Home Light Switch challenge

[levittownnick]

I’ve only been shocked a few hundred times. And that coin is two sided. Am I that bad of an electrician or as a wise journeyman told me if ya ain’t getting shocked you ain’t working hard enough. Probably the former but I prefer the later.

1) More people have been killed on 120VAC than all other voltages combined.
2) While I'm am not an electrician, I am an electrical technician and have been for very many years and work with electrical circuits 5 days a week. Neither I or any of the colleagues that I work with get shocked on a weekly, monthly or even an annual basis. If you get shocked on occasion, it is worth considering what needs to be done to avoid that situation.

Sincerely,
Nick

 

[211libwtfo]

1) More people have been killed on 120VAC than all other voltages combined.
2) While I'm am not an electrician, I am an electrical technician and have been for very many years and work with electrical circuits 5 days a week. Neither I or any of the colleagues that I work with get shocked on a weekly, monthly or even an annual basis. If you get shocked on occasion, it is worth considering what needs to be done to avoid that situation.

Sincerely,
Nick

Refer to the previous 2 excuses. And it’s the percentage of people actually working on that voltage is the reason why it’s the highest. How many houses do you know of that have 480vac very few, farms may have it. And it’s not the voltage that kills it’s the amperage, and it only takes .25 of an amp to cause death. And furthermore the times I’ve been shocked the most is whilst working in a residential situation. I’ve been shocked by 277vac and it hurts really bad. And I’ve almost been killed by 480vac several times thank goodness for fluke meters.
And really it comes down to laziness, which I have plenty of. As far as avoiding the situation all I have to say is I ain’t skerd!!!!

 

[NYBo]

There is NO neutral in a 3-way switching circuit...so YES white is often used as one of the travelers. I use red and white for travelers if it is a switch leg FROM light fixture. I use red and black travelers if it is a feed through TO the light fixture. This is my way of knowing what type of circuit it is if I have to go back later on to troubleshoot. It appears that the his circuit is a switch leg as in post #24.

Doesn't code require that a white conductor being used as a hot be recolored some way (tape, marker?) to black to indicate its status?

 

[bigdee]

Doesn't code require that a white conductor being used as a hot be recolored some way (tape, marker?) to black to indicate its status?

Yes in most cases.....travelers in a single cable between 3 way switches is self explanatory.

 

[bigdee]

1) More people have been killed on 120VAC than all other voltages combined.
2) While I'm am not an electrician, I am an electrical technician and have been for very many years and work with electrical circuits 5 days a week. Neither I or any of the colleagues that I work with get shocked on a weekly, monthly or even an annual basis. If you get shocked on occasion, it is worth considering what needs to be done to avoid that situation.

Sincerely,
Nick

True because that is the most common voltage people come in contact with BUT the higher the voltage, the greater the danger of it being lethal!

 

[levittownnick]

Refer to the previous 2 excuses. And it’s the percentage of people actually working on that voltage is the reason why it’s the highest. How many houses do you know of that have 480vac very few, farms may have it. And it’s not the voltage that kills it’s the amperage, and it only takes .25 of an amp to cause death. And furthermore the times I’ve been shocked the most is whilst working in a residential situation. I’ve been shocked by 277vac and it hurts really bad. And I’ve almost been killed by 480vac several times thank goodness for fluke meters.
And really it comes down to laziness, which I have plenty of. As far as avoiding the situation all I have to say is I ain’t skerd!!!!

I'm sure that you are correct as for the percentages of people working on the different voltages but it also has to due with respect for the situation. Someone gets a shock on a 120V circuit without severe consequences and they assume that will always be the case, but that is far from reality, it more depends on the current path through them and the conditions (how well connected they were) than anything else. As far as the current available, even on the weakest circuit if there is enough voltage, there is enough current. A 1-Amp circuit has at least 4 times the 0.25A you stated. In general, circuits less than 35V will not supply a lethal amount of current because of the body's resistance but up the voltage and beware. Be SAFE so your family wount be Sorry.

