How to Fix Stuff

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Yeah... Having an Extra Breaker for each Amp Size in your panel Isn't going to hurt anything. Especially if it is 80 Mile roundtrip to get one.
That's why keeping an extra capacitor for your AC is a good idea. Same thing. Most common reason why an AC craps out and it sucks having to wait days this time of year getting another one.
 

CMD-Ky

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That's why keeping an extra capacitor for your AC is a good idea. Same thing. Most common reason why an AC craps out and it sucks having to wait days this time of year getting another one.

While there, I'll get a capacitor, too. It is a long drive.
 

zoiDman

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That's why keeping an extra capacitor for your AC is a good idea. Same thing. Most common reason why an AC craps out and it sucks having to wait days this time of year getting another one.

That is Hysterical that you would say that. Because that is my Plan Today. Pull off the Side cover of my Heat Pump and Double Check the type of Capacitor it takes.

I think this is what I need...

TEMCo 55/5 MFD uF Dual Run Capacitor 370 440 vac Volts AC Motor HVAC 55+5 | eBay

But I want Eyes On before I buy It.
 

hittman

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    I am not comfortable to pull the breaker without the master off. I did this once before. It was in the early '70's and I had one of the hospital maintenance guys advising me. I have forgotten everything I learned back then. Just call me "Karen".

    That's good that you know your own limitations. I've been doing electrical and electronics work since the early 90's. I used to do a fair amount of side work where I'd go in and wire a basement that someone was getting ready to finish or fix an electrical issue. I took and passed the master electrician exam back in the 90's but never needed to get licensed for the companies I've worked for.
     

    CMD-Ky

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    That's good that you know your own limitations. I've been doing electrical and electronics work since the early 90's. I used to do a fair amount of side work where I'd go in and wire a basement that someone was getting ready to finish or fix an electrical issue. I took and passed the master electrician exam back in the 90's but never needed to get licensed for the companies I've worked for.

    Early in my final career, I learned three areas of practice, knew them intimately and knew what I don't know. As that great American philosopher Harry Callaghan famously said, "A man's got to know his limitations". I have a lot of limitations to know.
     

    AttyPops

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    I'll just add, with some breakers...and this may NOT be your issue at all....if you push them all the way "up" (could be down) in the off direction with some force, and then turn it back on, they kind of "reset" internally. They can be flaky if you just flip them softly, they end up in middle-of-the-road-mode.

    Just something I picked up once. Probably not it.

    Good luck though.
     

    hittman

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    I'll just add, with some breakers...and this may NOT be your issue at all....if you push them all the way "up" (could be down) in the off direction with some force, and then turn it back on, they kind of "reset" internally. They can be flaky if you just flip them softly, they end up in middle-of-the-road-mode.

    Just something I picked up once. Probably not it.

    Good luck though.

    I didn't think of that but I know exactly what you're talking about.
     

    Bronze

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    Early in my final career, I learned three areas of practice, knew them intimately and knew what I don't know. As that great American philosopher Harry Callaghan famously said, "A man's got to know his limitations". I have a lot of limitations to know.
    The older I get the more I realize just how little I know. Will just say a whole lot less than when I was a teenager.

    I'll just add, with some breakers...and this may NOT be your issue at all....if you push them all the way "up" (could be down) in the off direction with some force, and then turn it back on, they kind of "reset" internally. They can be flaky if you just flip them softly, they end up in middle-of-the-road-mode.

    Just something I picked up once. Probably not it.

    Good luck though.
    Breakers are designed such that when they get tripped they go into limbo. Gotta turn them off first before turning them on. At least that’s historically how they worked.
     

    hittman

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    I know my limitations too. I’m not much of a carpenter but can do basic stuff. I hired someone to install new doors on the back since I didn’t want to spend three days installing two doors just to end up with a door that doesn’t shut quite right. The guy I hired had them done in an afternoon. Money well spent.
     

    CMD-Ky

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    I know my limitations too. I’m not much of a carpenter but can do basic stuff. I hired someone to install new doors on the back since I didn’t want to spend three days installing two doors just to end up with a door that doesn’t shut quite right. The guy I hired had them done in an afternoon. Money well spent.

    I have one coming Tuesday to hang a door and a storm door.
     
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    CMD-Ky

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    I'll just add, with some breakers...and this may NOT be your issue at all....if you push them all the way "up" (could be down) in the off direction with some force, and then turn it back on, they kind of "reset" internally. They can be flaky if you just flip them softly, they end up in middle-of-the-road-mode.

    Just something I picked up once. Probably not it.

