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Tracing Circuit Breaker to Receptacle Outlets DK 10-07-2006
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Posted by Eigenvector on October 8, 2006, 1:26 pm



> On Sun, 08 Oct 2006 10:49:45 -0500, Mark Lloyd
>>>
>>
>>Understanding binary can save you a lot of work (too often people
>>would try one breaker at a time, rather than doing it by halves).
>>
> I am not sure exactly how this is going to save any time. If you are
> standing at the panel listening for the radio, you can switch one at
> a time and find it sooner.
>
> What if the breaker was the first one? How would turning half off
> save time?
>
> If the breaker is one in the second half then you have already turned
> off half the panel using both examples.
>
> Understanding common sense can save you a lot to work too.
>

Doesn't it also matter how many breakers you have in your box too. I have 8
breakers total, 2 are double pull and obviously not for outlets, so that
leaves six, not exactly difficult nor time consuming to kill 6 breakers and
figure out which goes where. Using binary would be ludicrous in that
situation.



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Posted by Mark Lloyd on October 8, 2006, 8:22 pm


On Sun, 8 Oct 2006 10:26:31 -0700, "Eigenvector"

>
>> On Sun, 08 Oct 2006 10:49:45 -0500, Mark Lloyd
>>>>
>>>
>>>Understanding binary can save you a lot of work (too often people
>>>would try one breaker at a time, rather than doing it by halves).
>>>
>> I am not sure exactly how this is going to save any time. If you are
>> standing at the panel listening for the radio, you can switch one at
>> a time and find it sooner.
>>
>> What if the breaker was the first one? How would turning half off
>> save time?
>>
>> If the breaker is one in the second half then you have already turned
>> off half the panel using both examples.
>>
>> Understanding common sense can save you a lot to work too.
>>
>
>Doesn't it also matter how many breakers you have in your box too. I have 8
>breakers total, 2 are double pull and obviously not for outlets, so that
>leaves six, not exactly difficult nor time consuming to kill 6 breakers and
>figure out which goes where. Using binary would be ludicrous in that
>situation.
>

"ludicrous" makes it sound like using binary is much more work. That's
incorrect.

The average is 3 for either method. If you consider maximum (as
someone might), you get 3 (for binary) or 6 (for one at a time).

I'd still check everything and label the breakers properly.

Posted by Terry on October 8, 2006, 9:23 pm


On Sun, 08 Oct 2006 19:22:20 -0500, Mark Lloyd


>
>"ludicrous" makes it sound like using binary is much more work. That's
>incorrect.
>
Lets take the radio method.

If it happens to be the first breaker you switch one breaker. If it
is slot 2 you turn 2 breakers. If 3=3 4=4 say you have 12 on the
right and 12 on the left. The most switches you would make is 12.

Lets take the binary method.

You turn off all 12 breakers on your first try. If you guess right
you turn 6 back on, but if you guess wrong you turn those 6 off and
turn the other 6 on.

Yeah, you are using way too much brain power for this 10 cent project.

This doubles if it happens to be the second half. Try the math
again.

Posted by Goedjn on October 9, 2006, 9:28 am



>>
>>"ludicrous" makes it sound like using binary is much more work. That's
>>incorrect.
>>
>Lets take the radio method.
>
>If it happens to be the first breaker you switch one breaker. If it
>is slot 2 you turn 2 breakers. If 3=3 4=4 say you have 12 on the
>right and 12 on the left. The most switches you would make is 12.
>
>Lets take the binary method.
>
>You turn off all 12 breakers on your first try. If you guess right
>you turn 6 back on, but if you guess wrong you turn those 6 off and
>turn the other 6 on.
>
>Yeah, you are using way too much brain power for this 10 cent project.
>
>This doubles if it happens to be the second half. Try the math
>again.


If you're using a light, or something else where you have
to go CHECK the outlet in question, then doing a binary search
makes sense. If you're using a noise-generator where you
can tell immediately on flipping a breaker whether you killed
the one you want, then it's nonsense.



Posted by on October 8, 2006, 1:55 pm



Terry wrote:
> On Sun, 08 Oct 2006 10:49:45 -0500, Mark Lloyd
> >>
> >
> >Understanding binary can save you a lot of work (too often people
> >would try one breaker at a time, rather than doing it by halves).
> >
> I am not sure exactly how this is going to save any time. If you are
> standing at the panel listening for the radio, you can switch one at
> a time and find it sooner.
>
> What if the breaker was the first one? How would turning half off
> save time?
>
> If the breaker is one in the second half then you have already turned
> off half the panel using both examples.
>
> Understanding common sense can save you a lot to work too.

It's an either/or situation. If you're not using the extension
cord/radio/vacuum cleaner method and you have to run up and down the
basement stairs, for example, then the search routine makes a lot of
sense. I've used all of the mentioned methods over the years depending
on the situation.


Page 5 of 7       < 1 2 3 > last >>
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