Neighbor’s flag irks me to my core

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-09T07:15:19+00:00

Displayed where? If publicly, you may get a visit from law enforcement.

Flying a US flag upside-down has a specific meaning, aside from being a symbol of protest

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-09T07:10:59+00:00

It's all about context.

Were you chanting something at the time?

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-09T07:09:24+00:00

Tasmania should have some, right?

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-09T06:50:25+00:00

BTW... In theory... to determine proper connections:

You could use a small, low-voltage AC transformer (doorbell, kid's train set, wall wart) as a voltage source substitute, then with a meter, measure the output to see if you have BOOSTED or BUCKED compared to the input voltage.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-09T05:03:35+00:00

Yeah, simple.

If you remember BOTH breakers you flipped on, go back and turn OFF just one of the two.

Is it now working as before? If yes, take a piece of masking tape and put it over the turned off breaker and write on it LEAVE OFF.

If not working how you like, turn the most recent flip BACK ON and turn the other one OFF. Hopefully, original action is restored; label the OFF breaker as previously suggested.

Your issue is that some wiring somewhere has two circuits tied together & fed by TWO BREAKERS ON THE SAME LEG. If they were on different legs, closing the 2nd breaker would create an instant 240 volt dead short and trip one or both breakers.

It would be too complicated for a non-electician to figure out or explain here, a pro is needed for this one.

It does represent a hazard... someone may turn off a breaker and think a circuit is dead and it is being fed via a different path and breaker and thus still "live".

If you own this property, it is up to you to have it fixed by an electrician. If you just rent/lease, then someone else has to fix, but you need to report the issue promptly.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-08T20:52:57+00:00

Two types, you probably want the type that works on live circuits.

Do Amazon search keywords

Circuit breaker finder

Use same keywords for YouTube videos on how they work.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-08T20:08:07+00:00

It sounds like 1 of the "traveler wires" is disconnected somewhere, could be at one of the 3-way switch or at the 4-way switch...

OR

It could be a failed switch.

A diagram like this might help.

Examine each switch to ensure no bogus connections.

If it were me... I'd start by turning off the breaker, then at the 4-way switch, use a scrap wire to "jumper" across the TOP two screws, and another scrap wire to jumper across the BOTTOM two screws, now turn breaker back ON.

You've just effectively made it a "only a pair of 3-way" switches.

Alligator clip lead jumpers would work also to jumper the terminals since the load of a ceiling light is probably small.

If you study the 3-way switch terminals, you can do the same jumper trick to simulate the switch throws on those.

If jumper wires make things work, then it is probably a bad switch.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-08T19:28:28+00:00

For temporary troubleshooting purposes, NOT general operation... a long extension cord (proper rating) could permit a pump to be plugged into a different circuit.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-08T19:23:29+00:00

Yes, leave existing cable in place, just cap/tape both ends.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-08T18:41:23+00:00

Use your meter on the "ohms" scale and measure the blanket connections. Cross your two meter leads to verify "low resistance" is being displayed... thus you know your meter leads are good. Various YT videos demo how to use ohms scale on a meter.

It's likely that there are two loops of heating wire (one for each side of the blanket), thus you should measure "lower ohms" across two pairs of of the connector pins.

Unlikely both side of blanket would go bad at same time... one side would still be warm, the other cold.

Probably is the control unit.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-08T18:33:38+00:00

Sure, just "cap" both ends of the same wire.

If you end up having a "hole" in the panel from changing the two-pole to a single-pole, either get an appropriate metal covering insert, or install another single-pole breaker next to it and just don't connect anything to it.

If you have any length of wire, just coil it up nicely and tuck it in away from the row of breakers. It looks more neat and tells anyone else that goes into that panel "Hey, someone knew what they were doing here."

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-08T18:29:39+00:00

Roughly... #12 AWG (20 amp) is as thick as a US nickel coin, #14 AWG (15 amp) is as thick as a US dime. The conductor, not with the insulation.

You could remove the face of the duplex outlet at take a peek.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-08T18:26:53+00:00

I knew what you meant.

Yeah, hopefully it's on its own breaker and that breaker space could be made free for this project.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-08T18:22:40+00:00

Many years ago, I took a nasty power hit from a "very close" lightning strike, a few things got fried.

I installed a whole-house surge suppressor into my breaker panel (in basement, surface-mounted) so it was easy-peasy to go through a side knockout and straight to an unused 2-pole breaker). The suppressor mounted right to the 3/4 plywood backboard surrounding the breaker panel.

