Electrical shock is not something to be taken lightly. In the blink of an eye, it can send dangerous current coursing through your body, leading to injury and potentially death. The best way to prevent being electrocuted is to call your local electrician any time you need help with electrical matters. If this is not something that you want to do, at least refrain from attempting to do any of the following:
1. Never Do Anything With Service Lugs in Your Breaker BoxIf you have no idea what service lugs are, then you shouldn’t be doing anything in your electrical panel aside from resetting tripped circuit breakers. If you are aware that the big Electrical Maintenance Salary screw terminals securing the service cables are called service lugs, then you should also be aware that they are always energized even when the main breakers are shut off. Naturally, these large cables should be avoided at all times.
2. Never Work on the WeatherheadThe weatherhead, which is sometimes called the periscope or service mast should never be touched by anyone other than a licensed professional. This is the metal pole or structure that connects the electrical utility to your home. Although it may be tempting to set the pole back upright if it is leaning, remember that doing so could cause 200 amps to run through your body. Not a very appealing situation.
3. Never Wire Anything With The Power OnChances are, you’ve seen people doing things that they are not supposed to do, without the proper equipment in a magazine somewhere. In most cases, this is captioned with a “don’t try this on your own” caption, and for good reason. Although somebody somewhere chooses to work on live wires, you definitely should not. This practice is unsafe for everyone.
4. Never Repair Your AppliancesYou should be safe as long as the power is turned off or you have pulled the plug from your appliance, right? This is not necessarily true. Capacitors are devices that store Troubleshoot Electric Switch extra electricity, which can help boost startup and other functions on an appliance. Shutting the power off will not remove the power from these capacitors, which can be very dangerous if touched.
5. Never Mess With Hybrid or Electric CarsA wide variety of new electric and hybrid cars have been released over the last couple years. The electric systems in these cars can be highly confusing, very complex and very dangerous if you are not completely aware of what you are getting into.
Truth be told, there are a variety of somewhat simple electrical tasks that a handy homeowner can take care of on their own. If you do not have any experience with the items that you are working with, or if the job becomes advance, never hesitate to call an electrician. Electrical shocks are nothing to joke around with, and can become very dangerous very fast. Leave the hard stuff to the pros.
