On Mon, 6 Sep 2010 14:27:27 -0700 (PDT), Robatoy
wrote:

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

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.

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.

Wiring in my panel is so close that it defeats the tracer,
unfortunately. I was disappinted in my shiny new used unit.


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?"

Purist (read: anal) Sparkies everywhere change a breaker out if it has
been tripped even once. In any case, shorting out live breakers is
iffy at best, a fire at worst.

--
Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy
simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.
-- Storm Jameson