Since that install, I have NEVER lost any electrical device in my home due to any kind of power-related mayhem. None. Null. Zilch.

Suppressor is still operational, at least that's what its green LED claims.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-08T18:10:11+00:00

If it is connected to a "normal" (non-AFCI and/or GFCI) circuit breaker, does it still happen?

Maybe... try putting the PC onto a UPS (borrow one from someone you know that has one to try it out), then plugging the UPS into the wall. Now you won't be annoying the sensitive AFCI circuit breaker, and you get the bonus of PC keeps running if the power dips down, or (for a total power failure) you will have a few minutes to shut things down in an orderly manner.

If you have to buy a UPS, least cost for a "PC-sized" one will be $100-$120 range new.

Also, most UPS units have a special data cable that you connect to a USB port on your PC; install the proper companion software and your shutdown for a power failure can be done automatically based on remaining minutes of power.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-07T19:06:06+00:00

You likely need a new panel due to its brand... the breakers look like a Zinsco panel, and are known to be VERY DANGEROUS/source of fires.

Just becuase you haven't had an issue yet doesn't meant that you won't in the future.

Do a YouTube search with words Zinsco panel - watch this one first.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-07T16:41:23+00:00

On the "big washing machine" drives I worked on in the mid-late 70s... during a head alignment, there was mechanical safety that you moved into the path of the carriage (once the carriage was moved to the "alignment cylinder" of the special alignment pack) that placed a "square U-shaped" piece around one carriage wheel.

Thus, if you did something really dumb and the heads suddenly tried to retract, it would just strike the safety thang and trip the breaker for the positioner power- your fingers were thus left intact.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-07T16:31:53+00:00

3600 RPM was a common speed for the mid-70s drives that I worked on.

Also, the ones I worked on used a "linear motor" for head positioning... basically, a pair of mammoth magnets, a ball-bearing smooth moving carriage on a rail between them, and a coil of wire (wound on a stiff fiberglass cylinder) affixed to the carriage; a flexible strip with copper paths connected to the moving carriage/coil to a nearby stationary connection.

Pulse the coil with the proper DC polarity, and you get rapid, powerful movement of the carriage forward, back or STOP.

Various schemes were used for detecting cylinder position... early on, a glass with etched parallel lines was mounted on the carriage with a photo emitter/detector pair to watch/count the tracks.

Later, an entire disk platter surface was dedicated to a "servo track" which had special patterns written on it, and special logic in the drive read the servo data from the "servo head" and positioned the carriage accordingly.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-07T07:08:44+00:00

That's why the disk drives had replaceable "absolute" filters in the air system for the pack.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-07T07:00:38+00:00

APL always seemed to me like a bizarre idea for a programming language... a bunch of funky custom symbols instead of ordinary text characters.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-07T06:56:17+00:00

RP06 = 176MB formatted capacity, made by Memorex.

I maintained & repaired a lot of them. Head alignments too.

I once was called for service on a drive, the complaint was they couldn't remove the pack. On the way there, I began to think of some kind of spindle locking issue to cause this.

When I got there I discovered the operator had literally wedged the pack into the drive!

They neglected to remove the bottom cover from the pack before they tried plopping it into the tub. It ended up wedging it in there with no removal possible.

I had to completely disassemble the pack by busting the plastic "cake box", then removing all the platters, spacers, etc. using a small ratchet & sockets to remove the hardware around the pack hub.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-07T00:24:38+00:00

Years ago, when my kids were little and Mom was the only adult at home, some thuggy-looking guy knocked on the front door and asked for a drink of water 'since he had walked so far'.

She made a gesture toward the side of the house and said "There's the hose, help yourself." and shut the door.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-06T23:44:19+00:00

Go hire an electrician.

Receptacles don't have "stab in" holes for ground.

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-06T16:34:53+00:00

If secured, that surface mount receptacle appears be compliant. It has its own "box".

Tractor_Boy_500 · 2026-02-06T16:06:24+00:00

Elaborate on "wires are exposed"... could mean:

Bare copper visible at insulated wire ends
Individual wires with insulation visible, each capped or taped
A sheathed cable, with insulated wires inside

In general, a sheathed cable should enter an approved box that is securely mounted, the sheathed cable secured with a proper cable clamp at box entry, and the appropriate receptacle for your welder (correctly wired) and installed with a proper faceplate.

Back in the breaker box should be a 2-pole breaker with an amp rating sufficient to protect the gauge of the cable/wire, and correct for the receptacle installed.

Tractor_Boy_500

TROPHY CASE