Did a little arc welding today

[Jack Feldmann]

Tapped the panel before I touched it. OK
Started taking out the screws. Got to the middle one and ZAAPPPPP!
After I took off the cover I saw a wire was pinched between the screw and the side of the panel and the insulation was worn thru.
Fun times.

[Ron Bibler]

Glad you are OK Jack... I had pointed screws in panel the other day...

But no sparks...

Best

Ron
Sebastopol California Termite and Pest Control - Exterminating & Thermal Imaging (http://www.sebastopolpestcontrol.com)

[Scott Patterson]

Lucky you! Glad you are OK!

Thank goodness for Depends! :D

[Matt Fellman]

That's a crazy way to route all the hot wires around the extreme side of the panel. I've never seen professional sparky do it that way. They always run them between the neutral/ground bus and the breakers connection points.... probably to avoid what happened to you.

Glad your okay.....

[John Kogel]

Yeah that was lucky! And you prevented someone else from getting a nasty shock.
Is that a Makita screwdriver you were using? It must be a good one.

[Jack Feldmann]

OK John, how in the world did you know I was using a Makita? 9.6V at that.

[John Kogel]

OK John, how in the world did you know I was using a Makita? 9.6V at that.I could make something up here, like "any other brand would have melted in your hand", but actually, it's laying there on the floor where you dropped it in the 3rd pic. :)

I use a 4 volt Ryobi myself, has plenty of torque and fits in my pocket.

[Jerry Peck]

That's a crazy way to route all the hot wires around the extreme side of the panel. I've never seen professional sparky do it that way. They always run them between the neutral/ground bus and the breakers connection points.... probably to avoid what happened to you.


I saw wires routed that way by professional electricians ALL THE TIME ... okay, allow me to rephrase that ... I saw wires routed that way by new construction electrical contractors ... "professional electricians" may have been a bit too "generous" of a word. :D

And I wrote them up all the time, and I occasionally did some arc welding myself too - sometimes just to prove a point when the "Sparky" did not believe it would happen ... you stand here and I'll run this screw in with my cordless screw driver ... rrrrr ZAP! ... See? I TOLD YOU that would happen if you left those wires there.

[Bob Elliott]

Good post to remember not being to confident, as something can surprise you no matter what your experience.

[Marc M]

Good post to remember not being to confident, as something can surprise you no matter what your experience.

Roger that...

[Bob Elliott]

Roger that...

If I get a FPE stabloc panel in the morning it is staying fastened.

[Jack Feldmann]

John,
I'm impressed....good eye.

[Bob Elliott]

I could make something up here, like "any other brand would have melted in your hand", but actually, it's laying there on the floor where you dropped it in the 3rd pic. :)

I use a 4 volt Ryobi myself, has plenty of torque and fits in my pocket.

Ryobi may be ok for simple screw jobs but I must admit that is the one brand I hate as every one I bought in the past would burn up and melt under pressure.

I actually for inspection prefer a good quality insulated ratchet screw driver with bit pockets that have all the sizes you need right on the tool.

No need to charge yet another item.

[Jack Feldmann]

I've only been using my Makita for 15 years or so.

[John Kogel]

I've only been using my Makita for 15 years or so.That is a good one, and it insulated you nicely, it seems. The 9 volt is light and handy. I have a 9 volt DeWalt on its last battery. :(

Here's my present inspection scewdriver, after about 200 inspections, it's light and powerful. I charge it twice or thrice a week.
I have my flashlight chargers on a power bar by the door. No hassle. Bob, you are old school. Tell us about your ladder. :)

[Bob Elliott]

That is a good one, and it insulated you nicely, it seems. The 9 volt is light and handy. I have a 9 volt DeWalt on its last battery. :(

Here's my present inspection scewdriver, after about 200 inspections, it's light and powerful. I charge it twice or thrice a week.
I have my flashlight chargers on a power bar by the door. No hassle. Bob, you are old school. Tell us about your ladder. :)

Old school because of my 40 year old 20 foot one piece wood ladder ?

Nah , not that crazy as I had professional ladder climbing training through the phone company.

I keep my old Ford van (1992 AeroStar) just to carry my 28 foot fiberglass hook ladder in winter.
That's the safest you can go as the hooks are in the gutter and the spiked feet dig nicely into the ice around here.

Other wise I am stuck with one of those new school 22 foot mutiladders that fits into my Sportage.

Back to subject I had tons of rechargeable drills for actual drilling but seeing Ryobi being called good got my blood boiling on memory of how those things burned out on me after a few days use every time.

Got them because I was cheap to buy Millwaukee.

[John Kogel]

Here's what I said "I use a 4 volt Ryobi myself, has plenty of torque and fits in my pocket."
Like a disposable lighter.
The Milwaukee (Mil-wok-ee, China?) screwdriver is nice, 2.8 volt and costs 5 times as much, can't afford to leave that behind, can we? :)

[Bob Barnett]

If I get a FPE stabloc panel in the morning it is staying fastened.
Last time I pulled one of those apart most of the breakers fell out. It was hell to put them all back in place. Never again!

[Michael Thomas]

Dude, when you turn a screw, and things start arcing inside the panel, this is known as a CLUE....

.... that you need to stop turning the screw !

-----------------------------

"Dead inspectors write no reports."

- My Wife.

[A.D. Miller]

I saw wires routed that way by professional electricians ALL THE TIME ... okay, allow me to rephrase that ... I saw wires routed that way by new construction electrical contractors ... "professional electricians" may have been a bit too "generous" of a word. :D

And I wrote them up all the time, and I occasionally did some arc welding myself too - sometimes just to prove a point when the "Sparky" did not believe it would happen ... you stand here and I'll run this screw in with my cordless screw driver ... rrrrr ZAP! ... See? I TOLD YOU that would happen if you left those wires there.

JP: This happened to me once on a new house. Blew the tip off my cordless drill bit. I left the panel cover off. As I was about to leave, checkbook builder boy ran up to me and demanded I replace the cover. I explained, he persisted. I lent him one of my (old) screwdrivers and bet him $20 that he could not put it back on without sparking it up. The idiot took me up on it.

Trashed out my screwdriver; burnt both of his hands; made myself $20. An overall pleasant experience.:D

[bob smit]

This is a constant issue....so much for manf specs and such.
These are nothing, as it were, compared to all the buck/boost xfrm's I've installed; with their tiny 'wiring compartments', but don't get me started on that one.... I mount all of them from wireways now, especially when dealing with higher voltages.
Best not to put your other hand on any conducting surface till the last screw or two are removed. Better yet, get someone else to hold the covers with one hand as U remove the last screw.
Bob Smit, County EI