Breaker Tripped, Then It Shocked The Home Owner!

[@anthonyelectric6045]

Good that you referred to an electrician. That panel was a whole lotta wrong going on. Them breakers are long retired

[@PhilipNation-xm5lh]

This is one of those "not up to code" houses. Gotta love it when romex is bare and coming outta the brick! I've seen more sketchy wiring in the past year of rural work than in my entire career in HVAC. No codes; no inspections = YIKES!

[@jthonn]

It happens sometimes. He may have touched something. I was going to ask why that box was even necessary, but you answered that already. Good call.

[@markcotter2355]

good job Curtis. funny how when someone says that they got shocked on something, and we are super cautious touching everything after that. he was probably wet and therefore grounding himself and getting a shock.

[@serverman328]

The grounds and neutrals that are bonded in that sub panel would be my guess. I have heard of people getting shocked on grounded equipment because of that

[@Tim_Takacs]

Yes neutral needs attention. New Ground Rod w/true grounding

[@HVACR559]

​​​@@Tim_TakacsIt looks like the neutrals and the grounds are tied together at the sub-panel. This will cause current to flow on the ground. People say "electricity will take the path of least resistance". THAT IS NOT TRUE! Electricity will take all available paths back to its source. If current is flowing on the ground and you touch the grounded appliance while standing on the ground (earth), it can flow through you into the earth through the ground rod back to the neutral at the service. The electricity isn't trying to get to the earth its trying to get back to the power plant through transformer at the service. That being said most likely the ground at the service is probably working fine. Another code violation here is that the AC is supposed to have its own feed directly from the service. It looks like something else was wired to the sub-panel Neutrals and grounds should only be tied together at the service panel, no where else. That way the ground carries no current, unless it is objectionable current (a short) so the over current device (breaker) can clear a fault.

[@Tim_Takacs]

@@HVACR559 Yes and so it will. Tell you what, this disconnect/panel would be being replaced right now if it were me. No excuse for this.

[@549BR]

Neutrals should float and not be connected to the ground bar in any sub panel; that looked like a Johnny homeowner special, or maybe friendly handyman.

[@robalexander7348]

Good one Curtis, lets see what the Sparky finds 🤔 Au

[@donrummerfield2903]

I like that new bag will look into it ❤

[@dfirth224]

Those look like Zinsco breakers. Those were bad. They don't make the Zinsco boxes anymore, but replacement breakers are still available.

[@coldiez1464]

You’re the man Curtis

[@scottharbaugh431]

Ground and neutral tied together looks like in the furnace

[@stickycricket2]

Just had one of your Spanish videos recommended to me, at first I thought someone was trying to steal your videos but then I watched a short bit of it and I'm convinced it's yours.

[@38mullet]

zinco breakers got to love them

[@charleshauser4537]

Always loved watching the arcs inside............

[@topher8634]

Zinsco panels are dangerous. I've changed out a few of them. Those folks were lucky they still had a house that required a panel change out. I had to re-pull the 220v line to the electric range for one of them; a short within the surface element should have tripped the breaker, but instead burned the wire from the range to the panel.

[@tpep1693]

I have seen and put a lot of panels , looks like that one need's to be torn off the wall and chucked in the trash!

[@chrissmith513]

Those breakers are scary 😊😊😊

[@melvinwillingham233]

The non contact voltage function of the SC480 will tell you if the disconnect is holding voltage

[@dashcamandy2242]

As others have mentioned, that sub panel barely holding itself together should NOT have Ground and Neutral bonded. I also couldn't help but notice the feed for that panel is unprotected cable where it exits the house, with a pretty good portion of it unprotected before it enters the loose PVC pipe that's simply jammed into the center bottom knockout. As Inspector Preston on KZbin would say, "That's a big buncha NOPE!" Yes, an electrician is probably needed. Yes, you could probably even just rip that box off, slap a new weatherproof junction box on the side, and just bypass it all... But if I were you, I wouldn't touch that mess. Let an electrician get in there, because I have a feeling there might be a few more places in that house where Neutrals and Grounds are connected together.

[@Christina.Estrada]

Looks like that breaker didn't just trip, it also tried to trip up the homeowner too! Shocking experience indeed! ⚡😆

[@OnusBones]

Interesting and different. Something that old getting wet and shorting seems like a pretty solid conclusion.

[@jthonn]

You are probably right.

[@TomLawson05]

Great job Curtis why were their two caps on that unit? Thanks for the video

[@stevencossaboon3237]

Nice work Curtis.

