I would never, ever, suggest anybody even try it.
But I do it myself, almost all the time. [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]
Basically, I assess the situation and try an figure out if I can move the wires around (relatively) safely. For example, a single lomex or so. If I figure I can, I just charge ahead.
I use one hand only because its harder to make a killer circuit (through yer body) that way.
220 is a poke, but it hasn't killed me yet. The only time I got a 220 shock was when I was fixing a circuit for my father in law and I asked him to turn off the breaker, which he claimed he did. Of course he didn't but he may have had ulterior motives....
But really, you shouldn't work on live circuits, especially if you are on a ladder or something. Many times its the fall, not the shock, wot kills or injures. I have a nifty little gadget that sniffs a wire and squeals if its live. Very handy and only a few bucks. That way, at least I know what I'm dealing with.
Problem with the breaker box, Even if you pull the main breaker you still have voltage in the box. An errant screw driver across the mains will still spark. Any perfect solution is to pull the meter. This is easier and more legal to do in some areas than others.
I have added circuits in a hot box before but would never recomend it to anyone. When I did do it I had one hand in my back pocket the whole time.
I ran into an issue once when removing a circuit from a breaker panel. I shut down the breaker, pull the wire out of the breaker and when I pull the wire out of the breaker box I saw a nice flash of light and a click. Seems someone along the years was double feeding a circuit and a bare wire out of the breaker box was hot.
At the risk of anowing many of you I will say this anyway just in case someone is reading this that does not know any better.
This is not smart and I think most of you know it. Sure you can get away with it most the time but one slip and it will light you up maybe for good.
To be honest I have done it before when I was younger and dumber....
I have a panel at the pole that has the main 200 amp breaker that then feeds a main panel in the house. This setup is designed to allow adition of other loads outside latter on.
Before I even open the inside panel I turn off the 200 amp main and put a pad lock on the outside main beaker box. That way no voltage at all inside and someone can't come along and flip the power back on. This is called a lock out in industry for obvious reasons.
Even then I always check for voltage (from ground lug to the two hot lugs) with a meter on the inside panel just in case.
This is even more important if you go anywhere near the box with a fish tape since the end can easily flip around and hit one of the hot lugs or breaker feed slots. Imagine you on the other end of a metal tape with two hands .....not pretty. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
Total extra time required ~2 min. Tools required: one pad lock and cheap O voltage meter ~$10-$20
Cheap insurance IMHO.
220V 200 amp will cook you for good if you get a solid hold of it.
Sorry if I pissed anyone off with the lecture but someone might get killed following the above advise.
<font color="red">Seems someone along the years was double feeding a circuit and a bare wire out of the breaker box was hot. </font color>
Greenlee sells a little meter called a voltage tick. About $10 US if memory serves.
I use one anytime I am in a box that I am not totally certain what is hot and what is not. The nice thing about these is they detect the magnetic field produced by the AC in the wire without actually touching the bare wire. So you can wave it around inside the box against all the insulated wires and it will beep and flash a light if it detects voltage on any of the wires.
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