Gloves for electrical work

[KentState]

I have a lot of old/worn outlets to replace and while I normally am very thorough when do one-offs, having to do a few dozen just has more room for error. Besides having my testers and triple checking, I was thinking of also getting a pair of gloves. What is appropriate for dealing with 15A circuits at home and not too bulky?

 

[Greenman]

Why do you feel you need gloves to change outlets?

 

[herm0016]

gloves for that job would be annoying as all hell.

 

[PowerEngineer]

While I applaud your dedication to safety, I have to agree that gloves seem like an unnecessary precaution. Instead, I would just plug a lamp into each outlet to prove it is deenergized before removal. Or you could just open the main breaker.

If you proceed with gloves, you should know that it is the voltage of the circuit rather than the breaker current rating that is the issue. You would want gloves made of insulating materials like plastics or vinyls rather than porous (and potentially wet) materials like cloth or leather. You can get Class 00 rated gloves (good up to 500V AC) on Amazon. But I wouldn't... ⚡

 

[shortylickens]

In general I do not recommend working on live circuits. IF YOU HAVE TO, and the current is low, those rubber coated cloth work gloves are enough, and they retain most of your dexterity. We use them all the time at Stulz air conditioning. If they are properly sized I can pick up tiny screws with those gloves.

Ok i just checked, they're the Body Guard Safety Gear rubber coated type. thin but strong, and i can even type with them, slowly.

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[Greenman]

Or he could just flip the breaker and do the job. Took longer to ask the question than it would take to kill the power.
Edited in the hopes of spreading Christmas cheer.

 

[pcgeek11]

In general I do not recommend working on live circuits. IF YOU HAVE TO, and the current is low, those rubber coated cloth work gloves are enough, and they retain most of your dexterity. We use them all the time at Stulz air conditioning. If they are properly sized I can pick up tiny screws with those gloves.

Ok i just checked, they're the Body Guard Safety Gear rubber coated type. thin but strong, and i can even type with them, slowly.

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Fastenal is the largest fastener distributor in North America. Shop our huge selection of OEM, MRO, construction, industrial, and safety products.

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Hard to believe anyone would suggest those gloves for hot 115 volt work. I don't think those gloves are even rated for any amount of voltage. I wouldn't trust them with any voltage much less 120 volts.

Nope.


Flip the breaker, check for zero volts and do the job. No gloved needed.

 

[herm0016]

120 just tingles anyway, just don't stick both hands in the box at the same time.

 

[deadlyapp]

While I applaud your dedication to safety, I have to agree that gloves seem like an unnecessary precaution. Instead, I would just plug a lamp into each outlet to prove it is deenergized before removal. Or you could just open the main breaker.

If you proceed with gloves, you should know that it is the voltage of the circuit rather than the breaker current rating that is the issue. You would want gloves made of insulating materials like plastics or vinyls rather than porous (and potentially wet) materials like cloth or leather. You can get Class 00 rated gloves (good up to 500V AC) on Amazon. But I wouldn't... ⚡

With a name like power engineer I would have expected some better advice than just "plug in a lamp". You can still have a hot wire and not have a lamp turn on if say the neutral was switched at the breaker rather than the hot.

 

[snoopy7548]

As an electrical engineer, I just plug in 25V electrolytic caps to make sure the outlets are off before I do any work.

 

[KentState]

Hard to believe anyone would suggest those gloves for hot 115 volt work. I don't think those gloves are even rated for any amount of voltage. I wouldn't trust them with any voltage much less 120 volts.

Nope.


Flip the breaker, check for zero volts and do the job. No gloved needed.

Yeah, a lot of those gloves may help with cuts, but not voltage. I'm probably more skittish after dealing with my house and how poorly everything was labelled and arranged in the panels. Can't even tell you how many trips I made up and down the stairs to the basement trying to figure out which outlets and lights belonged to what.

 

[PowerEngineer]

With a name like power engineer I would have expected some better advice than just "plug in a lamp". You can still have a hot wire and not have a lamp turn on if say the neutral was switched at the breaker rather than the hot.

Sorry to disappoint you by making an assumption about the house wiring being correct. There are a whole lot more possibilities down that rabbit hole if you want to consider everything that could be wired wrong. The OP did imply that he is intending to use a circuit tester. I offered up the lamp test as belt-and-suspenders "feel good" addition instead of using insulating gloves.

