Got a real shock from a dryer I was working on in a basement apartment

I was checking a heating element on a Whirlpool dryer, thought I had the right breaker off. Reached in and got a full 240 volt jolt that knocked me back against the concrete wall. My hand was numb for like twenty minutes. How do you guys double check you're safe before you touch anything live?

2 comments

2 Comments

amy_murphy159d ago

Man, that's scary. I used to just trust the panel labels and my non-contact tester. What changed for me? I got a little zap on a 120 circuit that was mislabeled. Now I do the whole routine. I test the wires I'm about to touch with a meter, then I test a known live source to prove my meter still works, then I test the wires again. It's slow, but that second check saved me last month when my meter died mid-job.

nancy9299d ago

You thought the breaker was off? Classic. I treat every wire like it's trying to kill me. My routine is nuts now. I lock out the panel, test with a meter, then poke the wire with the back of my hand like a total coward. If I don't get a little jump scare, maybe it's safe.