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In Reply to: RE: Replacing stock outlet with PS Audio Outlet (for dummies) posted by bkinbk on May 18, 2014 at 22:16:06
Knowing which breaker does what is important to know in general and is always one of the first things i do when i move into a new to me apartment. I use a lablemaker and mark the kitchen, stove, fridge, air, and which rooms are what breaker.
Another is to change ALL the old outlets to new ones.
Typically the old outlets in ANY apartment building are totally shot. (and only replaced by the management when they completely fail) So they are all typically loose, have poor connecting ability and generally hang dog in function.
So I replace all of them,(on my own dime) and usually add in a few dimmer switches for the lights, and maybe aa added AC outlet into a lightswitch here or there.
I typically do them powered up/LIVE. Meaning no i do not turn off the power. Just have to be careful NOT to be touching both wires at the same time. Rubber gloves can do wonders.
Sometimes I actually DO turn off the power. LOL (sometimes the wires are ten gauge solid core, typically the neutral, and that makes them HARD to get on the outlet screws.
So some old batty woman can do this... makes you feel certain YOU can do it?
The big thing is the connections need to be tight!!! IF they are loose you will have all sorts of crappy problems.
Another is really stiff wires and getting them out of the wall, and back into the wall. Be BRAVE. they will bend with a little effort.
The wire ends should be reasonably clean. cleaning them, or cutting hre wire (just enough, never more!!) to strip a new clean area. But usually I never strip in wall wires.. They have to last way past you living there dude. do not ruin them.
And if you feel unsure do not try it. killing yourself is not good. Crispy audiophile tastes bad.
Follow Ups:
Elizabeth, I'm beginning to suspect that you might have a serious death wish, what with you replacing electrical outlets without turning the breaker off along with you carrying crappy health insurance!
Cheers,
Al
I remember my father flying across the room when he was fixing our TV with it turned on..
Wow. what a hit.. he touched the high voltage gizmo and KABOOM was knocked across the room. He was OK.
So it runs in the family.
Live wires are not dangerous if you are paying attention.
You drive down the freeway at 75mph... And accept it. (Any mistake can kill you there too) So what is different about electricity?
When most people are shocked, it is because one hand touched a hot lead and the circuit is completed through the legs, and the heart is largely bypassed. This situation is very different if one hand touches a hot lead and the other hand is touching a grounded piece of metal, in which case the current is traveling directly through the heart. It also matters whether your body is sweaty or not (most skin has less resistance).
Instead of playing Russian roulette, turn off the breaker....
Retsel
.
Literally for the life of me, I don't know why anyone would choose to work with live AC delivery rather than disconnect an electrical device. The use of a test probe is the only exception I can think of at this time.
"I remember my father flying across the room when he was fixing our TV with it turned on.."
When I was a teenager I was playing around with a neon sign transformer and managed to get a shock off the secondary. Or at least that's my assumption. When I came to I was against the wall on the far side of my room. On another occasion around this time I was fiddling with an antenna coupler of a 1000 watt ham radio transmitter when I smelled burning "pork". I found this curious until I noticed that it was my finger that was being burned. I do not recall any pain from either escapade.
I would not suggest concluding that electricity or RF are safe based on these stories. It might be that I was lucky, but as far as you can know, I may have had dozens of evil twins who passed away from similar escapades and never made it to the Internet age. So you are seeing a biased sample.
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
Live wires are not dangerous if you are paying attention.
Live wires ARE dangerous if you are paying attention. If you stop paying attention even for a moment (e.g. the telephone rings), they become extremely dangerous.
he touched the high voltage gizmo and KABOOM was knocked across the room. He was OK.
He was also lucky - the effect varies with the impedance of the circuit one touches. I don't understand why someone willing to spend silly money on audio kit doesn't first spend a little on basic electrical safety measures such as earth leakage circuit breakers.
You drive down the freeway at 75mph...
True - but I don't play chicken in the fast lane.
So what is different about electricity?
You don't see it coming. You can't listen out for it. It travels at more than 75 mph. And so on.
While i know not to touch both wires simultaneously, I dont have the courage to do an outlet swap with live wires. Brave or "batty" I dont know, but I do know Im not brave enough :)
navman
Edits: 05/23/14
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