On Sep 6, 5:11*pm, FrozenNorth
wrote:
On 9/06/10 4:59 PM, Steve Turner wrote:



On 9/6/2010 3:43 PM, Puckdropper wrote:
Steve wrote in
:

On 9/5/2010 3:22 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
How many homeowners know what circuits each receptacle is part of?

Speaking of that, why in the hell don't the codes call for some sort
of standard labeling scheme so that a person could read a number off
the front of the switch or outlet and trace it straight back to the
very breaker in the panel to which it's connected?

I've been tempted to short something out intentionally to see which
breaker pops. Seems like it would be a lot easier than tracing breakers
in a box a supposedly professional electrician didn't label.

Are there devices that plug into the power source and produce a specific
signal that's tracable back at the panel?

Puckdropper

-MIKE- mentioned something like that; I've never seen one, but it sounds
cool. I don't know how such a device would help you track which circuit
a light switch is on though.

There are screw in adaptors that will let you temporarily use a light
socket as an outlet.....

These signal tracers do work, but sometimes, maybe depending on the
panel or how heavily loaded the panel is, the results are not such that
you get a lot of confidence in them. *At least that is my experience
with them.

--
Froz...
The system will be down for 10 days for preventive maintenance.

Indeed. I have a tracing unit and when there are two long lines
running close to each other, the induction can set up just enough
phantom voltage to trick the thing. Handy as hell, but hardly
foolproof.

I have seen lots of guys deliberately shorting an outlet with a piece
of wire, in order to trip the breaker, saving a looooong walk to the
breaker panel. "Supposed to be THE ultimate test anyway, right?"