I can't recall whether it was here in CHA or in (hence thecrosspost) but I am certain I read messages from people who short outlets orwiring with a screwdriver (instead of using a meter or a fox and hound tonerset) to find the controlling circuit breaker for that branch. The articlebelow points out the possible downside of that approach:Missouri: Inquiry Ties Wiring to Fatal Group Home Fire LIBBY SANDERPublished: December 20, 2006Hours before a fire killed 10 people in a group home for the mentally illand disabled on Nov. 27 in Anderson, a maintenance worker trying to repair afurnace short-circuited wiring in the attic, where fire investigators saidthey believed that the fire started. The worker told investigators that hedid not know which circuit breaker operated the furnace and that hedeliberately tripped the system, according to a report from the MissouriFire Safety Division. The wiring may have become overloaded, the reportstaid. The fire marshal said the home did not have sprinklers. The reportwas obtained by The Associated Press under an open-records law.--Bobby G.

tragedy suggests safer constrction codes."Gov. Matt Blunt on Friday proposed a sprinkler system mandate forMissouri's long-term care facilities in response to a fire that killed11 people at a group home for the mentally ill.The Anderson Guest House was not equipped with sprinklers when a Nov.27 fire started in the attic and swept through the one-story building.After the fire, Blunt ordered a review of Missouri's fire safetyregulations for such facilities. . . .The report also recommends that smoking be banned in bedrooms andrestricted only to designated smoking areas at long-term-carefacilities."Robert Green wrote:

Why deliberately shorting equipment to blow breakers might be a bad idea . . .

Jan 12, 2007 25 Replies

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hallerb 19 years ago

I have been a office machine service tech my entire adult life since

1975, we are trained to test by overloading etc all resettable safety devices so we know they work when needed

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Robert L Bass 19 years ago

I've read a number of online news reports aqbout the Anderson group home fire. I didn't find anything about an electrician having shorted anything. Do you know a link to this information? Absent that, I wonder if this isn't part fact (the fire certainly did occur) and part modern urban legend.

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volts500 19 years ago

I didn't find anything about an electrician having

wonder if this isn't part fact (the fire certainly did

formatting link

"The worker told investigators that he did not know which circuit breaker operated the furnace and that he deliberately tripped the system, according to a report from the Missouri Fire Safety Division."

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Robert L Bass 19 years ago

The URL requires a login. Thanks for posting the quote.

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Bill Kearney 19 years ago

formatting link

is handy for working around those.

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Greg 19 years ago

Nurse, where does that vein come from?

I don't know doctor, lets tie it off and see what artery pops.

Cool, it will save us a lot of time.

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