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  3. Electrical Engineering Question [modified]

Electrical Engineering Question [modified]

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  • W wizardzz

    This shit shack was built in the 1880's, mostly held up by paint, wall papers, and asbestos.

    "I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.

    OriginalGriffO Offline
    OriginalGriffO Offline
    OriginalGriff
    wrote on last edited by
    #26

    You forgot to mention that the only reason it is still standing is that the woodworm are all holding hands...

    Real men don't use instructions. They are only the manufacturers opinion on how to put the thing together. Manfred R. Bihy: "Looks as if OP is learning resistant."

    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
    "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

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    • R Roger Wright

      wizardzz wrote:

      mostly held up by paint, wall papers, and asbestos

      Don't forget the spider webs... very strong, very important in older houses!

      Will Rogers never met me.

      W Offline
      W Offline
      wizardzz
      wrote on last edited by
      #27

      Stalactites and stalagmites, I can assume we have those, too.

      "I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.

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      • L LittleYellowBird

        Rage wrote:

        FTFY

        FTFY FFS! :rolleyes: I blame it on a lack of chocolate or other coco based products! :-D

        Ali

        R Offline
        R Offline
        Rage
        wrote on last edited by
        #28

        Lack of chocolate ? If I read correctly below, I see that some digestive chocolates have passed away discretely in your stomach... Did you mean cocoa, or are you also a coconut fan ?

        L 1 Reply Last reply
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        • W wizardzz

          So I have had a leaky bathroom for 4+ years, last time the landlord fixed it, I called because water was coming out of the electrical socket. Now, about 2 months later, there is a crackling sound coming from the socket, and I think water is leaking into it. I called the landlord and left a message, I also called the city and they will send an inspector sometime soon. They told me that if I see or smell smoke, to call the fire department. I'm at work, but Miss Wizardzz is home, is there any other precaution to take besides cutting the breaker to the bathroom? Can this kind of short cause a nasty fire within the wall? update: I'm not home, but Miss W is too afraid of spiders to go to the breaker switch in the basement. The crackling has stopped. Landlord is sending "electrician" now (which likely means unlicensed, non English speaking brother of their "plumber").

          "I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.

          modified on Thursday, September 1, 2011 10:27 AM

          D Offline
          D Offline
          David Crow
          wrote on last edited by
          #29

          wizardzz wrote:

          Landlord is sending "electrician" now (which likely means unlicensed, non English speaking brother of their "plumber").

          Even though you do not own the home, your paying rent does give you certain rights. One of those being that you can request only a licensed and insured electrician do any and all electrical work. If the person that the landlord sends over is both, you'll just have to deal with it. Otherwise, find your own qualified electrican that the landlord also agree with.

          "One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson

          "Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons

          "Some people are making such thorough preparation for rainy days that they aren't enjoying today's sunshine." - William Feather

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          • H hairy_hats

            I read somewhere sometime that more people die from accidental electrocutions in the US than the UK because the lower 110V mains supply doesn't give you such a jolt.

            L Offline
            L Offline
            Lost User
            wrote on last edited by
            #30

            Voltage does not actually cause the deaths but the Amps. It takes about 100mA to stop your heart. Granted Voltage and Current are proportionally connected, the fact is High Voltage does not mean death (resistance could also be very high, different wirring etc.) There are devices out there that actually run on extremly high voltages but have virtually no current capability and are therefore harmless (other than they may give you a 'shock').

            Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.

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            • N Nagy Vilmos

              That is very bad advice. But funny on so many levels. :laugh:


              Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett

              S Offline
              S Offline
              S Houghtelin
              wrote on last edited by
              #31

              If it weren't for bad advice, bad ideas and folks willing to implement either, there really wouldn't be much to laugh at. Or funniest videos TV shows. :laugh:

              It was broke, so I fixed it.

