Teaching Moment
 

Changing out a wall switch, I have my sister helping me. She tells me when
I found the right breaker and I go up to change the switch. I tell her
"just because you've turned off power doesn't mean the box is dead." I
check the second switch with a non-contact voltage detector (aka Death
Stick) and see no light. But I turn on the second switch anyway and the
ceiling fan turns on!

Good teaching moments sometimes just show up.

Puckdropper
--
http://www.puckdroppersplace.us/rec.woodworking
A mini archive of some of rec.woodworking's best and worst!

Teaching Moment
 

On Monday, October 1, 2018 at 12:20:42 AM UTC-5, Puckdropper wrote:
Changing out a wall switch, I have my sister helping me. She tells me when
I found the right breaker and I go up to change the switch. I tell her
"just because you've turned off power doesn't mean the box is dead." I
check the second switch with a non-contact voltage detector (aka Death
Stick) and see no light. But I turn on the second switch anyway and the
ceiling fan turns on!

Good teaching moments sometimes just show up.

Puckdropper
--
A mini archive of some of rec.woodworking's best and worst!

Yeah, they do. You simply cannot plan serendipity.

Teaching Moment
 

On Mon, 01 Oct 2018 05:20:40 GMT, Puckdropper
wrote:

Changing out a wall switch, I have my sister helping me. She tells me when
I found the right breaker and I go up to change the switch. I tell her
"just because you've turned off power doesn't mean the box is dead." I
check the second switch with a non-contact voltage detector (aka Death
Stick) and see no light. But I turn on the second switch anyway and the
ceiling fan turns on!

Good teaching moments sometimes just show up.

Puckdropper

That's why I create a breaker "map" for any family/friend's house I'll
be working in more than once (most will ask more than once and I'm
willing to work for food ;-) Takes MUCH longer the first time, but
most of the outlets and switches will have the number of the
associated breaker written on them with an extra fine point Sharpy.
And I create a copy in Word for reference and printing - sized to fit
on the breaker box door.

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Teaching Moment
 

ads wrote in :

On Mon, 01 Oct 2018 05:20:40 GMT, Puckdropper
wrote:

Changing out a wall switch, I have my sister helping me. She tells me
when I found the right breaker and I go up to change the switch. I
tell her "just because you've turned off power doesn't mean the box is
dead." I check the second switch with a non-contact voltage detector
(aka Death Stick) and see no light. But I turn on the second switch
anyway and the ceiling fan turns on!

Good teaching moments sometimes just show up.

Puckdropper

That's why I create a breaker "map" for any family/friend's house I'll
be working in more than once (most will ask more than once and I'm
willing to work for food ;-) Takes MUCH longer the first time, but
most of the outlets and switches will have the number of the
associated breaker written on them with an extra fine point Sharpy.
And I create a copy in Word for reference and printing - sized to fit
on the breaker box door.


That's a good idea. A "professional" electrician moved the breaker box
several years ago, installing a new one, and didn't label any of the
circuits. There's a paper above the box telling where the old circuits
went, and it's just enough to narrow things down.

I've found a Dymo-style label maker works really nicely. It's easy to
read, there's lots of room to type, and the 1/2" label fits nicely in the
space provided.

Puckdropper
--
http://www.puckdroppersplace.us/rec.woodworking
A mini archive of some of rec.woodworking's best and worst!

Teaching Moment
 

On Monday, October 1, 2018 at 8:59:40 PM UTC-4, ads wrote:
On Mon, 01 Oct 2018 05:20:40 GMT, Puckdropper
wrote:

Changing out a wall switch, I have my sister helping me. She tells me when
I found the right breaker and I go up to change the switch. I tell her
"just because you've turned off power doesn't mean the box is dead." I
check the second switch with a non-contact voltage detector (aka Death
Stick) and see no light. But I turn on the second switch anyway and the
ceiling fan turns on!

Good teaching moments sometimes just show up.

Puckdropper

That's why I create a breaker "map" for any family/friend's house I'll
be working in more than once (most will ask more than once and I'm
willing to work for food ;-) Takes MUCH longer the first time, but
most of the outlets and switches will have the number of the
associated breaker written on them with an extra fine point Sharpy.
And I create a copy in Word for reference and printing - sized to fit
on the breaker box door.


