Off and Pop for changing sockets

Stormin Mormon · 2014-11-30T13:40:19+00:00

I watched and old electrician, about to change a recepticle / socket. He had a junction box on about six inches of cord, with a three wire plug. He plugged the device in, and pushed a big rubber covered button. Down the hall I could hear a breaker go clunk. Neat! I ocurred to me that he'd used a huge contactor to drop a dead short, and shut off the breaker to the socket he was replacing. (note to all: Please do not try this if you have a Federal Pacific Electric stabloc panel.) I went home and made such a device out of a 15 amp toggle switch with light. First time I tried it, I fused the contacts, and the switch would not turn off. Took that out and put in a 20 amp Leviton switch, and have used it several times without trouble. I labelled it "off" and "pop". Sure is safer than the Jesus method. - . Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus .

Nov 30, 2014 61 Replies

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Stormin Mormon 11 years ago

I'd think it would make sense to at least walk in to the affected building, holler hello, and ask if they knew their meter was out.

- . Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

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TimR 11 years ago

I would have done that. Of course, we don't know that they didn't, and the electrician was on a lunch break or had run back to the shop for parts. Another reason to follow the law and tag it out.

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