On Sat, 10 Mar 2012 21:23:33 -0000, Bill wrote:

In message op.way1zz19ytk5n5@i7-940, Lieutenant Scott
writes

No, it's a good way to check, without requiring further tools, which
are undoubtedly in a toolbox at the other end of the house.

You are joking of course, no sane person deliberately sets out to get an
electric shock or to blow a circuit.

But joking about it is not a good idea, someone may actually take you at
your word and try it.

Well it works well for me. Perhaps you should read more carefully, I
use it to CHECK. Tripping the thing by shorting it isn't a good idea,
as I have fuses, and I'd need to replace the fusewire! It's a good way
to make it certain in my mind that I really did pull the right fuse.


Sorry, I did read what you wrote. You said "it's a good way to check"
i.e. you were checking that you had isolated the circuit, you weren't
sure otherwise you wouldn't have needed to check. Again now you are
saying "to make certain" there are safer ways of making certain!! If
you had said that you strapped L to E to ensure a trip if someone else
turned the supply on then that may have been understandable. But NOT
shorting anything to anything, just to check!

Whyever not? That's what fuses and breakers are for.

I wonder if you have ever had an occasion where the circuit was still
live?

Once.

I watched a guy change a socket that was spurred off a ring in a kitchen
one day, he was doing it live, not altogether a good move. The cable
was left unterminated for a moment while he picked up the replacement
socket. The bang and flash were quite spectacular when L&N shorted. 30A
fuse wire takes a moment and a heck of a lot of energy to blow. Not
something you want to play around with "to check".

I've seen a bigger bang than 30 amps. Vapourised copper everywhere. But 30 amps isn't that bad - especially if you're expecting it.

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