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Electrical question

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Author Topic: Electrical question  (Read 789 times)
GoodWitch
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« on: July 05, 2008, 04:59:20 pm »

When I unplugged my vacuum cleaner, a piece of one of the prongs broke off inside the outlet. I took the vacuum to a shop and had the cord & plug replaced ($40.) Yeah. Believe me, I would have much rather bought the part at Home Depot for a couple of bucks, and said "Honey, please fix this." But there's no Honey so this is what happens.

Anyway - if I remove the switchplate, is it safe for me to get the broken part out with tweezers? I don't want to shut off the power to the whole house if I don't really have to.
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wizer
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« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2008, 10:55:53 pm »

When I unplugged my vacuum cleaner, a piece of one of the prongs broke off inside the outlet. I took the vacuum to a shop and had the cord & plug replaced ($40.) Yeah. Believe me, I would have much rather bought the part at Home Depot for a couple of bucks, and said "Honey, please fix this." But there's no Honey so this is what happens.

Anyway - if I remove the switchplate, is it safe for me to get the broken part out with tweezers? I don't want to shut off the power to the whole house if I don't really have to.

The safest thing to do is shut off power to the outlet, although you don't have to. But its easier than you think. If you want to play it safe, plug a radio into the outlet and turn it up loud enough so you can hear it from the breaker box. Make sure no computers, tvs, and other sensitive electronics are on...even though they go through the same thing whenever the power cuts out, but why add to the cumulative wear and tear. As you listen to the radio, cycle each breaker on and off slowly until you hear the radio go off. Then you know the power is out. Its most likely NOT one of the large or doubled switches in the breaker, those are for the A/C, or the clothes dryer.

If you really dont want to shut power, use a needlenose plyer with rubber grips. Even though you probably wouldnt get a shock pulling the prong out of only one side of the outlet, there is still a "bit" of risk, because if the broken off piece is on the hot side, you could theoretically be a "ground" and the electricity "could" flow through you to the ground, but that would in reality only happen if you were standing in a puddle of water wearing non insulated shoes.

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GoodWitch
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« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2008, 03:14:33 am »

The safest thing to do is shut off power to the outlet, although you don't have to. But its easier than you think. If you want to play it safe, plug a radio into the outlet and turn it up loud enough so you can hear it from the breaker box. Make sure no computers, tvs, and other sensitive electronics are on...even though they go through the same thing whenever the power cuts out, but why add to the cumulative wear and tear. As you listen to the radio, cycle each breaker on and off slowly until you hear the radio go off. Then you know the power is out. Its most likely NOT one of the large or doubled switches in the breaker, those are for the A/C, or the clothes dryer.

If you really dont want to shut power, use a needlenose plyer with rubber grips. Even though you probably wouldnt get a shock pulling the prong out of only one side of the outlet, there is still a "bit" of risk, because if the broken off piece is on the hot side, you could theoretically be a "ground" and the electricity "could" flow through you to the ground, but that would in reality only happen if you were standing in a puddle of water wearing non insulated shoes.



I know which breaker it's on. I just hate doing that stuff. It's a mental block like some males have against cooking. I know it's stupid, but to me this is something for a man to do. Wanna take a ride "cross the river to the Jersey side"? LOL j/k I'll manage.
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wizer
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« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2008, 09:48:04 am »

I know which breaker it's on. I just hate doing that stuff. It's a mental block like some males have against cooking. I know it's stupid, but to me this is something for a man to do. Wanna take a ride "cross the river to the Jersey side"? LOL j/k I'll manage.

If you know which breaker it's on, then flip the switch and be safe. Then pull the broken prong on and you are done, in less time than it took to post this!

Women are just as competent as men when it comes to home improvement, they just don't tend to spend as much time on it so they aren't as good at it. In fact whenever I have ever hired a contractor for something they have screwed "something" up.
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GoodWitch
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« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2008, 09:51:44 am »

If you know which breaker it's on, then flip the switch and be safe. Then pull the broken prong on and you are done, in less time than it took to post this!

Women are just as competent as men when it comes to home improvement, they just don't tend to spend as much time on it so they aren't as good at it. In fact whenever I have ever hired a contractor for something they have screwed "something" up.


Yeah I know, I'm just SO SICK of doing everything around here.
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wizer
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« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2008, 09:54:11 am »

Yeah I know, I'm just SO SICK of doing everything around here.

But...but...that's like a 30 second job. Try it. Set a stop watch, get the tweezers ready, and GO!. Run to the breaker click it off, run to the outlet, pull the prong out, run back to the breaker, flip it on.

Under a minute I bet.
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GoodWitch
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« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2008, 09:58:46 am »

But...but...that's like a 30 second job. Try it. Set a stop watch, get the tweezers ready, and GO!. Run to the breaker click it off, run to the outlet, pull the prong out, run back to the breaker, flip it on.

Under a minute I bet.

LOL I know. But "Honey, can you fix this" is 5 seconds.
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wizer
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« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2008, 10:21:12 am »

LOL I know. But "Honey, can you fix this" is 5 seconds.

Right, but how often do they say, "sure I will get right on it", and then actually do it?
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theWiz
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« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2008, 06:25:57 pm »

Right, but how often do they say, "sure I will get right on it", and then actually do it?



ROFL, and rec...
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