[AT] OT: Lucky break and a very lucky break.

[charlie hill]

My air conditioning went out today.  I could tell by the way it was trying 
to start
and failing that it was something to do with the start capacitor.  Well I 
just replaced
that a few months ago so I was figuring I got a bad one.  I disconnected the 
power,
pulled the cover off and thought myself lucky to find that one of the wire 
connectors
that fastened a wire to the capacitor had corroded and burned into.  No 
problem, I can
fix that.  I grounded out the capacitor for safety reasons,  pulled the old 
connector off
the lug, put a new connector on the cleaned up wire and stuck it back on the 
capacitor.
What's this ..... a big spark.  Turns out I had not grounded out the 
capacitor.  I attempted
to but apparently my screw driver didn't find a good ground when I did it.
That's what I mean by a very lucky break.  I could have been badly shocked 
and maybe even
injured.  Just by fate I didn't hit the lug on the capacitor with my hand in 
the process.
Well, not exactly luck because I'm always careful around electricity but I 
could have accidentally
hit it.

Just a reminder to myself and everyone else to be careful and check twice.
Yes the AC fired off and runs fine now.  Cost me about a dime.
Wonder what that would have cost me if I'd called the service rep?

Charlie