Breaker and gas line in child’s room - thoughts?

[heartlikealion]

My house is behind schedule again (big surprise 🙄). I just noticed a gas line and the breaker box in the room dd is supposed to have. I don’t know how to make this work. Don’t breaker boxes release EMFs? There’s actually a breaker box in my current room but I never gave it much thought til now. Yes, they need to cover the box. I don’t know why it’s open. 

Can they cover up a gas line? 

I don’t want to have to trade rooms with her. I kinda need to extra space. Ds requested a bigger room which I already gave him. The breaker box is behind her bedroom door which is why I didn’t see it at first. I just noticed what appears to be a gas line. Didn’t even know what it was at first. 

would this stuff bother you? 

(removed images)

Edited April 4, 2021 by heartlikealion

[Sherry in OH]

It looks like the pipe has a new cap and valve.  Are you sure it isn't part of the heating system? I would ask the owner/builder about why it is there.  If the pipe isn't going to be connected to anything, you can hide it under (or behind) furniture.

The electric panel in a child's room would bother me.  Not due to fear of EMFs, but because children are curious.  I would cover the panel with with artwork to make it less noticeable.    If your daughter is the sort to dismantle a room or get into something just because you told her it was dangerous, I would reconsider the bedroom arrangement.  

 

[heartlikealion]

I’m seriously considering just taking this room. If I want to set up my craft tables I’ll have to put them in the living room or something. Without dh around, I don’t have to worry about the complaints surrounding my crafts in the open so much lol 

My dad bought things to help reduce EMFs in his house on the outlets. Dh recalls a sticker or something on my dad’s breaker box. My dad has a tester device so I’ll ask him if he tested the EMFs before/after using the sticker thing. I could put that on the box but might still take the room. I can sell dd on the other room easily if we switch (more space to play). 

I don’t think dd would mess with the box but that’s possible. 
 

Yes, that could be for the heat. Landlord says we’re going to have 2 floor heaters. I can’t visualize them and I asked him if they would be safe around kids... like you don’t touch it and burn yourself. He said it would be enclosed. But I have no idea what I’m getting. 

[freesia]

28 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

I’m seriously considering just taking this room. If I want to set up my craft tables I’ll have to put them in the living room or something. Without dh around, I don’t have to worry about the complaints surrounding my crafts in the open so much lol 

My dad bought things to help reduce EMFs in his house on the outlets. Dh recalls a sticker or something on my dad’s breaker box. My dad has a tester device so I’ll ask him if he tested the EMFs before/after using the sticker thing. I could put that on the box but might still take the room. I can sell dd on the other room easily if we switch (more space to play). 

I don’t think dd would mess with the box but that’s possible. 
 

Yes, that could be for the heat. Landlord says we’re going to have 2 floor heaters. I can’t visualize them and I asked him if they would be safe around kids... like you don’t touch it and burn yourself. He said it would be enclosed. But I have no idea what I’m getting. 

I've always had homes with radiators or floor heaters.  They don't get so hot that you would burn yourself.  They are warm to the touch.

[freesia]

Oh, and I would think you could put a latch to lock the breaker box, couldn't you? It would be a pain if the breaker trips, but mostly once you get an idea of how your system works, that shouldn't be a problem very often.

[ealp2009]

Having a breaker box in a bedroom seems odd.  They seem to usually be in the basement or garage or closet.   I guess I have seen them in hallways in apartments.  

[catz]

My daughter has a small breaker box in her room.  It's actually maybe about 10 years old, we had our 105 year old house rewired since we moved in and they put a breaker box for the attic and part of our 2nd floor up there. Our big breaker box is in the basement.  We did paint it like the wall and let her decorate her room at will.  But it has never been an issue.  

Anyway - sometimes in older homes with retrofitting it's about picking a spot where a bunch of wires get close so you don't have to open up more wall.  

[gardenmom5]

If that has always supposed to be a bedroom - I'd be angry they put the gas line there - in the middle of the floor!   no - they *didn't* have to put it there.  It was just easier.  I'd demand it be moved, at no cost to you.

[City Mouse]

 My DS is in a room with the main breaker box and a gas line just like pictures. He has had that room since we moved here when he was 8 years old, and he is now 18. I never thought to be concerned. The older part of the house is around 150 yrs old and was built long before electricity or natural gas. In our house, the gas lines go to wall space heaters kind of like this https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-Corporation-Vent-Free-Radiant/dp/B01DPZ56KU/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=propane+wall+heater&qid=1617495471&sr=8-8

I couldn’t find the exact ones we have but this is close. The house was originally propane, but we switched to natural gas when it came to town a few years ago. These heaters are very common where we live. My DS didn’t like the heater (too hot for him) so it was tAken out and the line was capped just like your picture. 
He has never had any problems because of the breaker box or gas line, but we did make sure to have a carbon monoxide detector in his room.

