"Bill" wrote

When the idea of adding an additional (flip) switch to each 240v circuit
was suggested that was one of my concerns--that it was something else to
go wrong, which would in turn would make it harder to isolate a problem.

If you understand the layout and how to use a a multimeter, finding the
problem is pretty straightforward.

I've got an inexpensive voltimeter which has worked fine for working with
12v in the car, but I'm not sure whether it would be prudent to plug it
into a 240v outlet. I won't say I'm skeered, but I was thinking about
using it with gloves! : ) I sure believe I should test any
outlet before I plug a new $1000 tool into it.

Again, get an inexpensive multimeter. They are worth their weight in gold.
They have settings for 110 and 220 volts.

When I moved into my present house, an idiot friend of the previous owner
assured me the dryer outlet was OK. It wasn't wired up when we first looked
at it. I told my wife I was going to check it out, but she did not think it
was important. She started the dryer and quickly became alarmed. I don't
really recall exactly what happened but my honey assured me that the bad
outlet was doing something mean to her dryer and she wanted it fixed RIGHT
NOW!

I checked it out with my multimeter and referenced an electrical book I had.
Sure enough, it was wired incorrectly. They just stuck the wires in there
in a random order. I corrected that problem by measuring across the various
wires until I found the right combination. Then I wired the outlet
appropriately. The dryer worked fine.

But it didn't stop there. The facuets to the washer leaked. So I had to
replace them. I found the best quality faucets out there and put them in.
They have worked fine since. I don't know where they found those junk
faucets that was on there before.

Cuz when you move into a new house, the missus wants her things fixed first.