On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:06:59 -0700, wrote:


Proch wrote:
GP-

Thank you for taking the time to put that together - this is exactly what I
was hoping for... I will open the box tonight or tomorrow and figure
everything out before proceeding. Now... would you open the box without
cutting the power? Or is this considered dangerous...

P:

I always start by turning the power off, then check with my neon
voltage
tester to make sure it actually is off. (Actually, I usually check
before turning
the power off, too, to make sure the switch is on. Otherwise you can
get
a false safe reading, and then somebody comes by and flips the switch
ON...). If possible, I check before opening a box (by checking across
a
socket or receptacle), but in any case I always check after opening
the
box.

You also might want to be sure anyone else who's around knows what
you're doing, and won't turn that breaker back on.

Even if I have turned off the breaker or removed the fuse, I
assume
the wiring could be live, until I have verified that it isn't by
checking it.
You never know what you are going to find in an old system.

Generally, I check from hot to neutral, then from all wires to a known
good
ground, after turning off the power. Preferably, I check at exposed
terminals.
If that's not possible, I unscrew wirenuts. This needs some caution,
since
wires aren't always twisted together and may spring apart when the nut
is
removed.

After I am sure the box is dead, I see what is going on in the box.
/ALWAYS leaving the wires connected/, I unwind the rat's nest and
spread
the connected wires apart, and then write down how everything is
arranged,
what is connected to what, etc. I may tag the wires with pieces of
tape. Only after writing down what I start with do I start
disconnecting
wires.

Once everything is disconnected and safely spaced out, if I don't
already
know which wires are the feed, and I can't find out by visual tracing
or
continuity-testing the circuit, I may turn the power back on briefly
to check
for voltage at the various wires. Be careful when doing this,
because
you are checking a live circuit, and don't want to be part of it, of
course.
As soon as the tests are done, shut off the power again, and check to
verify it's off. This is one of the few cases in which I will allow
power to
an opened box. If possible, I try to avoid it, but even in some cases
when I think I know just what is going on, I'll double-check this way,
just to be safe.

The most important thing is to know what you are doing, and I really
can't guarantee that across here. I can only explain how I do it.
It's up
to you to be sure that the job is done safely, and if you aren't sure
you
can do that, you shouldn't do it. Usenet just isn't enough.

G P
--
66 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"God was invented by man for a reason, that
reason is no longer applicable."