Electrical service - 240v line

[CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert]

Yep, I think there needs to be sufficient respect shown to the job itself. Im an electrical engineer, and I just did lots of wiring on my mothers house. 120V aint too bad. Overall the danger in installing

120V and 240V is equal. Bad install means hazard for the person living at the residence.

But to the installer 240V means much more danger to himself. Being able to issue a few expletives is a luxury of still being alive...

As an EE I know how electricity works, but that does not mean I know anything about the safety standards electricians have developed over the years. I even read the DIY book in the store. Looks so simple.

But I have a wife and son, and I refuse to touch 240V. Fear is good.

As for assumptions. I recall one day turning off the circuit breaker in the breaker box, then proceeding to install a new outlet/switch at my mothers other house. I got a nasty shock. My mom laughed and said something about my father's wiring the house. Even professionals can make mistakes.

[Joseph Meehan]

I agree with what you wrote. I will add one time I was replacing a hall light. I turned the light on and when down to the basement to unscrew the fuse I thought was it. No luck, on the second try I came back up and the light was out so I went to work. After loosening everything I was pulling the fixture down when I was suddenly showered in sparks. As it turns out the lamp had burned out while I was loosening that second fuse. It was yet another circuit. Needless to say, I was lucky and pulled both mains (it was a duplex with two entries) before continuing.

[jeffc]

That is of course what I'd do, but I'll be hiring someone to do this one :-)

[jeffc]

Not directed at you as you already know, but I would not recommend doing any work on wires unless you have a multimeter to test the actual circuit with. You should first, of course, ensure that the multimeter is working correctly and you're using it correctly.

[jeffc]

Even if all the gear being used is run on that same circuit? I would think there would be no grounding and thus no potential ground loop.

[Chris Lewis]

According to jeffc :

There's more to noise than ground loops. An entirely floating AC loop is more likely to pick up and induce RF noise into a power supply, for example.