Corrosion on the cable fooled my test meter

In summary: I'm not sure now... but I'm guessing that Tesla coils don't count.In summary, a person's arms can be injured after being shocked by electricity. They also have experienced other electrical accidents.
  • #1
wolram
Gold Member
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Yes i had two today, one was because corrosion on the cable fooled my test
meter, the other was because a door swich knob was not in mechanical
contact with the switch, two in one day is just not fair, i must be getting
sloppy, as i have only had two others in my life ,but then i must be lucky as
everything is wet where i work.
Have you had one and lived to tell the story?
 
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  • #2
My son and I were working on one of our cars, I didn't notice he had connected the battery in a test mode, and my wrench hit the wire. :eek: I couldn't let go of the wrench, so my son pushed me to the ground. My arm hurt right down to the bone for a week after.
We now have a series of verbal checks, before connecting anything to power.
 
  • #3
hypatia said:
My son and I were working on one of our cars, I didn't notice he had connected the battery in a test mode, and my wrench hit the wire. :eek: I couldn't let go of the wrench, so my son pushed me to the ground. My arm hurt right down to the bone for a week after.
We now have a series of verbal checks, before connecting anything to power.

Yes it does hurt :cry: but i seem able to recover quite quickly.
 
  • #4
Am I the only one here not clumsy enough to get shocked?

but one time, I bought one of those shock pens. And my friend throught it was a good idea to press the button into the electrical outlet. you can imagine how that turned out.
 
  • #5
I have taken...either 250,000 or 500,000 volts before, I'm not sure now... but I'm guessing that Tesla coils don't count. :biggrin:

Was once bitten by a spark plug wire. This is really a good bit to remember. If you checking spark plug wires, don't lean over the car from the side, with your the area below the waist in contact with the car, and then grab a wire. If you have a bad plug, the circuit will seek ground through, guess what? That's 20,000 - 30,000 volts, boys.

Bitten by 110VAC, and spark plugs numerous times.

The closest call that I have ever had at work involved a 480 Volt, 3 phase, 200 amp service for a CAT Scanner. This was a mobile scanner parked at a private clinic, and I went inside and turned off the power to check the main plug for something... I don't remember what anymore... but they didn't have any kind of lockout. And, of course, someone didn't get the word. While I was into the receptacle with my screw driver, someone inside turned the power back on. The screwdriver was in direct contact with at least one leg of power, and luckily it was in also direct contact with ground. So in addition to the explosion in my face, the screwdriver pretty much vaporized with me still holding the handle. Of course, I ALWAYS wear my safety goggles, so my eyes were protected from the molten metal. And I did get a few burns as I recall. But I didn't get shocked.
 
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  • #6
One time my boyfriend had the bright idea to put a cheap-bought multimeter in the electric outlet, to see whether the multimeter would give a reading. I was working on a presentation I had to give the next day and warned him NOT to put the thing in the outlet, he would either get shocked so that I'd have to call the paramedics, or it would blow the fuse so that I could say goodbye to my presentation.

Ofcourse the curiosity took the best of him and he inserted the multimeter in the wall.. WHOOSH.. all the lights went out and I was sitting in the light of my desktop screen that switched to battery mode. THANKfully he didn't get shocked! The next worry was whether there were any new fuses, I had already lighted some candles to read the papers I would be presenting on, luckily it was a switch fuse so my BAD mood disappeared when the lights came on again :rolleyes:

The only time I got shocked was when I tried to pet some horses that were standing in a field and leaned on the (electric)fencing to reach them.. ouch.
 
  • #7
I took ~15,000V off a bare HT lead once, I was trying to wiggle it onto the top of a spark plug when my mate decided it would be a good idea to turn the engine over. Won't do that again, my arm was spazzed out for about an hour.
 
  • #8
I shorted 500VDC to ground through my little finger. It left a pretty good burn at the exit.
 
  • #9
Monique said:
The only time I got shocked was when I tried to pet some horses that were standing in a field and leaned on the (electric)fencing to reach them.. ouch.

