My sister-in-law's well pump stopped working. I checked the electricity to the pressure switch, realized the points were in bad shape, and went for another switch.
I killed the power to the pump, used my voltmeter to check there was no voltage, and changed the switch. It reminded me of why I always check to insure the power is indeed not on.
Years ago, the company I worked for needed some more office space. An old single-wide mobile home was purchased, and the goal was to build a connecting porch to the office, remove the old bathroom, remove the old kitchen appliances, and use the additional area for closets and additional storage. One requirement was removing the plumbing to the bathroom, and the old water heater.
A cousin of the boss was there during the process. He was a crewmember of an electrical line crew, and the son of an electrical contractor. I was helping in disconnecting the water heater, and he was to verify the electricity to the water heater was disconnected. He told us he killed the breaker, and I took a pair of end cutters to the Romex to the water heater.
The flash was brilliant, a few pieces of molten wire burned my hand, and when I was less startled, and could look, I looked at the end cutters. A good pair of 9 inch Kleins was now trash. One side of the cutting blades was gone.
So, I verify with a volt-meter. Even the best of "experts" can make a mistake, and their mistake can kill you.
When I was a kid, my grandfather who was an electrician, but 80 at the time, hired an "electrician" to wire a new room that my parents build onto the house. After the electricians were done, I discovered a BX cable coming out of the circuit breaker box that was just hanging there. I was too lazy to walk out of the basement to get my multi-meter, so I placed a screwdriver across the wires. There was a big "POW!" accompanied by a blinding flash of light, and the top inch or so of the screwdriver disappeared. It turned out that the BX cable was not wired to a breaker, but rather directly to the bus.
ReplyDeleteWow. That's usually how I trace a breaker 😄
DeleteMy brother was an electrician. He once went to a rental house to fix a switch. They had to tell the poor women that was renting they couldn't do anything. The house was completely wired with old extension cords and out of code.
DeleteSounds like Someone owes you a new set of dikes. And a pair of drawerz..Aaand an apology with an explanation. Just how does a guy who should have all the necessary skills to shut down the power to the water heater who went to do it and took a swing at it and missed. It's probably a 220 volt ,so the breaker is probably a ganged pair. Maybe someone wired wrong and he only got one breaker ? Or,the box wasn't labeled right. Unless you're Familiar with the box checking for power is ,as we all know Now, is very important..
ReplyDeleteIt was his pliers. It was 220, and being on a fifty amp circuit, had enough current to weld steel plate.
DeleteYou nearly got thrown under the bus?
ReplyDeleteMost of my mistakes just ended up with a shock. Of course, you were shocked, too. :)
ReplyDeleteThe good thing was I wasn't between the hot legs and the ground. I was basically insulated from the ground, so the wires arced between phases. I've been shocked by 110, and it isn't pleasant. Receiving a jolt from 220 is probably worst, and 440 (from what I heard) can lead to serious burns and death.
ReplyDelete