[@mxslick50]

(Edit: That panel is a Zinsco, still as bad as the old FPE.) That outside breaker panel has the grounds and the incoming neutral landed on the same bar. That is a serious Code violation and would create the shock hazard easily. The ONLY place grounds and neutrals are to be tied together is at the main panel (or First service disconnect.) From there they must remain separated. Why? : Electrical currents seek ALL available paths back to the source, which includes the neutral (which is tied to ground at the main or first disconnect.) How much current flows through each path is calculated with Ohm's law. When ground wiring is tied to a neutral anywhere after that main bond, the neutral current WILL use the ground as an alternate path, which then energizes ALL ground wires and equipment. Touch any of that and you will get zapped. (How hard you get bit depends on many factors, including wet hands, wet shoes and how much resistance your body has to oppose the current. Curtis was correct to refer this to an electrician to get that sorted out.

[@HVACGUY]

👍🏼

[@jthonn]

I scream that all the time. That is why I get upset when I see the grounds tied to the neutrals on light fixtures and things like that. I have also seen that many times on 220v appliances, like clothes dryers. Mostly on older homes.

[@mnhvacguy9788]

Many old electric dryers showed on the wiring diagram and in the manual to change the cord to a 3 prong cord and to connect the neutral wire to the dryer chassis and use the ground conductor as neutral if you didn't have a 4 prong dryer receptacle already installed

[@mxslick50]

@@mnhvacguy9788 And the reasons I mentioned are why the Code changed a few cycles ago requiring all electric dryer and electric range receptacles to be 4 wire only.

[@jthonn]

@@mnhvacguy9788 That explains a lot, thanks for that info. I just can't like it, to easy to find a ground. I change the outlet to the 4 prong when I do them. Thanks again

[@fldave612]

That looks like a Zinsco breaker box, that's enough for me! It's time to go!

[@davisgarcia66]

Holy cow is pvc going into that sub panel?😮

[@franciscotejeda1461]

Good video Mr Curtis

[@throttlebottle5906]

if it was storming, maybe a loose/bad neutral in the neighborhood/street/service entrance cause the ground/neutral from service side to be hot. certainly electric co would have fixed it by time you got there.

[@NicolasMuniz-n8g]

Wondering which meter you like better 480 or 680, have both but the 680 is just too long, 480 is a little bigger than the 260 which is a great size and a lot of features (480)

[@HVACGUY]

Prefer the 680 even though it’s big

[@docdat3468]

Could it be simple static and he did ground him self over the box ?

[@jonathankindle8637]

Neutral and ground bonded together 🤦🏻‍♂️⚡️⚡️

[@billmilosz]

I didn't see any safety ground wires in the breaker box or the cutoff box; and using PVC pipe for conduit? None of this can be up to code.

[@mxslick50]

It was there, but they had it landed with the supply neutral which is a big no-no.

[@francisbriggs76]

Terrible workman ship at that home as applies to the electrical. You can tell it was not done by a professional electrician. A big safety hazard!

[@jthonn]

I have seen some shakey electricians too. Some of them you can tell on Monday mornings, or find beer cans on the job site.

[@kg4muc]

It’s getting that time of year when storm get rough. We’re lucky up here in the mountains as we miss a lot of severe thunderstorms but when we do get one it’s a doozy. Last one killed a bunch of my satellite equipment both coils on my generator and burned the connections off my well pump. Hope I don’t see those kind often. That breaker is in a jungle! Glad wasps didn’t swarm out when you removed the cover!

[@bobboscarato1313]

The customer went to the panel barefooted and got "grounded"!

[@shatterphase]

I am surprised the Federal Pacific Breaker even tripped. Homeowner got lucky. The service should have been red tagged and replaced imo. Some of that attempted conduit on the bottom was sketchy too.

[@rolytech212]

Nice Curtís, the customer is getting shocked by resetting the breaker and you’re stepping in wet grass to check it😎🤣🤣🤣

[@HVACGUY]

You got that right!

[@dashcamandy2242]

@@HVACGUY Makes sense, after all, how is Curtis supposed to troubleshoot if he can't reproduce the problem the customer complains about? 🤣

[@topher8634]

Looks like a Zinsco panel. Needs to be changed out. They are right up there with Federal Pacific, Challenger, Wadsworth Bryant, Sylvania, etc as to their malfunction and failure to trip.

