# SMH: Things people have told me today **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 12, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smh-things-people-have-told-me-today/1030021 "2026-05-12T16:13:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smh-things-people-have-told-me-today/1030021/41 "2026-05-17T11:38:54Z")
My thought was that the repair people would notify the owner that it must be turned off, and then do so. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smh-things-people-have-told-me-today/1030021/42 "2026-05-17T13:00:09Z")
I’m not 100% sure HVAC people are authorized to disconnect from the house current. They may have to call an electrician to disconnect the unit from the fuse box and then later to connect the new unit to the breakers — guess it depends how many palms need greasing (WHO SAID THAT? My account’s been compromised! 🤣). Either way, the power should be cut before any work is done. You’d think. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smh-things-people-have-told-me-today/1030021/43 "2026-05-17T13:02:15Z")
You usually only have to flip a breaker switch, I would think. I used the word “disconnected” earlier but I mostly meant “circuit switched off”. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smh-things-people-have-told-me-today/1030021/44 "2026-05-17T13:04:28Z")
Yeah, anyone can access my breaker box. For that matter, there’s a giant “off” switch for the house, and anyone can access that, too. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smh-things-people-have-told-me-today/1030021/45 "2026-05-17T13:11:22Z")
The air handler (the thingie outside) is usually wired to a block with a doohickey with these massive contact blades. You pull the block, no power, safe to repair. Apologies for the lame terms I’ve used. You may (or may not) be shocked 🤪 to know how many people need to be called to bring things “up to code.” Some day, I’ll tell you about the rental house we lived in with the major sewer problem. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smh-things-people-have-told-me-today/1030021/46 "2026-05-17T13:15:53Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Yeah, anyone can access my breaker box You’re a naughty girl. 😄 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smh-things-people-have-told-me-today/1030021/47 "2026-05-17T14:23:09Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > You usually only have to flip a breaker switch, I would think. I used the word “disconnected” earlier but I mostly meant “circuit switched off”. Yeah, that’d also be easy enough to switch back on, but I’d hope that it wouldn’t be something that the homeowner would do without thinking about it, like adjusting the thermostat might be. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smh-things-people-have-told-me-today/1030021.md?page=2)