Check out the new Electrical Forum!

[Miss Kate]

The staff at EC&M Magazine is excited to welcome you to EC&MTalk.com, EC&M Magazine’s own Electrical Construction forum! The purpose of this forum is to connect users with other 'like-minded' individuals in the electrical construction and maintenance industry. It’s a place site members visit to share "war" stories, get expert advice, share pictures and more.

This is a site for the industry professional, constructed by and run by EC&M Magazine and its parent company Penton Media. This is the place to share stories and job photos, ask and answer questions, and rub elbows with other electrical construction professionals and experts. The good news is if you’re already registered for ecmweb.com, you’re already registered for the EC&M Talk forum. What are you waiting for? Join the discussion today!

[airccc]

Electrical outlets are used everyday in the home, whether for lamps, TVs, or toasters, so they are often in need of repair and upkeep. Except before fixing, installing, or replacing any electrical outlet or switch it is crucial that you turn off any power current flowing to that receptacle. Then, lock the panel box, or find some way to indicate it’s in use, so nobody mistakenly turns the power back on during maintenance. Safety is the number one thing to keep in mind when dealing with any kind of electrical outlet or wiring.
http://www.homeadvisor.com/

[Joel Claycomb]

Getting hit by 120v is always a shocking experience! It will wake you up faster than a hole pot of coffee. No matter what steps you take, locking the panel, tag out/ lock outs, ect.. always work it like it is hot and you will live to walk off.

[johnmeto]

Electrical outlets are utilized regular as a part of the home.

[timebuilder]

Electrical outlets are utilized regular as a part of the home.

....and?

[timebuilder]

The staff at EC&M Magazine is excited to welcome you to EC&MTalk.com, EC&M Magazine’s own Electrical Construction forum! The purpose of this forum is to connect users with other 'like-minded' individuals in the electrical construction and maintenance industry. It’s a place site members visit to share "war" stories, get expert advice, share pictures and more.

This is a site for the industry professional, constructed by and run by EC&M Magazine and its parent company Penton Media. This is the place to share stories and job photos, ask and answer questions, and rub elbows with other electrical construction professionals and experts. The good news is if you’re already registered for ecmweb.com, you’re already registered for the EC&M Talk forum. What are you waiting for? Join the discussion today!

Is this the same forum content as the previous electrical forum we parented here a couple of years ago?

[timebuilder]

Never mind.

I didn't realize it was someone raising a thread from the dead....

[Bill mcC]

Electrical outlets are used everyday in the home, whether for lamps, TVs, or toasters, so they are often in need of repair and upkeep. Except before fixing, installing, or replacing any electrical outlet or switch it is crucial that you turn off any power current flowing to that receptacle. Then, lock the panel box, or find some way to indicate it’s in use, so nobody mistakenly turns the power back on during maintenance. Safety is the number one thing to keep in mind when dealing with any kind of electrical outlet or wiring.
http://www.homeadvisor.com/

Getting hit by 120v is always a shocking experience! It will wake you up faster than a hole pot of coffee. No matter what steps you take, locking the panel, tag out/ lock outs, ect.. always work it like it is hot and you will live to walk off.

LOTO (Lock Out Tag Out), is so important especially where a lot of power can come your way.

But in the home standing in water, in contact with a neutral that is returning from a device, you probably want the power to be off. If only to keep you from doing the dance. Most electrical workers are hurt by the fall from a ladder or bucket, not the electricity.

At home there is no sure way to make sure the power will stay off. Even when you tell everyone there, there is always someone not there that might walk in.

At work we actually put a pad lock on the box and tag it. But I have seen guys cut the locks because the tag was old. Then firecrackers.

As you mention work it like it is live, that is a good plan. Because you can have things double fed. That just occurred to us recently.

Someone used a neutral for one circuit from another unrelated circuit. They tied in a hot wire from another circuit from another panel box, through lighting fixtures powered by another panel. So one neutral was live even after killing every circuit in the conduit from the panel feeding the pulling box. It was like that for twenty years. You would not know unless you were actually working on it.

When you find these things do not be surprised if someone else just cannot believe it. Sometimes they have to pop the breaker a few times while saying "How could that be". Haha.

Sincerely,

William McCormick

[Bill mcC]

Some of the oddest things that have occurred to me electrically are under and over sized wire. Resulting in voltage drop.

Sure we all know if you use undersized wire it can draw more amps to be drawn by an induction winding, motor, and transformers.

Most would not believe that an oversized wire and breakers rated well below that wire can be equally bad for induction loads. The reason is that circuit breakers are current limiting devices both for safety but also in actual practice. There is a small ribbon of wire in the breaker that acts as a resistor. Using over sized wire for the breaker can cause this ribbon to heat, and reduce voltage causing induction devices to draw more current. We tested this condition thoroughly to that conclusion. It was eye opening.

Sincerely,

William McCormick

[Jeremy Services]

Awesome! As a HVAC and electrical guy i'll be checking that out as well. Thanks for the tip!

[Topcoat]

It goes without saying that electrical knowledge is needed to be a successful HVAC tech. I am a student right now but plan on taking some electrical troubleshooting classes locally.

[dennisgondola]

Getting hit by 120v is always a shocking experience! It will wake you up faster than a hole pot of coffee. No matter what steps you take, locking the panel, tag out/ lock outs, ect.. always work it like it is hot and you will live to walk off.

Can anyone help me out?? I want to become an installer in three states...

[mikectm2]

Th is is beyond me

Wow, not easy material

[LadyDuctworth]

Can anyone help me out?? I want to become an installer in three states...

Are you installing 120s that shock people?