Tried using a multimeter on a live circuit and learned a hard lesson

I was testing a fridge compressor last Tuesday and forgot to kill the power first. The meter sparked and blew a fuse, plus I got a nice jolt for my trouble. What do you guys use to remind yourselves to double-check the power is off?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_brown1d ago

Honestly, tape a red flag or tag to the leads when they're not in use. Makes you think twice before you hook up to anything live. Saved my ass more than once.

james_bell1d ago

Tape is tape. It can come off. I've seen guys slap a piece of yellow caution tape on a breaker and then just grab it anyway because they were in a hurry. What worked better for me was a physical lockout. A little padlock and a hasp costs less than a six pack and forces you to stop and think. Tape is better than nothing, but I've had it peel off in the heat or just get overlooked when things get busy. The extra thirty seconds to clip a lock on there feels like a lot until you need it.

claire_grant341d ago

Feel like I gotta jump in here for a second because that tape trick does work but only if you do it RIGHT. You can't just slap any old tape on there. I use a specific bright red electrical tape that's made for this kind of thing, and I wrap it around the plug or the leads a couple times not just a little flag. The big thing is you have to make it ANNOYING to remove so that you actually have to stop and think about what you're about to do. If it peels off in the heat or gets ignored then yeah that's just bad practice on your part not a failure of the method. A physical lockout is absolutely better and I use one myself for anything serious but the tape trick is a solid habit for quick checks during a job. Just don't be lazy about it.