(October 19, 2021 at 5:03 pm)Spongebob Wrote:(October 19, 2021 at 4:56 pm)Brian37 Wrote: When it comes to the mechanics of a house, especially the interaction of electricity, it is always best to turn off the main breaker switch which cuts off all electricity to the house. But that does not mean that the novice should tinker with anything, it just means you won't get electrocuted when the power is out.
In every breaker box, there are normally a larger double switch, or main switch, that shuts down power to the entire unit. If that main master switch is off, there will be no power to the entire unit it serves. That still does not mean you should do your own repair work. It only means you can prevent yourself from being killed if power goes out.
Noooo, don't do that!! You don't need to shut off the main source just to work on an individual appliance. Just shut off the breaker for that appliance and there will be zero potential for that device and the wires that feed it. Shutting off the main breaker won't make it any more safe unless you plan to work on something else. AND, you should always test any circuit with a volt meter before disconnecting any wires, just in case you missed something. Do you shut off your main water valve just to fix a single faucet that has its on isolation valve?
You cant always single out an appliance. Most of the time the breakers are about the region of the house, like a wall or room. And nobody is suggesting you do your own repairs. All I said was the safest thing to do is either turn of that one breaker that applies to that wall or unit, or turn off power to the main breaker.
