"Androcles" wrote in message
| "Androcles" wrote in message |
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|| "Androcles" wrote in message ||
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|| || On Jun 20, 9:15 am, "Androcles" <
[email protected].
|| 2011> wrote:
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|| > On Jun 20, 12:18 am, "Androcles" <
[email protected].
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| I don't recall all the measurements that I took at the time (about 30
years
| ago) except that the toaster checked out well. It's external metal parts
| were either grounded properly or well insulated from any live parts. The
| problem you suggest is a possibility but the reason that possibility could
| occur is the old non-polarized plugs and no safety ground. I have no
| recollection of this being the case. I vaguely recall measuring a low
| voltage on the fridge and looked for this as I have had some personal
| experience with that happening (in my case, just an annoying tingle on
| touching the handle-- no problem- but a reversed plug (2 prong,
unpolarized)
| plus some insulation leakage appeared to be the case. Looking back, it
may
| have been someone trying to cover their ass legally and the guy died of an
| unassociated heart attack.
|
| As for the electrocution in a tub- it has happened- whether or not it was
| due to wet skin on a salty bag of guts providing a path parallel to the
| water or due to a reaction by the tubbee and direct contact to a grounded
| tap, or to grabbing the heater or radio and lifting it out of the tub,
| making oneself the main part of the path from device to water to ground- I
| have no data on this.
|
So if your better half wants to collect the insurance on you by dropping
the hair dryer into your bathwater I recommend that you stand carefully
without touching anything that might be grounded, leave the hair dryer
to propel itself through the water from its reaction with the jet of water
it will be emitting from its heater, and step out onto the insulated rug.
With a dry towel grasp the plug and pull it from the socket. Next visit
the breaker box, disconnect the supply, return to the bathroom with
a packet of blu-tack and stuff the gunk into socket, thereby preventing
any further use of a replacement hair dryer except in another location.
Next, towel off and get dressed.
If this event has not yet happened, I still recommend the blu-tack in
the socket until such times as the socket is removed and the wall
replastered... unless of course you are planning on collecting the
insurance on your better half, in which case always lock the bathroom
door should you need to bathe.
--------------------------------
Nah- I'll ignore your advice as:
a) note that I have modern wiring which is up to code and provides for
Ground fault protection in the single bathroom outlet.
b)have forced air heating.
c)avoid doing asinine things with electrical apparatus- what should be is
not always what will be.
d)recognize that "one can make things foolproof but not damnfool proof".
(citing Dr. Harle, a long gone EE prof from England who did a good job of
mixing the theoretical and the practical)
e)etc.
f)this topic has been beaten to death.
Don Kelly
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