Fun, huh! :tongue2:

We have used a lot of that around here. BTW, many animals learn to tell when its on. If there was any kind of problem with the system, at the least, the goats and dogs, and I'm told horses can tell. As near as I can tell they smell the wire. Could they be sensitive to ozone? It does look more like they smell it, rather than sensing a tingle. They don't get close enough from what I've seen. But there is no doubt about it. I have watched the goats and at least one dog test and test and test, and when the fence went off or failed, within almost no time, those animals would escape. Of course, with the other two dogs, I actually took the fence down and they still wouldn't cross the line! :rolleyes:
 
  • #10
I had goats that jumped through an electric fence between the pulses. The control box gave an audible click every time the electric pulsed through, and I suspect they could just hear the click. The pulse would go through, and then they'd climb through with plenty of time before the next click...except one I caught halfway through that stopped when I startled it and gave quite a bleat when she didn't get back out in time.
 
  • #11
Moonbear said:
I had goats that jumped through an electric fence between the pulses. The control box gave an audible click every time the electric pulsed through, and I suspect they could just hear the click.

I wouldn't think that applies in many cases. Here, at times they may be as far as 500-700 feet away as from the control box. And...there is a New Zealand produced zapper used for sheep [that will literally put you on your knees] that an acquaintance of ours used. It makes no sound, but I know that his sheep would test the fence and escape as well. But some of these fences stretch for miles. It couldn't all be sound from the box.
 
  • #12
I've had a couple very minor shocks but definitely not anything like what you people are talking about.
 
  • #13
Moonbear said:
I had goats that jumped through an electric fence between the pulses. The control box gave an audible click every time the electric pulsed through, and I suspect they could just hear the click. The pulse would go through, and then they'd climb through with plenty of time before the next click...except one I caught halfway through that stopped when I startled it and gave quite a bleat when she didn't get back out in time.

You have a farm, are you a country girl?
 
  • #14
By IVAN

The closest call that I have ever had at work involved a 480 Volt, 3 phase, 200 amp service for a CAT Scanner. This was a mobile scanner parked at a private clinic, and I went inside and turned off the power to check the main plug for something... I don't remember what anymore... but they didn't have any kind of lockout. And, of course, someone didn't get the word. While I was into the receptacle with my screw driver, someone inside turned the power back on. The screwdriver was in direct contact with at least one leg of power, and luckily it was in also direct contact with ground. So in addition to the explosion in my face, the screwdriver pretty much vaporized with me still holding the handle. Of course, I ALWAYS wear my safety goggles, so my eyes were protected from the molten metal. And I did get a few burns as I recall. But I didn't get shocked.

Methinks you need a new job away from electro mechanical devices, buildings
etc, have you ever thought about sheepherding
 
  • #15
wolram said:
Methinks you need a new job away from electro mechanical devices, buildings etc, have you ever thought about sheepherding

No, my record is perfect wrt work, but I realize that you Brits think about sheep alot.
 
  • #16
By IVAN
but I realize that you Brits think about sheep alot.

This is true, but they seem to be disappearing and oil seed
rape taking there place :yuck:
 
  • #17
wolram said:
You have a farm, are you a country girl?
I don't have a farm, I work on research farms...or did...and will again in 2 months (my PhD was done in an Animal Science department). :biggrin: Actually, with this next move, I think I will officially be a country girl too...I don't think there's much room for city slickers in West Virginia. :rofl:
 
  • #18
Moonbear said:
I don't have a farm, I work on research farms...or did...and will again in 2 months (my PhD was done in an Animal Science department). :biggrin: Actually, with this next move, I think I will officially be a country girl too...I don't think there's much room for city slickers in West Virginia. :rofl:

Some of you americans seem to lead a nomadic life, how do you feel about
your moove, will you miss friends, how do you find homes at such short
notice, anyway i hope you like your new home.
 
  • #19
wolram said:
Some of you americans seem to lead a nomadic life, how do you feel about
your moove, will you miss friends, how do you find homes at such short
notice, anyway i hope you like your new home.
Academics definitely live a nomadic life. I haven't had time to make many friends here, and most of the ones I do have are moving too since we work together. I hate having to move so often (I used to like it; it was fun getting to live different places and meet different people, but now I'm getting too old for it and just want to settle down and stay put). It's not hard to find places to live on short notice, mostly because other people need to sell on short notice too.