My fixtures aren't labeled, but the "map" at the breaker box is written in
manner that not only describes what each breaker controls, but where
appropriate it also describes what the breaker does *not* control.

For example, there 2 breakers that are labeled as follows:

15 - "All living room receptacles except GFCI on North wall. See Brkr 22."

22 - "GFCI on North living room wall only. All other living room receptacles
on Brkr 15."

There are some descriptions that reference 3 or more breakers, typically
from situations where I've pulled new circuits over time.

My map was created and updated in Excel.

Teaching Moment
 

Puckdropper wrote:

That's why I create a breaker "map" for any family/friend's house I'll
be working in more than once (most will ask more than once and I'm
willing to work for food ;-) Takes MUCH longer the first time, but
most of the outlets and switches will have the number of the
associated breaker written on them with an extra fine point Sharpy.

I requested that labeling the breakers be a condition of purchase
when I put a down payment on my house. It intimidated me that it
had no labels at all! I may not have ever learned that I had a
sump pump! : )

Teaching Moment
 

On 10/2/2018 8:35 AM, Bill wrote:
....

I requested that labeling the breakers be a condition of purchase when I
put a down payment on my house. ...

That was good thinking, there...

--

Teaching Moment
 

On Tue, 2 Oct 2018 09:35:21 -0400, Bill wrote:

Puckdropper wrote:

That's why I create a breaker "map" for any family/friend's house I'll
be working in more than once (most will ask more than once and I'm
willing to work for food ;-) Takes MUCH longer the first time, but
most of the outlets and switches will have the number of the
associated breaker written on them with an extra fine point Sharpy.

I requested that labeling the breakers be a condition of purchase
when I put a down payment on my house. It intimidated me that it
had no labels at all! I may not have ever learned that I had a
sump pump! : )

That's the kind of thing a GOOD home inspector will point out to you.
When we bought the current house, I tagged along with the inspector to
learn as mcuh as possible - plus his report was very detailed. Well
worth the money.

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Teaching Moment
 

On Tue, 02 Oct 2018 20:21:19 -0400, ads wrote:

On Tue, 2 Oct 2018 09:35:21 -0400, Bill wrote:

Puckdropper wrote:

That's why I create a breaker "map" for any family/friend's house I'll
be working in more than once (most will ask more than once and I'm
willing to work for food ;-) Takes MUCH longer the first time, but
most of the outlets and switches will have the number of the
associated breaker written on them with an extra fine point Sharpy.

I requested that labeling the breakers be a condition of purchase
when I put a down payment on my house. It intimidated me that it
had no labels at all! I may not have ever learned that I had a
sump pump! : )

That's the kind of thing a GOOD home inspector will point out to you.
When we bought the current house, I tagged along with the inspector to
learn as mcuh as possible - plus his report was very detailed. Well
worth the money.

I wasn't allowed to "tag along" on the inspections for my last two
houses. Apparently it isn't the norm everywhere. The reports were
quite detailed, however.

Teaching Moment
 

On 10/2/2018 7:21 PM, ads wrote:
On Tue, 2 Oct 2018 09:35:21 -0400, Bill wrote:

Puckdropper wrote:

That's why I create a breaker "map" for any family/friend's house I'll
be working in more than once (most will ask more than once and I'm
willing to work for food ;-) Takes MUCH longer the first time, but
most of the outlets and switches will have the number of the
associated breaker written on them with an extra fine point Sharpy.

I requested that labeling the breakers be a condition of purchase
when I put a down payment on my house. It intimidated me that it
had no labels at all! I may not have ever learned that I had a
sump pump! : )

That's the kind of thing a GOOD home inspector will point out to you.
When we bought the current house, I tagged along with the inspector to
learn as mcuh as possible - plus his report was very detailed. Well
worth the money.

Our home inspector pulled the cover off of the circuit breaker panel to
see if the electrician had tossed the wire insulation in under the
switches. He did, and the builder cleaned it out.

