bullheimer
Senior Member
- Location
- WA
DAMMIT! i think we all know that when the Service drops a neutral a LOT of things in the house can BLOW UP! keep this in mind when you get a call to fix problems listed on a Home Inspection report, which almost ALWAYS has double tapped neutrals on the neutral bar. I have been in the BAD HABIT for years of just making a hole by putting two grounds under a screw, then just undoing a double tapped neut and putting it in the hole w/o bothering to identify the ckt and turn off the breaker. MAN I BEEN LUCKY!
until this summer when i did that and the people inside raised ALL kinds of hell about the sparks flying out of the gas range!!! well i never checked to see if that damned neutral was coming from a 3-wire circuit, it was and, just like you would expect, it fed 240 to the range. $600 later and my first insurance claim, i am passing this little bit of knowledge to you from the SofHK. So turn OFF the breakers when you do this! (my second range btw, i didn't label a wire i removed during a panel change once and fed a gas range 240 from the breaker. Don't do THAT either!!! (It had been an electric range at one time but was altered into a 120V ckt. Somehow i labeled it as a hot.)) Checking the appliances for gas vs electric during a panel change might be another little practice that can save your butt before you install 240 breakers. It's a wonder i made it this long without blowing stuff up.
Basically just use the common sense i didnt use.:dunce:
until this summer when i did that and the people inside raised ALL kinds of hell about the sparks flying out of the gas range!!! well i never checked to see if that damned neutral was coming from a 3-wire circuit, it was and, just like you would expect, it fed 240 to the range. $600 later and my first insurance claim, i am passing this little bit of knowledge to you from the SofHK. So turn OFF the breakers when you do this! (my second range btw, i didn't label a wire i removed during a panel change once and fed a gas range 240 from the breaker. Don't do THAT either!!! (It had been an electric range at one time but was altered into a 120V ckt. Somehow i labeled it as a hot.)) Checking the appliances for gas vs electric during a panel change might be another little practice that can save your butt before you install 240 breakers. It's a wonder i made it this long without blowing stuff up.
Basically just use the common sense i didnt use.:dunce:
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