Trailblazer

The newer alloys are definetly better. However, cold flow over time can be a problem. All conductor termininations should be torqued to specifications whenever you access them, especially aluminum. The loose connections overheat and affect breaker operation as well as isulation.

That's nothing compared to improperly applied motors and low efficiency motors. Your talking about $8.00 per year per capita, and lost of that waste is in commercial and industrial applications. How do you like the Chicago Electrical Code!

All of those posts have been good. But for those of you who work on higher voltage systems there is the further danger of arc flash. Do a Google search for arc flash and corect your habits NOW. Square D, Littlefuse, Bussman, OSHA.gov, NEMA.org and others all have papers some have calculators.

I assume you mean that you have access to the terminals at the back of the outlet. Of course the voltage is still there. The same as if you took the GFCI out of the circuit and tested the wires. If the circuit is fed from a GCFI circuit breaker there would be no voltage at any receptacle in the circuit when the CB has tripped.

The NEC does not permit fuses in neutrals or in the grounding conductor. The fundamental principal is to keep the neutral(grounded conductor) and the grounding conductors at ground protential. If either of them is disconnected without simultaneously opening all phases, there will be a voltage between many parts of the system and the earth. In addition the neutral and grounding conductor(s) carry fault current during phase to ground faults. If is is diconnected there is no path and phase protection may not function. NEC 2005 and earlier "240.22 Grounded Conductor No overcurrent device shall be connected in series with any conductor that is intentionally grounded, unless one of the following two conditions is met: (1) The overcurrent device opens all conductors of the circuit, including the grounded conductor, and is designed so that no pole can operate independently." See also NEC Paragraph 240.4 General Requirements for grounding and bonding. Fusing a neutral is a big NO-NO.