That was shocking, I say! Shocking!

I was quite shocked, today. Twice!

Once by a wire I "knew" was dead. The other time because I didn't check the wire beforehand, and it indicated to me that 110V was present upon it. YodelaydeedeeeEEE... And so on. :-o

I've been working on the electrical systems within the abode. In other words, I needed to get some lights working that I disconnected about 2 or 3 years ago, and have been avoiding ever since. Floor lamps are fine. And didn't humanity manage without illumination for a few zillion years before the light bulb came along? :-) That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it! Sort of... It was more like "Hmm. That's going to be one of those 'challenge' thingies. Perhaps I'll look at it tomorrow, when I can dedicate some time to it." This is otherwise known as "procrastination".

And I'm a qualified electrician! (The Mrs mentioned something about the shoemaker's kids...)

Tomorrow arrived today. It took me all afternoon, but I finally figured out that some of the house wiring doesn't make sense. What should be neutral carries a current (gee, thanks for marking those lines, Mr Electrician Who Built The Place), and what should be live is - ouch! - actually live. Or not. I found out the kitchen fan and over-the-sink light isn't connected to where it should be. It's connected to the bathroom light circuit - which is halfway across the house. The back hall light has its wires backwards - literally. What should go to the fixture provides power, and what you'd think was the power goes to the fixture. And the red wire on the man switch, which should match the red wire on the other switch (it has two switches), isn't. I don't know where it's connected to. I figured out a system where if the main switch is on, you can use the other switch to turn the light on and off. If the main switch is off, the entire thing is off. Works for us!

And then there's the front hall circuit. I have no idea where it goes. I do know the wiring makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I have a suspicion, based on a tripped circuit breaker, that the red wire for that circuit is mixed up with the red wire for the back hall light. When the house was built, so many wires and circuits were crammed into light switch boxes, the electrician probably had to be "inventive". They were certainly original.

Oh well, it'll either be finished, tomorrow. Or I'll be the illumination. Zap! Ouch?

Carolyn Ann