Actually I have this multimeter, so should this help me find the
short? What test method should I use to trace down the short?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in... ntPage=search


Thanks in advance,
Fish




On Sun, 11 Dec 2005 20:02:58 GMT, fish
wrote:

On Sun, 11 Dec 2005 14:45:02 -0500, "Pop"
wrote:

No, not necessarily. It depends on what the short is. If it's
something in direct and solid contact, there might not even be
any evidence of arccing, etc..

If I were you, I'd get out (or buy a cheap) my multimeter,
disconnect the wire from the breaker again, and leave it off for
the duration, remove/unplug everything in/on that branch,
including lights, and start tracing. If you have to buy a
cheapie at RS or someplace, get one with a beeper sound when it
sees shorts; very handy.
I think I will do this, how do you use the multimeter? I have an
ohmeter, thats different, isnt it? How much do you think I will spend
on one?



Or, call in a pro, but you really should STOP testing it by
popping the ckt breaker every time or it may really GO bad, or
worse, a fire might start and smolder somewhere until it's too
late.
I roger that.


Constantly stressing/flipping a ckt brkr is definitely bad for
it; they're just not made to be used as switches. Besides, it's
a lot safer to work without power on the line.
You DO kill the Mains to work on the breaker, right?
No, darnit should I be doing that too? Is that why i am so nervous
and jerky when working on that service? Where is the main? Is that
the one that is outside? I really do feel nervous working on that
thing so I will take your advice on the Multimeter, that sounds fun
and somewhat safer than what I have been doing.


Even if
you don't pull one out, the right move could put a pile of them
right into your lap when that cover's off. Very often the covers
hold the breakers in proper place.

HTH,

Pop