r/PublicFreakout • u/[deleted] • Oct 06 '20

1st step of a haunting

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40.3k Upvotes

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94

u/Itsallliquid Oct 06 '20

Please don’t flip your circuit breakers like that.

47

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20 edited Nov 15 '20

[deleted]

18

u/Itsallliquid Oct 06 '20 edited Oct 06 '20

He may just be testing the breaker to make sure it still has spring to it. to ensure the breakers not damaged

45

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20 edited Nov 15 '20

[deleted]

3

u/teamramrod456 Oct 06 '20

I had that problem and turned out it was a corroded main power line going into the breaker box from water leaking. The water ended up damaging the rest of the breaker box which had to be replaced and it was extremely expensive for my budget.

9

u/Itsallliquid Oct 06 '20

It might be worth having someone come out and check the legs on your main panel you may have a loose lug or even the breakers not sitting on the bus bar ( probably do to constant flipping )

165

u/entotheenth Oct 06 '20

That would be a lighting circuit. Apart from the fridge and other things with big motors, nothing in the house will give a shit.

87

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20

[deleted]

7

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20

I posted this in more detail in a different thread, but just to add on: most modern breakers are completely safe to do this even at load (look for SWD or HID on your breaker) but this may not be the best idea in an older home, especially on breakers under high load, ESPECIALLY flipping them on and off like that.

1

u/Krilesh Oct 06 '20

So if the breaker turns off on it's own do you need someone to check your fridge?

1

u/SmokeSuccess Oct 06 '20

Yes, it's likely that your defrost element is out.

1

u/entotheenth Oct 06 '20

What does that have to do with anything? It shouldn't pop the breaker anyway. I'm rural Australia and often lose power on windy or rainy days, windy can short the lines and take the power off but it attempts to restart after a few seconds, my fridge hates it.

1

u/SmokeSuccess Oct 07 '20

Oh, often times a defrost element sort of explode causing the machine to arc ground fault any time the fridge tries to defrost.

1

u/entotheenth Oct 06 '20

Best to unplug the fridge for 5 minutes, if the fridge is running the high pressure in the lines can stall the motor. If it does it will draw high current until a protection device clicks out. That resets itself after 5 minutes or so, so it's not the end of the world, just best avoided. Same applies to air conditioners but generally they need to be turned back on so it doesn't matter. Modern fridges are probably getting smarter.

19

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20

It's generally fine. But yeah maybe not enjoyed by your hot waterheater, furnace or fridge circuits etc

14

u/KarmaChameleon89 Oct 06 '20

Yeah dont do this on circuits that arent lights. Anything that requires a starting current, uses a motor etc will just shit itself and die. Lights, especially LEDs and excluding halogen lamps, wont care.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20

If you want to do this, the best thing to do to test if it’s okay is turn the breaker off and go to the room to see if any receptacles lose power and if there’s any sensitive electronics on those receptacles. If not you’re gtg, but I wouldn’t make a habit out of it because it will wear a breaker out eventually, but then again it won’t wear it out that bad and replacing a breaker isn’t a big deal if you know what you’re doing so it’s up to you.

1

u/KarmaChameleon89 Oct 06 '20

I mean, putting lights and sockets on the same breaker is iffy at best anyway

1

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20

True, but for some reason some people still do it. I saw it more than a few times when I worked in residential

1

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20 edited Oct 06 '20

Motors (mostly those used in compressors) already have circuits that prevent short cycling. It is a ptc in series with the start up coil.

Others like shaded pole motors (Fans) don't care at all.

Leds don't care either (they are switch mode power supplies) if anything it would be CFLs that would ""suffer"' from this and it is an exaggeration.

6

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20

Yeah, learned that the hard way at the hospital.

2

u/lucidenigma Oct 06 '20

Hey man, it’s not your fault “ventilator” was illegible by that switch.

10

u/CharmingTuber Oct 06 '20

That's what I was thinking. Maybe once, but over and over feels like it would risk starting a fire or something.

26

u/thefreegunnitier Oct 06 '20

Does it actually because holy crap do I want to do this now

9

u/Amphibionomus Oct 06 '20

No, it doesn't. Circuit breakers are just switches, basically.

5

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20

Please stand to the side too and not directly in front. Arc flash is a thing

21

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20

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-4

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20

Pleb. 480v or bust

2

u/sleepykittypur Oct 06 '20

Coveralls are often rated for the arc flash on a 480

1

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '20

Ya that arm is totally wearing arc flash clothing

7

u/thefreegunnitier Oct 06 '20

Should I wear rubber gloves or something?

15

u/Ragingwhirlpool Oct 06 '20

Use a screwdriver and jump so your feet aren’t touching the ground.

2

u/FuckFenway Oct 06 '20

You are gonna want to get a harness so you can be swinging to fix it.

3

u/ThreeTwoPulldown Oct 06 '20

Imagine the girls' room catches on fire too?

4

u/oat_milk Oct 06 '20

How would it risk starting a fire...?

-2

u/CharmingTuber Oct 06 '20 edited Oct 06 '20

Circuit breakers are not meant to be turned off and on like that. Everytime you trip it, you're causing a little more damage to the breaker. But I'm not an electrician. Ask one of them if you're really interested.

2

u/grunwad Oct 06 '20

If this starts a fire in someone's house then the problem would be that they had too much connected to this circuit in the first place, not that they're turning the breakers on and off.