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Unpopular opinion: I started using a cheap voltage tester on every old panel I open.
For years I just trusted the labels, but after finding a live 24VAC wire marked as 'spare' in a 1980s panel in Phoenix, I check everything now. That was six months ago and it's saved me from a few nasty surprises since. Do you guys verify every circuit or just the sketchy ones?
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lindamartin6mo ago
Phoenix in the 80s sounds like a horror movie waiting to happen. I check every wire now too, because trusting old labels is how you get a free light show. Sorry Patricia_Campbell, but my time isn't as cheap as a hospital bill.
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bennett.riley6mo ago
Patricia_Campbell says it's a waste of time, but I've zapped myself on a 'dead' 240 circuit that was mislabeled. My rule now is to test the wires I'm actually going to touch, and then double-check any wires in the same gutter or raceway. That extra thirty seconds is way cheaper than an ER trip.
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