kimr74•8d ago

Serious question, why did it take me so long to check voltage with the breaker on?

I was swapping a switch in my own house yesterday, thought I killed the right circuit. Grabbed my Fluke to be safe, got zero reading. Finished up, flipped the breaker back, and the whole kitchen went dark. Turns out I tested a dead wire from an old remodel. The live one was tucked behind the box. From now on I'm checking for voltage with the circuit HOT before I start, just to confirm I'm in the right spot. Anyone else have a close call that made you change your basic routine?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth_shah8d ago

Checking with the circuit hot" is smart. So you just probe the wire you're about to work on, with the power still on, to confirm it's live? Then you kill it.

rubyk267d ago

Exactly! That's the safe way to do it. You test it to know for sure what you're dealing with before you shut it off. It prevents a nasty surprise.

hill.margaret7d ago

Wait, you test it AGAIN after you turn it off, right? That second check is the real lifesaver. You prove your tools work on a known live source first, then kill the circuit, then test the same wire to confirm it's dead. Otherwise, how do you know your tester isn't just broken and showing a false safe reading? That final step is non-negotiable for me.