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              • R Rage

                Lack of chocolate ? If I read correctly below, I see that some digestive chocolates have passed away discretely in your stomach... Did you mean cocoa, or are you also a coconut fan ?

                L Offline
                L Offline
                LittleYellowBird
                wrote on last edited by
                #32

                Rage wrote:

                I see that some digestive chocolates have passed away discretely in your stomach...

                No! He kept them all for himself, not a single digestive biscuit has arrived on my desk! Tsk, tsk! :mad:

                Rage wrote:

                Did you mean cocoa, or are you also a coconut fan ?

                Of course I meant coco, I was thinking of a chocolate covered coconut treat type thingy ... obviously I wouldn't make another mistake, again wood I? ;)

                Ali

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                • A Albert Holguin

                  Breaker is supposed to help prevent a fire due to a short, assuming it works correctly and the wires are the correct size (a lot of assumptions)... but I wouldn't risk it. Turn off the power until it gets checked out.

                  B Offline
                  B Offline
                  Bert Mitton
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #33

                  The house is from the 19th century, and the landlord apparently sucks. By now the breaker box is more coins then actual breakers. But believe me, you my sympathy Wizz. We're trying to get out of a place like that ourselves.

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                  • L Lost User

                    Voltage does not actually cause the deaths but the Amps. It takes about 100mA to stop your heart. Granted Voltage and Current are proportionally connected, the fact is High Voltage does not mean death (resistance could also be very high, different wirring etc.) There are devices out there that actually run on extremly high voltages but have virtually no current capability and are therefore harmless (other than they may give you a 'shock').

                    Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.

                    P Offline
                    P Offline
                    puromtec1
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #34

                    Would the 60 hertz frequency (in the US) mean there is less time that the current is being applied compared to 50 herts (rest of the world?), causing less harm to a person in the path?

                    S L L 3 Replies Last reply
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                    • H hairy_hats

                      I read somewhere sometime that more people die from accidental electrocutions in the US than the UK because the lower 110V mains supply doesn't give you such a jolt.

                      P Offline
                      P Offline
                      PaulPrice
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #35

                      V = I*R or V / I = R If the voltage is lower, the current has to be higher and it is current that kills. The 415 stuff is 3 phase and bloody leathal. As for the original post, it is usually illegal to have power sockets etc in your bathroom. The biggest risk (unless you use the socket of course) will be fire. Hence if it crackles, call the fire brigade. I would find the ring main this is on and isolate it, I would then follow this up by slapping the landlord. Have fun, stay safe

                      Just racking up the postings

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                      • P puromtec1

                        Would the 60 hertz frequency (in the US) mean there is less time that the current is being applied compared to 50 herts (rest of the world?), causing less harm to a person in the path?

                        S Offline
                        S Offline
                        S Houghtelin
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #36

                        Anyway you look at it, you complete the path to ground, it hertz. :(

                        It was broke, so I fixed it.

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                        • P PaulPrice

                          V = I*R or V / I = R If the voltage is lower, the current has to be higher and it is current that kills. The 415 stuff is 3 phase and bloody leathal. As for the original post, it is usually illegal to have power sockets etc in your bathroom. The biggest risk (unless you use the socket of course) will be fire. Hence if it crackles, call the fire brigade. I would find the ring main this is on and isolate it, I would then follow this up by slapping the landlord. Have fun, stay safe

                          Just racking up the postings

                          S Offline
                          S Offline
                          S Houghtelin
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #37

                          PaulPrice wrote:

                          If the voltage is lower, the current has to be higher and it is current that kills

                          Keep in mind that adding water, especially water with conductive properties (i.e. salt or other impurities increasing the conductivity) means “R” decreases and voltage staying the same, means “I” current, goes up.

                          It was broke, so I fixed it.

