Why did I get zapped?

[Verdeboy]

It requires a great leap of faith.

I had a bit of a panic attack, at first, because I had very specific skills that did me no good in the outside world.

My first post-corporate job was as a groundsman in an apartment complex for $6/hr. Within a couple of years, I became manager of that same apartment complex, and then things became too corporate again, so I quit to explore alternative lifestyles, such as the aforementioned "intentional communities". www.ic.org

If you are flipping houses, then you have a lot more skills than I had when I first left the rat race.

[mikept]

There is a general principle that you should apply.

When you run into a "funky" circuit you must assume that proper circuit principles may have been (were probably) violated. There are a couple of things you should do after you make that discovery.

1. Since it is a "funky" circuit it is probably non-standard and nobody here is going to be able to tell you how it is really connected.

2. Given the Situation #1, your only solution is to trace it out or figure it out, and draw it on paper, until you KNOW that you understand it. You MUST verify your paper diagram by measurements and by verifying the sources of the power and neutral wires. You must understand how it works as installed. If you must disassemble a circuit to check it out, you MUST label all wires so you can put it back together.

If you aren't prepared to do #1 and #2, then you shouldn't mess with the circuit.

If you want to just disconnect the black and white wires of an old light fixture and connect the black and white wires of a new fixture, and leave any old errors in place, then you can do that. However, you must realize that if there is a problem and the customer or the insurance company or the fire marshall bring in a licensed electrician they are going to want to know who last worked on the circuit.

..takes down notes on that one to remember... brilliant answer Bob!!

[pudge565]

technically he is a professional if you look at the deffinition. 1 a: of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession b: engaged in one of the learned professions c (1): characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2): exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace2 a: participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs <a professional golfer> b: having a particular profession as a permanent career <a professional soldier> c: engaged in by persons receiving financial return <professional football>3: following a line of conduct as though it were a profession <a professional patriot>


if you ask me he is not to me you are only a pro if you went to some sort of training. i am currently in vo- tech so i am by far not a pro yet but in some cases i know what i am talking about.

[BrianJohn]

Who the heck ever said we (I) only knew how to do one thing??? I bet I can do as much as you can, at least to the same level of "professionalism", possible more. Do you think we all live in a box and never look out side it? It is amazing what you can learn working side by side with the other trades for 25 years.

I totally remodeled one house from foundation to complete exterior redo, and built two houses from ground up to include all custom trim and cabinets.

And I have learned one thing, on the next house I'll sub it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!