Well, I'm just inside briefly and then heading back out to our neighborhood shocking story...I currently have power or phone lines (don't know which at the moment) draped across my driveway; the rest are in the street...we had one heck of a storm whip through here a few hours ago and took out half the tree in the yard across the street. They're the ones without power or phones right now; I don't know if they'll have to cut mine at some point to do the pole work. Since the tree is across their neighbor's driveway and car, as soon as the lines are disconnected, they need to get it removed, so I've offered to lend a hand as soon as we can get out and do that.

Oops...power company is heading for the pole, so I better send and disconnect just in case.
 
  • #20
What was your thesis? Maybe I'll check your journal.

I got the nastiest shock of my life about four days ago. Off the electric starter on the gas cooktop - Ouch!
 
  • #21
Summer Session 2 starts up on Tuesday where I work. I am teaching Electric Circuits. There is a lab component.

Please keep your fingers crossed that I don't lose any students. :eek:
 
  • #22
Tom Mattson said:
Summer Session 2 starts up on Tuesday where I work. I am teaching Electric Circuits. There is a lab component.

Please keep your fingers crossed that I don't lose any students. :eek:
:bugeye: Killing students isn't a good way to get tenure. :rofl:



Ugh, the next storm just hit, so I'm back inside. At least the power company got the lines reconnected and got the phone and cable lines tied out of the way (phone company is going to take another day or two to come out, but I can get out of my driveway tomorrow at least). Looks like the car under the tree is okay. Need to wait for daylight to determine if it has any scratches, but it seems it only got the light top branches lying on it. Tomorrow is the trash pick-up, so we were doing the best we could to try to get as much of the tree cut down to size for pick-up tomorrow, but this storm has thwarted progress. So, we're all done for the night.
 
  • #23
Tom Mattson said:
Summer Session 2 starts up on Tuesday where I work. I am teaching Electric Circuits. There is a lab component.

Please keep your fingers crossed that I don't lose any students. :eek:

Rubber is what you need Tom, rubber gloves rubber matts and rubber nickers
for the faint hearted.
 
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  • #24
so we were doing the best we could to try to get as much of the tree cut down to size for pick-up tomorrow, but this storm has thwarted progress. So, we're all done for the night.

Aw shucks, poor you, now be careful cutting that tree up, i wouldn't want
you to get splinters.
 
  • #25
Last summer I was staying in a rental house. Came back from the beach wearing thongs, turned the shower on took off the thongs and hopped in. I felt a bit tingly but didn't think anything of it until I bumped into the shower tap and got a hell of a shock. Electrician found something shorting through the tap and I am lucky I was wearing thongs when I turned the tap on because it didn't even set off the safety switch.
 
  • #26
Kazza_765 said:
Last summer I was staying in a rental house. Came back from the beach wearing thongs, turned the shower on took off the thongs and hopped in. I felt a bit tingly but didn't think anything of it until I bumped into the shower tap and got a hell of a shock. Electrician found something shorting through the tap and I am lucky I was wearing thongs when I turned the tap on because it didn't even set off the safety switch.

Wow, i hope that electrician gave your earthing and the safety trips a real good check out, What are," thongs" ?
 
  • #27
wolram said:
What are," thongs" ?
I'm guessing flip-flops and not a tanga :smile:
 
  • #28
Monique said:
I'm guessing flip-flops and not a tanga :smile:

Now i am really confused, what the eky thump is a tanga? may be i should
google.
 
  • #29
Tanga = panties?
 
  • #30
g-string, it would have been shocking if kazza had worn that to the beach :wink:
 
  • #31
wolram:
If you absolutely want to find out what a thong is, here's a link:
http://www.wyzman.com/en/underwear/thongs.asp [Broken]
 
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  • #32
Monique said:
g-string, it would have been shocking if kazza had worn that to the beach :wink:

Oh, i must get out more, or start watching TV again.
 
  • #33
arildno said:
wolram:
If you absolutely want to find out what a thong is, here's a link:
http://www.wyzman.com/en/underwear/thongs.asp [Broken]

Instruments of torture, how can they wear those things.
 
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  • #34
wolram said:
Instruments of torture, how can they wear those things.
Really?
They look rather expandable.
 
  • #35
arildno said:
Really?
They look rather expandable.

Cough, cough, um, er,
:blushing:
 

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