[@Honestandtruth007]

2023 NEW Style Breaker box 😮😢😮....Wtf

[@Honestandtruth007]

Every HVAC and Diyers must have None Contact voltage tester and a glove 😮😢

[@melvinwillingham233]

Why not use the non contact voltage mode on the meter

[@Rick-p4y]

In my 20 years of doing electrical work, neither me nor my co workers have ever stuck our meter lead into dirt. Just curious, what were you checking for? Shorts? I may of been absent when they were teaching that method. Lol.

[@HVACGUY]

I was checking to see if panel was electrified. Sticking in the dirt gives a rudimentary ground

@@HVACGUY thanks for this info.

[@Rick-p4y]

@@HVACGUY Dirt is a poor conductor of electricity. That's why we install grounding rounds. It dissipates electrical shorts. Even if the disconnect had a bare live wire touching it, the meter would still show 0 volts because earth is a poor conductor. It's the same as putting a lead on plastic or a 2 x 4. Sorry man you cannot check is the disconnect is electrified by sticking your probe into dirt. Trust me. Been an electrician for 20 years. But it gave me a chuckle so thumbs up. Lol

[@throttlebottle5906]

@@Rick-p4y true, you're better off using yourself as the one meter leads ground. then touch the panel/objects with other. obviously make sure it's not on current/continuity/resistance/capacitance test or you may directly shock yourself via the meter(I have never done that before 🤥)

[@raysulenski7687]

I wouldn't work on that unit unless panel is safe. Tell guy to hire an electrician first.

[@mikewhittaker5984]

Not to reassuring testing for shocking issue with leads loose

[@chuckq54]

He touched something last night and the ground was wet along with the panels 🤷‍♂️

[@LilYeshua]

When I was a kid,mom wouldn't let us go out on the semi enclosed back porch when there was a thunderstorm because the concrete slab would be damp and whenever lightning would strike kinda close to the house we get an electrical shock through our feet.

[@jthonn]

When I was a kid, I saw lightning strike our chain link fence in the backyard and nobody believed me. I had my proof though when all the vines growing on it died.

[@MCRD115]

That Electric at Home looks dangerous and out of Code Regulations we should you risk working on that dated stuff it could cause a fire after you leave then he blame you for it ve careful.

[@HVACGUY]

that’s why I referred them to an electrician.

[@harrydickson4575]

👍👍👍

[@moshemoshe-yy8hj]

Wet area high voltage no gloves

[@raysulenski7687]

Guy probably was scared to mess with it after he got shocked. Not fun

[@scottgurne5174]

Those breakers are junk either zinsco or fpe. Walk away from them

[@stardust-rv7mr]

👍💯

[@KevinKinder-ey9gv]

That Sub panel is a fire hazard

[@JoseRodriguez-xh6qo]

Static shock from hands

[@softwarephil1709]

With all the high humidity outside??

[@Leo-l6q3n]

Probably out there in all that water trying to reset a suicide panel.

[@michaelleeper3649]

Did I miss a step in this? I thought that I saw uncapped bare end wires left of that gas valve in the unit.

[@Ramirez.A91]

Those are low voltage thermostat wires. Probably not being used.

[@bills6946]

No inside cover? Tell the owner you must replace the disconnect. If you don’t and complete the service call, you are now responsible if someone after you is shocked or electrocuted.

[@stevea6722]

If a c/b shocked him when he went to reset it why didn't he call an electrician? Enquiring minds want to know!

[@anthonyirving6728]

Exactly

[@danottaway3219]

Most likely because it was the electric to the package unit. They see it going there and just call an hvac company. Pretty strange but very common

[@stex1985]

Most HVAC techs are licensed electricians. You have to understand electricity on more than residential HVAC. Some Commercial units are three phase that definitely requires more knowledge. But residential HVAC electrical supply will kill you just as fast if mishandled. And that’s why!

[@richlikeg3722]

Why would customer call electrician when you can have both. I know electricians check the disconnect but won’t open up the unit. This happen to me once when I called an electrician just to find out there was a loose connection in the panel of the unit which they said they won’t touch.

[@throttlebottle5906]

dangerous, improper wired panel, looks overloaded and bad work all around it. only thing to do there is refer to an electrician, to replace the mess.

[@tomclements7590]

Freaking hack job

[@StringDriver]

Do you ask permission of your paying clients to film them and their private residences? There is NO WAY I would allow such activity on my property without a clear question in advance. And even then, there is no way I would allow it.