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Don Y[_3_]

On 12/3/2015 2:43 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 02 Dec 2015 23:02:47 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 9:05 PM, bob haller wrote:

[I'm comfortable working with electricity -- but in the panel, there's
nothing between you and "sudden death" : I'm not going to flip the main
breaker just to make these sorts of breaker changes]

thats what main breakers are designed for, changing breakers in a hot panel
is just plain dumb...

Every panel I've ever been in makes it relatively easy to change
a breaker with power on. The breakers typically clip into/onto
one bus bar or the other (or both) so the "live" circuit is
not anywhere near where you are working. Only a section of the
bus bar(s) that you will be connecting to is exposed BETWEEN
the other installed breakers. In our case, that means a slot
5/8" wide and 2+ inches deep to touch the bus bar.

The hot wire running off to the branch circuit can be connected
*before* installing a breaker or disconnected *after* the breaker
is pulled out.

By contrast, the GFCI's require a connection to the neutral
bus. In our panel, that means exposing the AC line *at* the
main breaker. Turning off the breaker gives you very little
added protection -- slip and you're toast.

of course you have to reset clocks etc......

Generational differences? : Sure, we'd have to reset a couple
of bedroom clocks, HiFi's, oven, microwave, etc. And, coordinate
our activities so we're not without power when we're expecting to
do something (make dinner, watch a movie, etc.)

But, that's pretty easy.

The real effort comes with the computers that are undoubtedly
running at the time of the "planned outage".

I'd have to make notes as to what I was doing on each of the
computers that were powered up, at the time (assuming they
aren't actively "doing something" that will take a fair amount
of time -- like rendering a 3D model, "make world", etc.);
examine each open application so I can return to that state
when power is eventually restored.

(I typically leave a machine exactly where it was when I was
last using it so the display reminds me as to what I was doing)

Also, shut down any network appliances or headless servers
in an orderly manner. etc.

Or, hope the batteries in each UPS are stiff enough to
carry the loads for the time you *expect* to need to swap
out the breaker.

I.e., I have to do a fair bit of planning if I want to remove
power for anything more than a few seconds (which I expect
the UPS's to always handle even when batteries are toast).

but you have to do that if your home has a power failure

I have no control over a power failure. I *do* have control
over when -- and IF -- I remove power to do electrical
maintenance!
If it's the "Old CH" I'm thinking of, I'd be replacing it. It
wouldn't stand a chance of passing code up here as a new install. NO
conductors from the "switched" side are allowed into the "main" side
of the panel. None. Period.

In addition to the expense and inconvenience, that opens up a whole
can of worms. House is block so you can't move the box "an inch
or two" to accommodate breakers in the new loadcenter being some
different distance from where the wires come through the block.

Neighbor enhanced his service some years ago. A nightmare for
him to "stretch" the wires to reach the new locations of the
breakers. You roll the dice; if the wires don't reach, you're
SoL (have to rerun the branch circuit).

Another neighbor had his panel catch fire (corroded mains).
Same sort of issue -- can't just find "drop in" replacements
for these sorts of things! (And, you're without power
for the time it takes to tear down, install, rewire AND
get inspected!)

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"