> If the goal was to test the breaker, the best practice would
> be to disconnect the load wiring at the breaker and connect
> some wort of temporary test hookup.
Uh huh. And how many times have you (or anyone at your house) actually done
that ?
> And what if the
> breaker really was bad, and the huge current surge got the
> screwdriver firmly welded in place?
Trot down to the main disconnect; odds are high you'll get there before any
serious damage is done (assuming the short won't trip the main breaker or
the fuse on the pole). And if not, lots better to have a fire with someone
watching and ready to put it out, than in the middle of the night.
It's kind of like the old saying about what's more dangerous than a loaded
gun ... having a circuit breaker that doesn't work is worse than having none
at all.
Randall
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