Edited April 4, 2021 by City Mouse

[heartlikealion]

I am just a renter. This landlord is the only person I could find in my area that rents without all the stipulations. One other rental required me to earn 3x the rent in take home pay. I couldn’t afford it. Plus, no pets allowed. He said I could bring my cat. And the rent is lower here than in the city. At this point I have been denied alimony so I’m scraping by. 

This man added on 2 rooms in the back (bedroom & laundry area) but I don’t know what that front room was. Maybe it was originally part of the living room? The closet is brand new so I doubt it was a bedroom. 

This home has no basement (not common to have a basement in Mississippi). I have not seen any evidence of an attic. 

I don’t know that anyone would *see* issues with the breaker box but it makes you wonder (higher chances of cancer down the line? Poor sleeping, etc). 

Dd has a computer modem in her current room in dh’s house because the office was changed to her room. I hate it. But I think it’s hard to move the modem because of the cords. 

Edited April 4, 2021 by heartlikealion

[Scarlett]

Is that going to have a heater attached to it?  Depending on the type of heater it wouldn’t bother me.  And it also would not bother  me if it had nothing attached to it as long as the value is new and properly installed.  The breaker box wouldn’t bother me either, just put a lock in it.  
 

But please say nothing about it to your stbxh.  

[heartlikealion]

He saw it and brought up the EMFs. I’m pretty sure he will legally be allowed to see where they live sometime, too. I had to give him my address. I’ll probably just take that room. I ordered a twin for myself so I might be able to fit everything. 

The heaters will be in the hallway, not the room. 

[Scarlett]

54 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

He saw it and brought up the EMFs. I’m pretty sure he will legally be allowed to see where they live sometime, too. I had to give him my address. I’ll probably just take that room. I ordered a twin for myself so I might be able to fit everything. 

The heaters will be in the hallway, not the room. 

Why did he see it? I would not let him in my home at this point.  And I don’t think knowing where they live is the same as inspecting where they live.  Ugh.  

[heartlikealion]

He probably didn’t see it. I think I stupidly said something like an off handed comment (weird, the breaker is in a bedroom). Innocent comment. Shouldn’t have said. He offered to come over and help with the home I said no thanks. I popped up the bed frames and wrestled with the mattresses that were delivered in boxes the other day. He hasn’t been inside. I don’t know if he’s driven by. 

[sweet2ndchance]

58 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

He saw it and brought up the EMFs. I’m pretty sure he will legally be allowed to see where they live sometime, too. I had to give him my address. I’ll probably just take that room. I ordered a twin for myself so I might be able to fit everything. 

The heaters will be in the hallway, not the room. 

Ummm. No. Your ex is not "legally allowed" to see the inside of your home. Yes, he has to have an address of where his kids will be living but he does not get invited inside unless you choose to invite him in. (And there are a million reasons why you would not want to do this with a controlling ex.) He is not entitled to pictures or walk throughs of YOUR home. If either of you have concerns about the other's home arrangements in regards to the children, you call CPS and let them handle it. If CPS wouldn't care or do anything about it, then the courts do not care either.

My ex tried to put all kinds of crazy stipulations like this in our custody agreement. He wanted access to my home at any time, detailed written reports from me about the kids weekly (they were preteens and teenagers by this time) and a spreadsheet showing how child support was being spent on the children and only the children. He wanted to stipulate that I could not use child support to pay bills, that I could only use it to lavish upon the children. All of this was shot down immediately by the judge. He was told my only duty to him was to give him access to the children. He was to pick up the children in front of my house and drop them off. He was not allowed in my house nor to have details about my private life. My home is part of my private life and if he has concerns about his children's welfare in my home, he is to report it to the authorities. Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries. Set them early and don't let him bully you into things he is not legally entitled to. If you aren't 100% sure about what he is legally entitled to from you, run it by your lawyer.

 

[heartlikealion]

1 minute ago, sweet2ndchance said:

Ummm. No. Your ex is not "legally allowed" to see the inside of your home. Yes, he has to have an address of where his kids will be living but he does not get invited inside unless you choose to invite him in. (And there are a million reasons why you would not want to do this with a controlling ex.) He is not entitled to pictures or walk throughs of YOUR home. If either of you have concerns about the other's home arrangements in regards to the children, you call CPS and let them handle it. If CPS wouldn't care or do anything about it, then the courts do not care either.

My ex tried to put all kinds of crazy stipulations like this in our custody agreement. He wanted access to my home at any time, detailed written reports from me about the kids weekly (they were preteens and teenagers by this time) and a spreadsheet showing how child support was being spent on the children and only the children. He wanted to stipulate that I could not use child support to pay bills, that I could only use it to lavish upon the children. All of this was shot down immediately by the judge. He was told my only duty to him was to give him access to the children. He was to pick up the children in front of my house and drop them off. He was not allowed in my house nor to have details about my private life. My home is part of my private life and if he has concerns about his children's welfare in my home, he is to report it to the authorities. Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries. Set them early and don't let him bully you into things he is not legally entitled to. If you aren't 100% sure about what he is legally entitled to from you, run it by your lawyer.

 

Thank you. I did run it by my lawyer before I gave him the address. 

sorry to hear, that sounds awful!