 

[bruceb58]

Agree with levittownnick If you have been shocked a few hundred times, time to start another line of work. Our company electrician was found dead after working on a circuit he probably thought was off. 2 kids and a wife left behind.

 

[MTboatguy]

Heck, I got zapped the other day working on my camera and all it had was 2 AA batteries and a capacitor, sucker nailed me, finger has been numb for over a week now and the skin is peeling!

:faint2:

 

[levittownnick]

Heck, I got zapped the other day working on my camera and all it had was 2 AA batteries and a capacitor, sucker nailed me, finger has been numb for over a week now and the skin is peeling!

:faint2:

Something appears missing from this scenario, 2 AA batteries and a capacitor by them self should not be enough voltage to even be detected by the human body. Were you dealing with a strobe light that has a voltage step-up circuit?

 

[MTboatguy]

Something appears missing from this scenario, 2 AA batteries and a capacitor by them self should not be enough voltage to even be detected by the human body. Were you dealing with a strobe light that has a voltage step-up circuit?

The cap is what charges up to drive the flash on the camera, when I worked in the camera business years ago, it was common to get zapped by them, but this one caught me off guard.

 

[levittownnick]

The "cap" stores the charge, there has to be some circuit (a DC to DC converter) that boosts the voltage up and is stored in the cap to be applied to the strobe. If the markings on the cap are visible, look for the voltage rating of the cap to get an idea of how high that voltage is. The actual voltage will be a little less than the rating of the cap.

 

[bigdee]

The cap is what charges up to drive the flash on the camera, when I worked in the camera business years ago, it was common to get zapped by them, but this one caught me off guard.

Isn't it amazing how much energy those things store? I had a cheap one short out and it sounded like someone fired a rifle beside my head. I also took one apart to salvage parts and it hit me like a stun gun in one quick violent jolt!

 

[southkogs]

That little whistling sound while the camera flash is spooling up is easy to forget! I got tagged once screwing around with my old Vivitar flash.

I think that one used a capacitor, but there are a few ways to boost up the power in a camera flash.

 

[redneck joe]

my buddy who is an lifetime electrician is stopping by on his way home tonight. 2 beers and a $20 usually get it done...

 

[211libwtfo]

Agree with levittownnick If you have been shocked a few hundred times, time to start another line of work. Our company electrician was found dead after working on a circuit he probably thought was off. 2 kids and a wife left behind.

Yea I wish I had that silver spoon or independently wealthy were I could jus up and quit this meal ticket but fortunately enough I’ve been sucking on that government teet for awhile now and very rarely do much work let alone getting in a spot to get lite up.

 

[211libwtfo]

my buddy who is an lifetime electrician is stopping by on his way home tonight. 2 beers and a $20 usually get it done...

Well what was the verdict with the long time electrician

 

[bruceb58]

Yea I wish I had that silver spoon or independently wealthy were I could jus up and quit this meal ticket but fortunately enough I’ve been sucking on that government teet for awhile now and very rarely do much work let alone getting in a spot to get lite up.

Apparently, getting lit up in the past affects spelling.

 

[levittownnick]

Yea I wish I had that silver spoon or independently wealthy were I could jus up and quit this meal ticket but fortunately enough I’ve been sucking on that government teet for awhile now and very rarely do much work let alone getting in a spot to get lite up.

A man gotta do what a man gotta do but way more carefully. We only go around once, make it as long as possible. Try the carpenter rule "Measure twice, cut once".measure=think

 

[dwco5051]

I am willing to bet that I am not the only one that has one or two pairs of dikes stuffed away in their tool box that can now double as wire strippers.

 

[bigdee]

I am willing to bet that I am not the only one that has one or two pairs of dikes stuffed away in their tool box that can now double as wire strippers.

Yup I have too. Happened on low voltage residential work being too complacent. Higher voltage commercial/industrial work demanded that I use safety procedures that prevent that from happening. Don't get away with just a notch on your wire cutter when working on medium (<600 volts) and high (>600 volts).