get pix from guy who has the PVC fencing on CL. But the T posts with ENT will be fine for this year, not sure we should leave the netting (or the ENT?) out over the winter but not going to pull the T posts now. DH was cursing - I guess they don't have rocks in TX?! If I don't order from Farmtek or figure something by the time kale, etc. is ready to go in (tonight is 1st night outside) I'll just put up the 100 ft I have overlapping 70ft of it so I don't have to cut it - we'll probably expand the house garden more in the future, seems we do every year. Just means DH has to put in 2-6 more T posts ;-)

Ah, barbed wire, RC ---- says TEXAS loud and clear !!!

Those bastards. You absolutely don't want to splice - no way. It would be a huge shadow cast over any future sale. Consider this - very few wires are home run, so you'll be replacing the wire from the panel to the first connection, ie the first device in the chain. Needless to say you'll want to beef up your security! Where I am, scrapyards are required to see ID when purchasing copper (and other) scrap now, I'd be campaigning to have similar laws. Regardless you'll need another inspection, and I doubt they'd be impressed with a bunch of splices. Talk to your electrician, maybe they'll come to the party and you won't need to use your insurance (if it's around the deductible?) but that's what it's there for. As the saying goes, "why spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar?"

I called the Fire Marshall for Toronto after seeing this exact topic being debated on another forum (I figured better to go to the source). According to the current code, new builds must have hardwired units (with battery back-up) and be combo smoke/CO2 units - and all rooms must be hardwired. But we live in an older bungalow so the there is a variance to the code, otherwise it would cost a fortune to run electrical wires to all of the rooms. However, we do have two hard-wired smoke alarms that were installed about 13 years ago that of course do not have battery back-up - one in the basement and one on the main floor. We will have to have an electrician change those for us to hardwired combo units. There is supposed to be a CO2 unit in the hall as well - well where would we put it - except of course as a hard-wired combo unit because the hall is short and narrow. Then there is the problem with placement of the units. We have a couple of the plug-in CO2 units, but you cannot use the second half of the outlet once a unit is plugged in. And in a small bungalow we do not have that many outlets. Next there is the issue that you cannot put them next to heat source - and of course the other electrical plugs are next to the gas heat grates. The list goes on. Two weeks ago we bought 3 combo units - they were not cheap ones. My husband put one up in the bedroom and we followed every rule for hanging it. It was good for a week and then it started going off 3 days in a row - and not the chirping sound of a dead battery - but a full blown, dog annoying beep. I moved a couple of the other units that we have that sit on tables into the room - nothing else went off. I called the manufacturer and the rep said that it would appear that the unit was defective and that I should try putting up one of the other ones. Well I really didn't won't to open another unit so I returned all 3. When we purchased them there were only 4 on the shelves and all had been taped back together - obvious returns so we would not touch them. The store associate found us 3 others up top. Now we do not know if someone just wanted spare parts for their units or like us the units kept going off so they were returned. So now we have holes in the wall. I asked the FirstAlert rep if there was a least a smoke detector that had the same size bracket and he said there was - of course I can't find it anywhere. So all in all it is not easy. I really don't like the units with the 10 year built-in battery because my alarm clock was supposed to have a 10 year battery and 1 1/2 years in it went - and I did not buy it at a clearout sale. I prefer to replace the batteries myself every 6 months. I once bought 2 units packaged together and they started to chirp at exactly the same time indicating they were toast. I think each person needs to find out the requirements for their area. In the meantime, the search goes on. One thing for sure is that if the fire dept. comes calling they will make certain you are compliant.