 

[KentState]

Sorry to disappoint you by making an assumption about the house wiring being correct. There are a whole lot more possibilities down that rabbit hole if you want to consider everything that could be wired wrong. The OP did imply that he is intending to use a circuit tester. I offered up the lamp test as belt-and-suspenders "feel good" addition instead of using insulating gloves.

Appreciate the input. Probably just over thinking it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I find gloves would be kind of annoying, I just turn off the power to the outlet when working on it, it's easier. Beware of split circuits that are fed from different breakers. Been zinged by that a few times lol. I don't think it's normal to wire it that way but I've seen it done.

Use a volt meter to test that it's actually off. Test the volt meter on a known working outlet first to make sure the volt meter is working.

 

[KentState]

I find gloves would be kind of annoying, I just turn off the power to the outlet when working on it, it's easier. Beware of split circuits that are fed from different breakers. Been zinged by that a few times lol. I don't think it's normal to wire it that way but I've seen it done.

Use a volt meter to test that it's actually off. Test the volt meter on a known working outlet first to make sure the volt meter is working.

I have both a nicer Fluke multi meter that I regularly use and a voltage tester.

 

[sdifox]

Just flip the breaker.

 

[MtnMan]

This will let you know if there is any voltage at all at/in/near an outlet.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VX43R7N/ref=vp_d_pbmv4_TIER2_sessmp_lp_B000EJ332O_pd?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07VX43R7N&pd_rd_w=htLLA&pf_rd_p=422aea45-f57b-4764-a849-eef933275314&pf_rd_r=BEAC9HQFBH8AYTAKEH4W&pd_rd_r=813c12d0-2090-40b1-a17b-127399968a73&pd_rd_wg=v9UBT

 

[pcgeek11]

This will let you know if there is any voltage at all at/in/near an outlet.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VX43R7N/ref=vp_d_pbmv4_TIER2_sessmp_lp_B000EJ332O_pd?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07VX43R7N&pd_rd_w=htLLA&pf_rd_p=422aea45-f57b-4764-a849-eef933275314&pf_rd_r=BEAC9HQFBH8AYTAKEH4W&pd_rd_r=813c12d0-2090-40b1-a17b-127399968a73&pd_rd_wg=v9UBT

As one that has worked in the electric / electronic field since 1973 I wouldn't trust my life to it.

120 just tingles anyway, just don't stick both hands in the box at the same time.

This is the silliest comment I have seen yet.

How Much Current Can The Human Body Withstand?

Of course, more voltage draws more power, but it is not the caliber that kills us but the bullet it shoots. Regardless of the voltage, the real cause of death is the current forced through the body.

www.scienceabc.com

It is not the Voltage that can kill humans, it is the current that kills. Humans have died at as low as 42 volts. Time is also a factor. A current of 0.1 ampere for a mere 2 seconds can be fatal. As Voltage = Current x Resistance the current depends on body resistance. The internal resistance between the ears is only 100 ohms, while it is around 500 ohms when measured from finger to toe.

Electric Current Needed to Kill a Human - The Physics Factbook

hypertextbook.com

"In general, for limb-contact electrical shocks, accepted rules of thumb are: 1-5 mA is the level of perception; 10 mA is the level where pain is sensed; at 100 mA severe muscular contraction occurs, and at 100-300 mA electrocution occurs."

 

[herm0016]

As one that has worked in the electric / electronic field since 1973 I wouldn't trust my life to it.



This is the silliest comment I have seen yet.

How Much Current Can The Human Body Withstand?

Of course, more voltage draws more power, but it is not the caliber that kills us but the bullet it shoots. Regardless of the voltage, the real cause of death is the current forced through the body.

www.scienceabc.com

It is not the Voltage that can kill humans, it is the current that kills. Humans have died at as low as 42 volts. Time is also a factor. A current of 0.1 ampere for a mere 2 seconds can be fatal. As Voltage = Current x Resistance the current depends on body resistance. The internal resistance between the ears is only 100 ohms, while it is around 500 ohms when measured from finger to toe.

Electric Current Needed to Kill a Human - The Physics Factbook

hypertextbook.com

"In general, for limb-contact electrical shocks, accepted rules of thumb are: 1-5 mA is the level of perception; 10 mA is the level where pain is sensed; at 100 mA severe muscular contraction occurs, and at 100-300 mA electrocution occurs."

Yes I know this, it was meant to be silly.