How do they avoid the electricity when the circuit is still on?
2007-11-05 13:31:46 · 13 answers · asked by monaya 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Only stupid electricians wire things live. 120 volts has killed more people than any other voltage.
2007-11-07 17:20:06 · answer #1 · answered by John himself 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Residential lights are normally 120 volts. Most, but not all, electricians wire switches to break the power ( black) line. Some electricians used to use the neutral to control the lights, which meant that there was always power in the box.
With the power interrrupted at the switch, most of the time it is simple to replace a light without turning off the power to the circuit. There are devices to signal when there is voltage present ( commonly called tickers) which will alert you to voltage in the box before starting. You do not have to touch both the hot and ground or neutral wires to get shoicked. If you touch the hot, you can become the connection to ground, or the loop to neutral, which is usuially whan you get shocked.
2007-11-05 14:02:00 · answer #2 · answered by daileyent 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Hey Omar. I'm an electrician. There is no secret here. We don't need to turn off the circuit breaker because when the switch is off, there will be no voltage in the light box.
2007-11-05 15:08:31 · answer #3 · answered by jlecut 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They know which are the live wires and use insulated tools while standing on an insulating mat. If they are doing 120 volts they might get away with it. As the voltage goes higher like 240 or 480 their chances of coming out of that alive diminish considerably.
It is mostly an attempt to save some time by not shutting off the breaker together with bad safety training. Eventually they will get careless and will end up dead. It is a rookie mistake.
2007-11-05 13:37:03 · answer #4 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If the hot wire (usually black) feeds the switch, then all you have to do is have the switch in the off position. The light fixture will not be hot until the switch is turned on. Usually the hot wire to the switch is a different color and it's called the switch leg.
2007-11-05 14:55:03 · answer #5 · answered by Phil McCracken 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
IF you know what you're doing, you can be safe
by turning off the power anywhere upstream of
where you're working.
Mostly at the breaker serving the circuit in question.
You'd better be sure though.
"Fireworks" can be embarrassing.
2007-11-05 13:55:54 · answer #6 · answered by Irv S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Turning off the switch deosn't guarentee someone won't turn it on. I disconnect the power at the switch and wear gloves while working on the device. Short of an armed guard at the switch it's your best bet.
2007-11-06 02:40:51 · answer #7 · answered by Ed W 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
working with one wire at a time...Taking the hot line first and capping it as to not accidently ground out. Connect the common white wire completely and then work with the hot line...
2007-11-05 13:52:51 · answer #8 · answered by Ernie G 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It can be done without touching the bare wire directly. I wouldn't even think of doing it that way myself.
2007-11-05 13:35:54 · answer #9 · answered by Charlie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Turn the switch off.
2007-11-05 13:35:17 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