# besides hands, fuse puller, channellock, what do you use to pull out fuses?



## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

If you have a fuse puller why use anything else?


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

"someone else to remove them"


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

I pull the big ones out by hand just fine??? Smaller stuck ones, I get the channel locks involved....


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## skittles (Mar 18, 2016)

Short the wires and just kinda blow 'em out? That works, right?


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Majewski said:


> "someone else to remove them"


Last time I asked my helper to pull fuses, as I went out to the van to grab the new ones I heard a bang and my first thought was he didn't turn off the disconnect first. I ran back inside and saw the problem. They feed the disco backwards. The fuses stayed live all the time. It was a three phase air compressor in an autobody shop we had just changed the motor on. The new motor was less amp draw than what they had. Had to write it up to shut down the building and rewire the proper way. Never got back to do it, I hope someone corrected it.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

Yikes.... But I was just fishing for the secret correct answer... not sure what he's fishing for.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Last time I asked my helper to pull fuses, as I went out to the van to grab the new ones I heard a bang and my first thought was he didn't turn off the disconnect first. I ran back inside and saw the problem. They feed the disco backwards. The fuses stayed live all the time. It was a three phase air compressor in an autobody shop we had just changed the motor on. The new motor was less amp draw than what they had. Had to write it up to shut down the building and rewire the proper way. Never got back to do it, I hope someone corrected it.


I've seen that a couple times too.

What I've seen more often is the blades break loose from the switching mechanism and one fuse stays energized. A guy really has to watch that, especially if you get in the habit of just checking power on the first fuse but don't follow through checking them all or visually verifying all the blades rocked out.


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

Cow said:


> I've seen that a couple times too.
> 
> What I've seen more often is the blades break loose from the switching mechanism and one fuse stays energized.


This is MUCH worse in a medium-voltage switch.......

About 20 years ago, I was involved in replacing a bunch of 4160 Pringle switches because this was happening on a fairly regular basis. No one was ever hurt but looking through the window and seeing one blade still in would make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Cow said:


> I've seen that a couple times too.
> 
> What I've seen more often is the blades break loose from the switching mechanism and one fuse stays energized. A guy really has to watch that, especially if you get in the habit of just checking power on the first fuse but don't follow through checking them all or visually verifying all the blades rocked out.


I check the tops and bottoms, phase to phase and phase to ground. Then I check the wiggy on live power to verify its working.


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)




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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

backstay said:


> I check the tops and bottoms, phase to phase and phase to ground. *Then I check the wiggy on live power* to verify its working.


You don't use a meter to verify voltage isolation?


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

mike883 said:


> I mean the big fuses, like 200A, 400A in the disconnect switch


It depending on what class fuse it is in the large disconnect switch..

I use few differnt type of tools to remove them.

But before you remove any fuse please verify the power source is in correct location because from time to time it will be connected " upside down connection " which it will get ya if not carefull with it.

the tools I use to pull those big arse fuses.,,

A large channellock pliars 

A large oil filter wrench with nylon strap 

J hook soild PVC pipe hanger to pull it out.

plus few other tools that I can use to get it out. 

Again .,,

*VERIFY* the power source to make sure it is dengerized properly before you remove those big fuses.,, especally anything over 480 volts and up.


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

If the fuse is difficult, I resort to C4. 

It's a tad hard on the gear, but that fuse gets blown, for sure. :thumbsup:

&&&

I've spent too much time with new gear to run into troubles with frozen fuses. :whistling2:


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## TRurak (Apr 10, 2016)

Slip a piece of solid #12 behind the fuse and pull ...... It works in a pinch


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## Helmut (May 7, 2014)

TRurak said:


> Slip a piece of solid #12 behind the fuse and pull ...... It works in a pinch


A Piece of romex is tool of choice here.


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

All of the disconnects we use have fuse assist tabs. Makes it super duper easy. Even on the bigger stuff 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Cow said:


> I've seen that a couple times too.
> 
> What I've seen more often is the blades break loose from the switching mechanism and one fuse stays energized. A guy really has to watch that, especially if you get in the habit of just checking power on the first fuse but don't follow through checking them all or visually verifying all the blades rocked out.


This is where the non contact pens shine. The Square D 250 volt ones are notorious for leaving the blades in.


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## B-Nabs (Jun 4, 2014)

Helmut said:


> A Piece of romex is tool of choice here.


I don't often find myself in front of a piece of 200+ A fused gear with a piece of Romex on hand. #12 is usually ubiquitous in my line of work.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

sbrn33 said:


> This is where the non contact pens shine. The Square D 250 volt ones are notorious for leaving the blades in.


I think this is a good place to remind everyone that whether you are using a non contact detector or wiggy or DVM, you should always, always do 
live-dead-live test with it before trusting the reading. I can't count the number of times I accidently hit the wrong button, the battery was dead, or I had the wrong setting on the DVM, and without doing live-dead-live you can easily be dead.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

Cow said:


> I've seen that a couple times too.
> 
> What I've seen more often is the blades break loose from the switching mechanism and one fuse stays energized. A guy really has to watch that, especially if you get in the habit of just checking power on the first fuse but don't follow through checking them all or visually verifying all the blades rocked out.





sbrn33 said:


> This is where the non contact pens shine. The Square D 250 volt ones are notorious for leaving the blades in.


I had this happen to me once and was immediately fired. 
They did not care that the disco was faulty. They felt like I should have paid more attention.
They were right!
480 to ground with channelocks. I think I still have the pair of channelocks.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

glen1971 said:


> You don't use a meter to verify voltage isolation?


Isn't a wiggy a meter?


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

backstay said:


> Isn't a wiggy a meter?


Sorry 'bout that.. I always thought they were more of a solenoid type voltage tester that didn't display the voltages.. Google showed me a couple of pictures of 'em... I've never seen anyone use them up in this neck of the woods...


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

backstay said:


> Isn't a wiggy a meter?


Nope, technically just a tester.


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## markopolo (Aug 17, 2016)

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## markopolo (Aug 17, 2016)

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