Grounded a live line for a decade, one static shock fixed my habit

Always checked voltage with my meter before touching anything, but never bothered grounding the compressor line first. Last Tuesday in Tulsa, I got zapped through my pliers changing a start relay on a 20-year-old fridge. The kick was mild, but it made me realize I'd been lucky, not careful. Now I clip a jumper to the chassis before I even pull the panel. Any of you guys ground everything before you start, or am I the only sloppy one this trade keeps?

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1 Comment

wren82621d ago

Read somewhere that most guys who get zapped bad were experienced, not rookies. We get comfortable, start skipping steps, and that's when the juice finds you. Sounds like you got the cheap lesson, which is better than the expensive one. I've been guilty of trusting my memory over my meter before, and it's a stupid gamble every time. Grounding jumpers are five bucks and take ten seconds, so there's no real excuse not to. Funny how one little tingle rewires your whole brain about safety, huh.