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                          • N Nagy Vilmos

                            That is very bad advice. But funny on so many levels. :laugh:


                            Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett

                            G Offline
                            G Offline
                            GenJerDan
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #38

                            But if you turn everything else on throughout the house, there won't be any electricity left in the wires going to the bad outlet. It's just like when you're taking a shower and your wife turns on the washing machine and the hot water in the shower goes away. I thought everyone knew that.

                            Just like that old Carly Simon song... "You're so funny, You probably think this joke is about you" My Mu[sic] My Films My Windows Programs, etc.

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                            • P PaulPrice

                              V = I*R or V / I = R If the voltage is lower, the current has to be higher and it is current that kills. The 415 stuff is 3 phase and bloody leathal. As for the original post, it is usually illegal to have power sockets etc in your bathroom. The biggest risk (unless you use the socket of course) will be fire. Hence if it crackles, call the fire brigade. I would find the ring main this is on and isolate it, I would then follow this up by slapping the landlord. Have fun, stay safe

                              Just racking up the postings

                              D Offline
                              D Offline
                              Dan Neely
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #39

                              The only restriction in the US NEC is that outlets be GFCI[^] type and disconnect themselves when a short is detected. Again speaking nationally (local codes can be more strict) there's no requirement to refit old construction every time the NEC is updated; and I don't know how old the requirement is. IIRC my parents house with 1930's vintage wiring didn't have GFCI until my Dad installed them when rewiring the house.

                              Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

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                              • P puromtec1

                                Would the 60 hertz frequency (in the US) mean there is less time that the current is being applied compared to 50 herts (rest of the world?), causing less harm to a person in the path?

                                L Offline
                                L Offline
                                Lost User
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #40

                                Well it would matter if you were able to grab and let go (although if the current is high is will not let you) in under 1/300th of a second (since that is the difference). Length of exposure does matter but this difference is for the most part neglegable. Furthermore after a few cycles (5 US, 6 for the 50Hz) I believe the RMS (root mean square) will be the same (amp exposure).

                                Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.

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                                • P puromtec1

                                  Would the 60 hertz frequency (in the US) mean there is less time that the current is being applied compared to 50 herts (rest of the world?), causing less harm to a person in the path?

                                  L Offline
                                  L Offline
                                  Luc Pattyn
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #41

                                  No. The integral of a squared sine does not depend on its frequency, assuming an integral number of oscillations is considered. :)

                                  Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum

                                  S 1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • L Luc Pattyn

                                    No. The integral of a squared sine does not depend on its frequency, assuming an integral number of oscillations is considered. :)

                                    Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum

                                    S Offline
                                    S Offline
                                    S Houghtelin
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #42

                                    It is not necessary to tabulate the values of sin x between pi and 2pi radians (or 180 to 360 degrees), for these values are negative but equal in magnitude to the sines of the angles between 0 and pi radians (or 0 to 180 degrees). Does that clear it up a bit?

                                    It was broke, so I fixed it.

                                    L 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • S S Houghtelin

                                      It is not necessary to tabulate the values of sin x between pi and 2pi radians (or 180 to 360 degrees), for these values are negative but equal in magnitude to the sines of the angles between 0 and pi radians (or 0 to 180 degrees). Does that clear it up a bit?

                                      It was broke, so I fixed it.

                                      L Offline
                                      L Offline
                                      Luc Pattyn
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #43

                                      S Houghtelin wrote:

                                      Does that clear it up a bit?

                                      No. I referred to a sine square (which is what matters when AC power or energy is in play), and that is always positive; over an integral number of oscillations, the integral does not depend on frequency, hence the answer to the original Q is also: No. :|

                                      Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum

                                      P 1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • L Luc Pattyn

                                        S Houghtelin wrote:

                                        Does that clear it up a bit?

                                        No. I referred to a sine square (which is what matters when AC power or energy is in play), and that is always positive; over an integral number of oscillations, the integral does not depend on frequency, hence the answer to the original Q is also: No. :|

                                        Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum

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                                        P Offline
                                        puromtec1
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #44

                                        thanks

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