Rant: A line guy in Anchorage told me to always check the pitot heat with a current probe, not just the switch.

He said 'The switch can click and the breaker can look fine, but you need to see the actual draw.' Has anyone else had a pitot system pass a basic ops check but fail under load?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.jana15d ago

Honestly, how many times have we all just flipped the switch and called it good? That line guy is totally right. It’s one of those things you don’t think about until it bites you. A switch can feel fine and the breaker isn’t popped, but if there’s a broken wire or a bad connection, it won’t pull the amps it needs. Makes you wonder what else we should be checking with a meter instead of just trusting the panel.

miles_young5915d ago

Wait, they told you that in Anchorage? That's wild! So the breaker can look totally normal but it's not actually pulling power?

the_jessica14d ago

Ever think about what happens if the meter reading is fine but the load itself is bad? Could have voltage but no current if the motor or element is fried. Means you're still hunting for the problem.