    Good luck though.

    I have switched them off on on with some vigor; sometimes it works for a bit, other times nothing. I am going to shut the Master down and pull the breaker then take a look.
     

    CMD-Ky

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    Success! The circuit breaker was not defective. The breaker had two wires coming in both tightened down with a single screw. As I popped the breaker out, one wire immediately came out, not tight at all. The other wire needed a little counter-clockwise action to get it loose. I pulled both wires out and cleaned them, polished them up some with Mrs CMD's Magic Eraser so they were all shiny. I pushed the wires back in, tightened the hold screw, put the breaker back in and Voila! Everything worked perfectly.
    Evidently the pounding and hammering when the siding was replaced one wire jostled loose.

    Thank you all, got my confidence up to give it a go.
     

    hittman

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    Success! The circuit breaker was not defective. The breaker had two wires coming in both tightened down with a single screw. As I popped the breaker out, one wire immediately came out, not tight at all. The other wire needed a little counter-clockwise action to get it loose. I pulled both wires out and cleaned them, polished them up some with Mrs CMD's Magic Eraser so they were all shiny. I pushed the wires back in, tightened the hold screw, put the breaker back in and Voila! Everything worked perfectly.
    Evidently the pounding and hammering when the siding was replaced one wire jostled loose.

    Thank you all, got my confidence up to give it a go.

    Congrats on getting it fixed!
     

    zoiDman

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    Success! The circuit breaker was not defective. The breaker had two wires coming in both tightened down with a single screw. As I popped the breaker out, one wire immediately came out, not tight at all. The other wire needed a little counter-clockwise action to get it loose. I pulled both wires out and cleaned them, polished them up some with Mrs CMD's Magic Eraser so they were all shiny. I pushed the wires back in, tightened the hold screw, put the breaker back in and Voila! Everything worked perfectly.
    Evidently the pounding and hammering when the siding was replaced one wire jostled loose.

    Thank you all, got my confidence up to give it a go.

    Good Deal.

    Nice that you Didn't need to make a 70 Mile Trip for a Replacement Breaker !
     

    Bronze

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    And if I had not got my confidence up, who knows what that simple job would have cost to have a wire tightened.
    It's mind boggling. I fixed our wash machine yesterday by simply jumping the safety switch. Took literally 6 minutes, 1 wire nut, and 5" of electrical tape. If I had called a repairdude it would probably be $200 and I'd wait who knows how long. The other day I added an electrical outlet in the master bedroom for a new TV mount high on the wall. For about $20 I completed the job in about an hour (includes wall repair). Had I called an electrician it would have cost me $200-$300. These are just small jobs in the past week. I could not afford paying for these house calls. It's minimum $200 just for showing up.
     

    zoiDman

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    I am green that you can all do these jobs while I sit here at the mercy of service people who aren't even good at the jobs.

    For me, it was a Long process over the Years of doing slightly Larger and Larger projects to get to a point of feeling Comfortable to do Most Residential Electrical work.

    Don't think that I somehow jumped in and was Good at things from the beginning. It was more like starting by Replacing a 2 Prong Cord on a Lamp. Or spending 2 Hours to do a Simple 5 Minute soldering job.

    So Don't ever think you Can't do many of the things you might hear people talk about here in this thread. You just need to Start with Simpler/Smaller Projects. And as you get More Confident (and maybe thru some Mistakes - God Knows I've made my Share!) move to more Complex things.
     
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    Bronze

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    For me, it was a Long process over the Years of doing slightly Larger and Larger projects to get to a point of feeling Comfortable to do Most Residential Electrical work.

    Don't think that I somehow jumped in and was Good at things from the beginning. It was more like starting by Replacing a 2 Prong Cord on a Lamp. Or spending 2 Hours to do a Simple 5 Minute soldering job.

    So Don't ever think you Can't do many of the things you might hear people talk about here in this thread. You just need to Start with Simpler/Smaller Projects. And as you get More Confident (and maybe thru some Mistakes - God Knows I've made my Share!) move to more Complex things.
    True. I’m no damn electrician. But I’m willing to figure most things out with some effort and perseverance. Before you know it your knowledge base has been built up so you don’t have to work so hard taking on new stuff.
     

    CMD-Ky

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    I am green that you can all do these jobs while I sit here at the mercy of service people who aren't even good at the jobs.

    I am not one of those people, you saw these guys walk me through it. With patient guides and youtube all things become possible. Next time, give it a shot, ask and someone on here will always know something to get things started. Heck, you may find something that I know how to do, well, .... maybe anyhow.
     

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