Gloves for Working in 240v Electrical Panel... Safely

[JimPghPA]

The meter installers wore the lower voltage yellow gloves, and they were tested monthly and dated and only usable for up to a month after testing also.

Many moons ago, I wired in a live feed of 240 to a big fuse box I installed, while it was live in a big industrial building. I took several precautions, including tools with insulated grips, and standing on a thick dry rubber mat, while wearing shoes with dry rubber soles. And if course, not touching the metal of the box or building.

Recently I put two outdoor ground fault outlets in a friend's house. Even though I knew the circuit breaker was off, I sat on a dry insulating mat, ( the foam rubber rool up army sleeping pad I have ), folded to be 2 layers thick.

Every additiinal layer of safety you can have is a good idea.

 

[andrew_j]

Any glove out there that shuts the main off before touching the main panel.

 

[rstcso]

I'm beginning to think there's a theme to these answers.

 

[Pablo]

I'm beginning to think there's a theme to these answers.

To me it's scary that it was asked frankly.

 

[alarmguy]

Flat board on top of cement also with a rubber mat if you have one, rubber sole shoes. Any metal besides the box put out of reach.
If you wish to wear gloves even with the main off, pretty much anything rubber. Avoid touching the sides of the breaker box while working. If you're not grounded there is no place for current to flow, just like a bird sitting on a wire.

Since you are experianced you pretty much know all this. I dont know how important it is to get "powerline" electrical worker grade gloves for what you are doing.

I and I assume you have worked many projects with the power on but I do take some extra precautions in a breaker box. Our new home, the mains are at the bottom of the box below the breakers. Much more easy to accidentally touch a lead even before the main shut off than when at the top. A strip of duck tape across the bottom of that panel in that situation could be more like a reminder should you get to close you will touch the tape. (even though I didnt bother I just thought now, that is not a bad idea)

 

[Fattylocks]

Any glove thick enough won't allow delicate work.

 

[rstcso]

Flat board on top of cement also with a rubber mat if you have one, rubber sole shoes. Any metal besides the box put out of reach.
If you wish to wear gloves even with the main off, pretty much anything rubber. Avoid touching the sides of the breaker box while working. If you're not grounded there is no place for current to flow, just like a bird sitting on a wire.

Since you are experianced you pretty much know all this. I dont know how important it is to get "powerline" electrical worker grade gloves for what you are doing.

I and I assume you have worked many projects with the power on but I do take some extra precautions in a breaker box. Our new home, the mains are at the bottom of the box below the breakers. Much more easy to accidentally touch a lead even before the main shut off than when at the top. A strip of duck tape across the bottom of that panel in that situation could be more like a reminder should you get to close you will touch the tape. (even though I didnt bother I just thought now, that is not a bad idea)

When working in any of the panels, I almost always switch off the main breaker, which is at the top of the main panel. I have two sub-panels.

When identifying correct breakers to switch off when working on circuits downstream of the panels, I normally don't open the panel cover and use a circuit breaker finder (poor identification within the panels), switch off power at the breaker, then verify no power where I'm working using a multimeter.

Our house was built in 1996. Three times since we moved here in 1999, I've had outlets either getting hot, or in the case of one, start smoking. I'm in the process of replacing all outlets in and outside of our house. This was the latest incident from February of this year.

 

[oil pan 4]

I had electrical gloves. Stopped using them years ago, probably about 10 years ago. Use insulated tools and only put one hand in the panel at a time.

 

[spasm3]

I'm just not working in a hot panel.

 

[rstcso]

I'm just not working in a hot panel.

With a name like @spasm3, I can understand why not!

 

[Brons2]

I try not to do electrical work in the summer, because I don't want to sweat on the (hot) panel. But I got some gloves from Amazon, will have to look again at what they are.

 

[JimPghPA]

Turn off the main breaker so when you pull the powercompany meter, theres no arck because theres no current flowing.

 

[rstcso]

Turn off the main breaker so when you pull the powercompany meter, theres no arck because theres no current flowing.

I doubt I'd ever have the cojones to break the seal and remove the meter, especially now that ours is one of those new-fangled wireless, always-in-communication-with-the-mothership types.