Thread

So you think you could be an electrician?

458 points · 418 comments · zdw

dhosek · 1791081547 · focus · HN ↗
A few years back, we hired an electrician to do some relatively small things for us—things I could do like replacing light switches with timer switches and the like, but didn’t have time to do. The thing that really blew me away was when I asked him if he wanted me to shut off the power at the breaker box and he said no and did all the work with live current in the wires. Yes, I know, gloves, rubber soled shoes, he was fine, but it still was somewhat terrifying to watch.
1. userbinator · 1791085634 · focus · HN ↗
  Have done this too (and am not a professional electrician either) --- you use insulated tools and make sure you stay out of the way of any possible current paths.
  1. medler · 1791086014 · focus · HN ↗
    Why not just shut off the breaker though? What’s the harm in that?
    guhidalg · 1791124962 · focus · HN ↗
    How do you know it’s installed right without putting power through the thing? You’re going to turn the breaker off an on for every single switch? NOPE!
    medler · 1791136816 · focus · HN ↗
    Flipping the breaker for each circuit as you start and finish working on it sounds eminently reasonable

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