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How To Work on LIVE CIRCUITS - Replacing Circuit Breakers in Old ZINSCO Panel

537K views · Nov 2, 2020 · Education

Electrician U

951K subscribers

Comments · 1.3K

@ucnhtmenow1 · 4 years ago
Even though I've been doing electrical for almost 2 decades, I still like watching simple "how to" videos, even if I already know how to do something, because everyone does things a bit differently and can still contain informative information that you might not have thought about, especially with code/technology changes..
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@apituraga9488 · 5 years ago
Been an Electrician for 20 years and never worn insulated gloves... until last week when I opened a 415volts 200amps DB, I looked at the crowded wires and I just felt I need gloves on. Have to delay the job for about and hour when I hunt around for gloves... something in my guts just gave the feeling that something bad is going to happen if I don't take care. Sometimes when you get more experience, you can begin to just 'smell' the risks... and it begins with testing the circuits with multimeters over and over and over again. Regardless of experiences,  we should always trust the meters.
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@adirondacker007 · 5 years ago
Working a hot panel is kinda like being on a first date. You better know what you can and cannot touch.
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@turboflush · 5 years ago
Take lid off for anything more than fliping a breaker.
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@doityourselfifitcoststwice7037 · 5 years ago
I love the arc flash rated skin on his arms LOL we get so into “safety” we loose sight. I was always taught before NFPA 70E to have long sleeves, a pair of leathers, and to bow your head down when jamming a neater or closing a main.  Now with mandate safety are we safer ?  Chances are nothing happens anyway, and I don’t believe there was a problem before NFPA 70E in fact I hate it.  but I find the arc flash equipment with short sleeves so interesting.
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@KenBeaconHill · 5 years ago
This is my favorite electrical channel. So well done with intelligence, humor and modesty. Excellent.
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@strykerjones8842 · 5 years ago
You can tell he’s a “master electrician” by the way he waves his screwdriver all around the energized busbar like a “master magician” waves a wand.
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@rogerdavid3297 · 5 years ago
as a electrician who retired five years ago, i worked for forty years in industrial electrics.it makes me smile to see american electricians all kitted out ppe,yet they don,t use insulated screwdrivers.
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@MikeKing-gl6pu · 5 years ago
You should start by telling people to use a insulated screwdriver while working in a hot panel!
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@michaelmolter6180 · 5 years ago
Have you considered insulated screwdrivers? I'd be more worried about shorting a live screwdriver (especially a long one) to anything grounded in the box than about accidentally touching 120 VAC with my hands. They're pretty cheap too.
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@gordonbrown2204 · 5 years ago
Slide the breakers down the bus bars so you dont have to use the damaged bit:
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@50srefugee · 5 years ago (edited)
DIYer here. You have no idea how valuable videos like this are--I only wish they had been available when I owned my home and often DIMS.  That house (wired with fabric covered 14ga) started out with a ZINSCO panel; had to replace a breaker once with a modern upgrade, which was nice but pricey ($20 back in the 90s; regular breakers were $5 or $6, as I recall). A couple of years later, I was able to have the 100 amp service upgraded to a 200 amp Siemens. Watching the pro do that was a great education--although I still get shivers when I remember him replacing the live service drop cable down from the pole--in a light rain. He was an old guy, which to me means he had survived his mistakes--better than any license or certification in my book.<br><br>Key tip: replace the wires AFTER pulling the breaker. [smacks forehead]. How did I not figure that out?]<br><br> I noticed you clipping a couple of wires with excess exposed conductors. What is the deal with guys baring so much of the conductors? I see that on a lot of outlets and switches I replace.
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