Teaching Moment
 

ads wrote:

That's the kind of thing a GOOD home inspector will point out to you.
When we bought the current house, I tagged along with the inspector to
learn as mcuh as possible - plus his report was very detailed. Well
worth the money.
I did the same. And using his pictures, I was able to get a new
roof (shingles), since they were still under warranty, and
clearly had issues. A couple years later I found out there was a
class action lawsuit on behalf of everyone who had bought that
brand/model of shingles (not me of course, as I had already
settled).
It was about $450 for the inspection (in case anyone is curious).
Of course, they have possible "add-ons".

Teaching Moment
 

Teaching Moment
 

Bill wrote in news:6o4tD.272746$Vl2.78668
@fx46.iad:

wrote:

I wasn't allowed to "tag along" on the inspections for my last two
houses.

I would ask when making an appointment. If it's not okay for me
to tag along, then they may not be the inspector for me... Of
course, I wouldn't expect them to take me up on the roof (or the
equivalent). I mean, I Mean, I MEAN (in the spirit of Arlo
Guthrie), whose writing the check! %-)




I tagged along on ours too. The home inspector did a good job and a
little teaching along the way. He pointed out the well pump shut off
switch and that knowledge has come in handy several times. If a problem
occurs, I'll shut off the pump then figure things out from there.

Puckdropper
--
http://www.puckdroppersplace.us/rec.woodworking
A mini archive of some of rec.woodworking's best and worst!

Teaching Moment
 

On Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 10:30:28 AM UTC-4, Bill wrote:
wrote:

I wasn't allowed to "tag along" on the inspections for my last two
houses.

I would ask when making an appointment. If it's not okay for me
to tag along, then they may not be the inspector for me... Of
course, I wouldn't expect them to take me up on the roof (or the
equivalent). I mean, I Mean, I MEAN (in the spirit of Arlo
Guthrie), whose writing the check! %-)


Kid

Teaching Moment
 

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 10:30:28 AM UTC-4, Bill wrote:
wrote:

I wasn't allowed to "tag along" on the inspections for my last two
houses.

I would ask when making an appointment. If it's not okay for me
to tag along, then they may not be the inspector for me... Of
course, I wouldn't expect them to take me up on the roof (or the
equivalent). I mean, I Mean, I MEAN (in the spirit of Arlo
Guthrie), whose writing the check! %-)


Kid

Ha! Amazing how the words come flooding back! "I want you to
write down... twenty-five sentences... the offending officers
name...", and Kid, "Go sit on the bench marked Group W." : )

Teaching Moment
 

On Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 7:47:26 PM UTC-4, Bill wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 10:30:28 AM UTC-4, Bill wrote:
wrote:

I wasn't allowed to "tag along" on the inspections for my last two
houses.

I would ask when making an appointment. If it's not okay for me
to tag along, then they may not be the inspector for me... Of
course, I wouldn't expect them to take me up on the roof (or the
equivalent). I mean, I Mean, I MEAN (in the spirit of Arlo
Guthrie), whose writing the check! %-)


Kid

Ha! Amazing how the words come flooding back! "I want you to
write down... twenty-five sentences... the offending officers
name...", and Kid, "Go sit on the bench marked Group W." : )

Alice's Restaurant has been a Thanksgiving morning tradition in our
house for as long as I can remember.

My kid's grew up with it and SWMBO and I still play it even now that
all the kids are out of the house. Every single year. 2 of the 4 kids
have continued the tradition at their own homes.

This year will be easy. "Alexa, play Alice's Restaurant".

Teaching Moment
 

On Wed, 3 Oct 2018 10:30:23 -0400, Bill wrote:

wrote:

I wasn't allowed to "tag along" on the inspections for my last two
houses.

I would ask when making an appointment. If it's not okay for me
to tag along, then they may not be the inspector for me... Of
course, I wouldn't expect them to take me up on the roof (or the
equivalent). I mean, I Mean, I MEAN (in the spirit of Arlo
Guthrie), whose writing the check! %-)

Then you'd be buying a house without an inspection.



Apparently it isn't the norm everywhere. The reports were
quite detailed, however.