Extreme Danger! Be Careful Out There!

[hausdok]

This wire is hot hanging loose in the panel (we moved it toward the front to make sure it didn't short to the can). The lug got so hot that the plastic that was holding it in place melted - the connection to the breaker failed and there you have a hot wire ready to nail you.

Always be very careful when you remove a panel cover!

Merry Christmas to all!

Jim P. Simmons (Mr. Electric 360-705-4225 Olympia 360-426-7600 Shelton 360-458-4002 Yelm 253-203-0104 Tacoma)

[randynavarro]

I've often wondered about the strength of those main lugs.

So many times I see that fat gauge SEC bent and torqued in to place wondering how those lugs are actually attached. But I've yet to see one like in the pic.

[Jim Katen]

About 12-15 years ago, I remember hearing a lot about this very problem with Siemens panels. There was talk of a recall but it never happened.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[mgbinspect]

Whew! I don't see them very often, but speaking of the devil, I just opened a Siemens today about 6 hours ago. [:-bigeyes

I once simply backed out a panel cover screw (the cover screw that legitimately came with the panel mind you) and it cut into one of the main entry lines, tripping the main breaker after spot-welding the screw and panel cover to the box in a major fireworks show . It happened so fast I didn't even have time to be scared!

I'm never in a hurry around the electric panel and absolutely refuse to remove the cover, if I am forced to be off balance to do so. I want to be ready and able to move or be moved in case something happens.

[Mike Lamb]

I've always wanted someone to take a picture of me sitting on a clothes washer with my feet in a laundry tub removing the panel cover.

I am not advocating this practice.

[Tom Raymond]

Mike, why don't you just move your washer and drier?[]

Tom

[Firestarter]

If there is one or two dead leg('s) in a panel I prefer to turn off all breakers pull the meter then look in the panel I have seen bad wires melt the inside of a panel and it's much safer to have no power in there when you pull the cover looking for a short. They can spring just about anywhere creating a much worse problem. Not sure if all areas allow you to pull the meter yourself though.

[Steven Hockstein]

When I first started doing home inspections (1981) we regularly turned-off the main breaker and then opened the panel. After hearing some horror stories about people losing data on their computers because of a power loss and also about various problems caused by turning the power on and off, we stopped checking the mains.

The stories could have been a bunch of urban legends but it was enough to scare us from shutting them down.

At the same time I wondered about these homes when there was a local power failure because the same thing would have happened anyway.

DO most inspectors check electrical mains?

[Marc]

I haven't deliberately switched off a main, as an inspector, in 8 years. I have accidentally switched off several FPE mains though.

Marc