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[Shop-talk] Replacing a breaker?

Subject: [Shop-talk] Replacing a breaker?
From: marka at maracing.com (Mark Andy)
Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2011 13:31:42 -0400 (EDT)
References: <151942.796.qm@web161406.mail.bf1.yahoo.com> <4D9DE94E.9000408@gmail.com>
Howdy,

I think I'd try removing the hot wire on the breaker and seeing if it 
will reset that way.  You might have something where you've now got a 
short in the wiring.

And you're not out anything if that isn't the case, because you'd have to 
remove the wire to replace the breaker anyway.  :-)

Mark

On Thu, 7 Apr 2011, Scott Hall wrote:

> So we had some impressive storms here a few night ago and the power went out. 
> That's normal, it does that every time there's a storm.  Also, each time this 
> happens, there's a power surge right before the power goes out (the issue 
> seems to be a transformer (?) at the end of the street--the gray cylinders on 
> the poles).  Usually this fries a VCR, etc.
>
> This time a breaker int the main box has flipped and won't stay 'unflipped'.
>
> Now...before I just Google "how to replace a breaker" and do that, I thought 
> prudence dictated I ask someone smarter than me (that's you guys  :-) ).
>
> This is a 15-amp breaker, I think (it's the smallest kind in the box), and 
> the only thing it's powering are three overhead light fixtures and a 
> wall-socket.  There's nothing plugged into the socket, and all the fixtures 
> are off.  One of the fixtures is a remote-controlled fan/light combo, but 
> I've got the wall switch that controls that fixture in the off position.
>
> So...my (completely uninformed and only one 'Theory of Electrical 
> Engineering' class, many years ago) deduction is that the breaker itself must 
> be bad, since there's nothing on the other side of it drawing current that 
> could have shorted and now be open, which will cause a fire when I swap the 
> breaker...unless maybe a wire in the wall broke, or something.
>
> So...do you guys have any thoughts before I have at this?  Am I missing 
> things here?  I'm about to kill myself and burn down my house?  I should be 
> testing with a multimeter or something?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Scott
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