bence13_33

I'm sure everyone has learned a lesson or two the hard way, well I learned one today.

My job is better than most teenager's jobs, I work for my dad at his Maytag Appliance Center. I mainly do the deliveries and my dad does the repair work on the appliances. I delivered a washer and dryer today. The dryer that I was removing had the heavy duty cable going directly to his box. I asked the fellow "did you kick the breaker to the dryer?" He responded with "yes, the power's off to the dryer." Me being the trusting individual that I am, I start unhooking the cable when all of a sudden WHAM! Needless to say it put me down....yep 220 volts. I got up and asked him to see his breaker box, what a surprise the breaker was not kicked. Kicking the breaker was not the only thing I wanted to kick :mad . I can still taste the copper in my mouth :U .

The moral of the story is that when you are dealing with electricity...trust nobody but yourself. I plan on checking all of the breaker boxs myself from now on....and am also carrying a meter in my tool box too.

So let's hear about your lessons learned the hard way.

427_Roadster

:eek:
Glad you're still with us after that!
What did the guy say to you? Did he apologize or buy you a beer or anything?
:cheers:
-Tom

mrvette

Dude, you got lucky, once burnt, twice wary....keep that in mind....I been there and dun that...sorry to have to admit....

ALLWAYS pull your own circuit, tape the breaker/switch, and check it yourself with a voltmeter.....anything else is bullpoopie.....

GENE

jimduchek

I've always got a great kick out of getting jolted. Used to stick knives in outlets and fingers in light sockets for fun. Anyway, sure does suck when you're not expecting it. Glad you're safe, 220 can kill. Probably the biggest lessons I've learned the hard ways are: A> Yes, you're too drunk to drive, and B> No, you can't support that transmission by yourself.

Jim

bence13_33

He told me he was sorry and that he thought he had kicked the breaker. It was actually my fault I should have checked it myself. No need to drink coffe after that ordeal...I was wide awake the rest of the day.

Paul L

You are very, very lucky. A circuit tester is very cheap insurance.

7t2vette

:D Bence, I couldn't help but laugh when I read your post....I am an electrician, and I can just imagine the look on your face when you got bittin by the volt bug!! I know it is not funny, but I know exactly how you felt getting that poke!! You should try 347v through your head.....not fun!!
The moral of the story: ALWAYS check for yourself that the power is off, never,ever trust what someone else tells you. I tell all my apprentices that, and I advise them to invest in a good meter, even though our union says they shouldn't have one until thier 5th year. It would be a wise investment for you too!!! :D

73Ken73

Even if the breaker is kicked you should allways short a couple of the wires together with two screw drivers or something. You never know what kind of crazy wiring has been done in the house. I wouldn't even trust a volt meter. A jumper wire to a water pipe is a good short. I used to work on 50000 volt radar systems.

QuickVet

:eek: is your hair still standing? :eek:

SmokedTires

Glad to hear your ok Bence :crazy: . Take it easy there, we want to see that BB going down the road w/ you behind the wheel ;) .

paso

There is one thing for sure I can garantee you bence It'll never happen to you again those lessons stick for life.:) Thankful you can post about it.

CDaniel525

That sux dude....I do heating and air condition with my father, so i know what your talking about!

Chris

IWantAC3

Ouch, that must have hurt. I've never gotten shocked by 220v but have with 110v twice. Once when I was 8-9years old and had a little DC motor from radio shack about as big around as a quarter and I got the bright Idea to see how well it would work if I shoved the wires in an electric outlet, ouch. The second time I think I was 10 years old and I was under a table plugging in a lamp or something and my finger was on the metal prong when I shoved it in the outlet, zap, and to top it off I jerked my head up and slammed into the underside of the table.

Gordonm

I went to replace the elements in the hot water heater a couple of years ago. Went to the box and turned off the breaker. Went down started to unscrew the leads and WHAM. I got jolted. The box was mislabeled. I went and relabeled all the circuits so I now know they are correct. There were 2 more mislabeled.

PRNDL

Bence, so did the customer ask you; "By the way, what do you mean "Kick" the breaker???

Litl lectric shock therapy can cure all kinds of things!!

In my old house, was preparing to change a fixture, so I was turning off the breakers one by one to find the right one: click... nothing....click....nothing....
click! Every light in the house went off!!!! :eek: NOT the master switch either, Every light in the house was on one circuit!!! All the other ones were dummies!! We moved out and the next buyers inspector didnt notice either! MJ

NorthVette

Short reply... Don't trust anybody but you're partner when you're underground!
Long reply... My partner and I were going to survey (measure) a particular stope in the mine. We were making some observations and planning how to complete the job and standing about 80 feet from the face when it was blasted!!! (About 2hundred or so lbs of AN/FO and emultion explosives!!!)

I ran like I grew upo in Beirut!!!

Was scared BADLY!!! Got very very drunk that night!!!! I know of guys that were further from a blast and were killed!!!

But such is the life of a miner....

Bob Turner

Glad you are OK. I thought your were posting to tell us you bought a cracked block/heads and you just found out from the machine shop!!!!!! :eek:

Bob :cheers:

killain

Yeah, I've done the same thing with 220, WOW, it took a few hours to get the feeling back in my arm. Never trust anyone with electricity. I was lucky, there was 440 line right next to the one I nipped? :mad

rmadlem

I got zapped with 220 from a coffee maker. The cord ran through the floor to the basement and it was "too much trouble" to go downstairs to unplug it. That was the last time I took a shortcut!! But I do like my afro now!! :troll

Cajun99

Two words....Marriage :smash: ....Divorce :cheers: