# Electricity



## faber307 (Jan 22, 2007)

*Electricity* 


1. Have you ever been shocked? Yes Sir

2. Voltage level? 120 and 277

3. AC or DC? AC and DC

4. Burned or other injury? Charllie Horse

5. Admitted to a hospital? NO

6. How/Why? Silly youngster. 

277v hit was on snow melt control box outside, wet boots, wet ground, bad insulation on needle nose. Through right hand down right side to right foot. DAMN that hurt. But luckily never again with 277v.

DC was from spark plug on my mini bike as a kid. That didn't feel very good either!


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yup, but I'm not exactly proud of it. Customers seem to have an overwhelming need to ask me all the time. I bite my tongue, but I have the urge to ask them to tell me about how they could have died. 

2. Voltage level? 120, 277, and 600

3. AC or DC? ac

4. Burned or other injury? yup

5. Admitted to a hospital? yup

6. How/Why? breathing problems, a-fib


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yes

2. Voltage level? 120

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? Charley horse

5. Admitted to a hospital? No

6. How/Why? Usually complacency. When working over 120, take more care.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Just remember more people die from 120 VAC than any other level. But then it (120) is more prevalent.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

From my incidents, I have learned to just not get in such a freaking hurry. Blasting through familiar tasks seems like the thing to do sometimes, until you get bit.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Marc: In each and everyone of the cases (yes plural) I have been involved in that was the problem.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I have heard, however, that more electricians are injured from falls than by electricity. I personally know at least a half-dozen (former) electricians that are seriously screwed up from falls from various heights. I've had a couple of my own. One, from an 8 foot stepladder that collapsed out from under me (defective ladder), and once I was crawled in, sitting on top of some large duct work inside a drop ceiling, to make up a box and the duct work pulled apart and came crashing down through the ceiling with me on top. That was 16 feet. Another time was just a mis-step in a motel attic, and I came through the drywall in the corridor. Got my ribs skinned up pretty good as I came down through the trusses. Not bragging... just stating the facts. I'm not proud of any of this stuff, but it's therapeutic somehow to get it out.


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## Mountain Electrician (Jan 22, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yes 

2. Voltage level? 120, 240, 277

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? Muscle cramps

5. Admitted to a hospital? No

6. How/Why? Testing 480V welding recep with my Wiggy, the insulation one one lead was skinned.


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## John (Jan 22, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yes 

2. Voltage level? 120 alot, 240, 480, 4160(long story)

3. AC or DC? both 

4. Burned or other injury? Chemical burn one time while working in a suspended ceiling in a hi-tech manufacturing plant. Plus I fell through the ceiling trying to get out of the ceiling. Ended up with an acid burn on my arm and a broken foot.

5. Admitted to a hospital? yes 

6. How/Why?


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## frank (Feb 6, 2007)

1 Have you ever been shocked? Yes

2. Voltage level.230 and 415

3 Ac or DC? AC

4 Burn or injury. Yes. Thrown against wall 15' away.

5 Admitted to hospital. NO. Probable Psychiatric Institution. Should have

6 How and Why. All from working live or not checking if dead.


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## HCECalaska (Mar 21, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? yes.. almost a silly question for an electrician. 

2. Voltage level? 120,480,7500(neon transformer) the 480 hurt the most, but the 120 was the closest for a life ending event dang damp crawl spaces.
3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? just hurt my pride

5. Admitted to a hospital? no

6. How/Why? my worst was a service all to repair/replace low voltage lighting system RR9 relays. the control panel was in the crawl space and there was no labels on any of the relays. the lady of the house was in her mid 80's and very hard of hearing. i asked her to just keep pushing the light switch that wasnt working because this would cause the relay to vibrate so i could identify it (trouble shooting tip) she did this and i found the bad relay. i grabed my lineman pliers and was going to cut the hot wire and cap it so i could replace the relay.. when i cut the wire my finger had slid upon the metal of my linemans. and the combonation of my finger on the meatal of my cutters and the damp dirt of the crawl space lite me up. i was hung up and all i wanted to do was pull my hand away. and i finaly broke free and sat there trying to get my wits back to me when the lady of the house came to the crawl space stuck her head down in the hole and asked "what happened did you get shocked?" i told her yes i did why? she said "well than its ok for what you said" even to this day i dont know what i said. but what ever it was i said it loud enough that an 80+ year old woman heard it from the crawl space, and she wouldnt repeat it.


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## InControl (Mar 20, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yep

2. Voltage level? 120VAC only!

4. Burned or other injury? Nope

6. How/Why? Carelessness


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## jason007 (Apr 14, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked ?yes

2. Voltage level? 120,240,277

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury?just a lil tingle lol

5. Admitted to a hospital?no I didnt want the guys to laugh (just kidding wasnt bad enough to go )

6. How/Why?


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## raider1 (Jan 22, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yes

2. Voltage level? 120, and 277

3. AC or DC?AC

4. Burned or other injury? luckily no

5. Admitted to a hospital? Again luckily no

6. How/Why? Mostly because I got in a hurry and didn't follow safety procedures.

Chris


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## wireman3736 (Mar 3, 2007)

brian john said:


> I was thinking about this for a while, with all the concern for safety, PPE and Arc flash. Answering this should not reflect on your skills as an electrician.
> 
> 
> Highlight and hit control and C, then when your response window is open hit control and V. This way you'll have the questions adjacent to your answer. There may be easier ways but this is this best way I know.
> ...


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## sparkysteve (Jan 23, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yep

2. Voltage level? 120 and 277 and lightning

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? Sore muscles for 2 days

5. Admitted to a hospital? No, maybe should have

6. How/Why? In a hurry, turned off wrong breaker, didn't check it cut a hot wire while my other hand hung on to the conduit. 

The lightning story: Staying at a cottage on a lake. Big thunderstorm. We sat inside playing cards. No fishing . While getting a drink from the faucet (steel sink, and faucet), I looked out the window too see lightning strike the flagpole outside. Tied to the metal flagpole with steel hose clamps was a garden hose faucet conected to the cottage plumbing that my hand was on. Sparks flew out of the faucet burning the hand that was holding the glass of water. Knocked me flat on my but too. I guess you'd call that a grounded lightning strike. Something I'd rather not do again.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yup

2. Voltage level? 120 & 277

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? Not from a shock. I got a bad burn on my hand once from an old bug nut splice that had an exposed spot on the back I couldn't see. It was a live 100A feeder (like most times I did not have much choice to turn it off) and as I was carefully (seriously) pushing it back into the old panel it was in the exposed spot touched the panel wall. It burned right under my palm for about one second. It seemed like 10. 
I had a nice deep hole burned in my hand and third degree burns over most of it.

5. Admitted to a hospital? No. ER, then 3 weeks off.

6. How/Why? Shyt happens. It's not supposed to but it does.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? yes of course 

2. Voltage level? any voltage from 24 v all the way to 4160 v 

3. AC or DC? both 

4. Burned or other injury? sore legs , 4 th degree burn {inside burn } 

5. Admitted to a hospital? yes then off for 1 week 

6. How/Why? two items i did pay the price by not testing correct leg , got hit with 600 volt bussbar it was LOTO but the contrator got engerized by carbon dust [ very instering one ] and few burn marks on my hand


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## DeepOne (Jan 23, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked?	- OK

2. Voltage level? - AC230V; DC >1kV small power  (such as TV anode voltage, shockers, car ignition, etc.)

3. AC or DC?

4. Burned or other injury? - NO

5. Admitted to a hospital? - NO

6. How/Why? - for example aluminium stair accidently put on extension cord from below and grounded steel reinforcement from above; "working live or not checking", checking . I think voltage before 240V not much dangerously without burdenning circumstance such as stairways, dampness, complex conditions, etc. At least once, in trap for rats is used 380V, since 230V does not provide due effect .


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

DeepOne said:


> At least once, in trap for rats is used 380V, since 230V does not provide due effect .


Now that right there is funny !

What does that smell like when it operates?


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## DeepOne (Jan 23, 2007)

....


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## Dayne (Mar 17, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? yup

2. Voltage level? 120 and 277

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? 1/2" squiggly line scar on my palm haha

5. Admitted to a hospital? nope

6. How/Why? well the 120 is usually with a chandelier and me being careless and leaning on the frame of the ladder effectively becoming a light bulb. happens very rarely actually, maybe once in a couple years.

The 277 was a one time event that was a lot more intense. Top of an 8 ft ladder, in a drop ceiling, in a junction box for 277 lay-ins, adding one more #12 to the joint. The idiot that made up the box had trimmed the wires to only about 4 inches before the joint was made, that didn't help. Reversed the direction of the joint to remove the old feed to the switch and then add a new one. Somehow, the hot feed got between my palm and the rim of the 4 square box and ZZzzzzZZzZz!!. My vision was blurred for the 5 seconds or so and I remember slowly coming down the ladder feeling pretty stupid. 

Even though I should have killed the circuit, I know that if those wires were longer, I would not have been bit. One of my biggest peeves in the trade is ridiculously short joints.


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## Gummi Bear (Aug 2, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? - yup

2. Voltage level? - 120 & 277

3. AC or DC? - both (shorted out the starter on my car a couple of times, that hurts)

4. Burned or other injury? - yes

5. Admitted to a hospital? - Dentist

6. How/Why? - I got tangled up in 277, changing out ballasts (had to leave it hot, it was during business hours, they don't shut down). I was thrown off of an 8' ladder, and when I came to, I spit out my fillings. I got them fixed, and went back to work for the last hour or so. I sure was dumb as an apprentice, that was a valuable lesson in humility.


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## coderj (Aug 16, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? - Yes

2. Voltage level? - 120 and 277

3. AC or DC? - AC

4. Burned or other injury? - Not really

5. Admitted to a hospital? - Yes, company policy EKG

6. How/Why? - 120 was a total FUBAR incident... we had an automated coat check system that utilized a sled the moved up and down a pair of rails (AutoValet, out of the UK). Somebody has miswired the feed for the sled, mixing the grounding and grounded, so at certain parts of its travel, the sled chassis became energized along with the rails; this caused the system to stop on an error. I was troubleshooting the error, leaning on the sled looking at the wiring when it became energized. Needless to say, that was a painful drop to the floor (on the plus side, was able to fix the system after that was found).

277 has happened a few times. Trying to change ballasts for lighting in areas where money is handled, so we're not allowed to LOTO the feed. They refuse to cut in access hatches so all work is done through the 6" round hold the lighting can recesses into. Almost impossible not to get hit while doing it.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Absotivley Posilutely!

2. Voltage level? 120, 208, 240, 277 and 480

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? Once

5. Admitted to a hospital? Not admitted, but one trip there.

6. How/Why? [in response to #s 4 & 5] Relocating 277v exit light in retail store while it was open. Ungrounded #12 Solid had been forced through the end of the wire nut by using a cordless drill to install wire nut. Not easily visible as there was very little copper protruding [plus it was a tan twister], but obviously just enough for me to make contact with. I grabbed the connection to move it out to where I could work on it and got nailed (my hand was right against the 1900 box). 

But it wasn't the shock that hurt me, it was the fact I was on a 16' stepladder. After peeling me off the floor, my helper drove me to the emergency room. The ER nurse asked me if I was allergic to anything. I said, "Gravity."


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## DPDT (Nov 3, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yes, well bit once or twice

2. Voltage level? 120

3. AC or DC? AC

Seperate incident

4. Burned or other injury? Arc Flash Eye Injury 

5. Admitted to a hospital? Yes

6. How/Why? Opening a old resi 200A 120/240. #4 bare phase to phase. Copper in the eye.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? OH hell yeah! 

2. Voltage level? 120, 277, 480

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? Muscle cramps, damage to muscle tissue in arm (cooked)

5. Admitted to a hospital? Yes

6. How/Why? 

(120) Numerous times working without caring basically.

(277) Working on light poles in a dealership lot installing GFI outlets, all power to the building was supposed to be off. I pulled out a bundle of wires looking for my set and grabbed a 277 as the wirenut fell off. Standing on new sod that had been sprinklered until the power was turned off. Went from left palm down to left foot.

(480) Walked into a live mc cable hanging out of the drop ceiling in a mechanical room in the dark. Hit me in the left bicep with a good punch.


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## wayni (Aug 27, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? yes 

2. Voltage level? 120, 277

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? no

5. Admitted to a hospital? no

6. How/Why? too lazy to turn off breakers (277) hot work was expected (120)

Worst hit was while wiring a 3 way switch for 120 lighting. I was in a hurry and when shocked I hung on for awhile. When I got off I had to jump up and down for 30 seconds or so, like a pogo stick.

Scariest one was while troubleshooting a flourescent dimming module while sitting on some HVAC duct 20' in the air. I didn't really get shocked. I was taking some readings using the DMM and didn't want to climb all the way down to shut down the circuit before replacing the module into its box. As I was replacing the module, the phase conductor went to ground through a nick in its insulation, taking my picture and tripping the breaker. However, I was leaning against the same truss the box was mounted to. I could have been the excitement of the moment but it felt as if someone punched me in the shoulder. I must have jumped pretty good because the top of the duct was caved in. It took about an hour to shake that one off. Although I shut the circuits down after that, I later stabbed my finger onto some stranded wire and jumped as if 277 was coursing through my body.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Of course

2. Voltage level? 
120, generally from a device. Once from a frayed cord that tripped the gfci 
277 (twice, same jb) 
12,000 (neon transformer)
7500 form dropping the triplex service conductors onto the fuse link. The grounding system worked well and I only felt a tingle. 

No sssside efffffects.


3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? no

5. Admitted to a hospital? no

6. How/Why?

My son suffered some smoke damage fishing a taped up 3 wire romex home run into a jbox.








.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? yes

2. Voltage level? 120v

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? no

5. Admitted to a hospital? no

6. How/Why? carelessness

is it bad form to trip a breaker with wire across hot and neutral ( known voltages only)


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

> s it bad form to trip a breaker with wire across hot and neutral ( known voltages only)


For a variety of reasons.
1. On a 480/277 VAC system you can trip the GFP.
2. On other distribution systems you may trip the upstream OCP device depending on coordination or lack there of.
3. It ain't professional.
4. IT CAN BE DANGEROUS


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

I have identified a few circuits like this in the past but now days it gives me the willys.


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## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

On 120v circuits I do it pretty frequently. It's only not professional if the customer is around.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

gilbequick said:


> On 120v circuits I do it pretty frequently. It's only not professional if the customer is around.


 
I did it intentionally in a restaurant one time to grt rid of the two Asian owners that were doggin me the whole time from about 2 feet away.

Gimme some space dammit!


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## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

220/221 said:


> I did it intentionally in a restaurant one time to grt rid of the two Asian owners that were doggin me the whole time from about 2 feet away.
> 
> Gimme some space dammit!


What were these said Asian restaurant owners doing with a dog in the building???


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## HighWirey (Sep 17, 2007)

Yea, why were dogs in the restraurant?

Don't they know dogs keep the cats away??

Best Wishes


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## Andy in ATL (Aug 17, 2007)

Dogs are good eatin' to...


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## jockmac (Nov 11, 2007)

1. Have you ever been shocked? yes

2. Voltage level?12v 240V electric fence Volt

3. AC or DC? Both

4. Burned or other injury? in and out

5. Admitted to a hospital? only when i couldn't straighten one of my fingers on the hand that slammed into some sheet metalwork close by.

6. How/Why? thought I'd turned off the circuit .had been up and down that ladder all day turning on and of .finally wrong breaker and stripping a live cable got the fingers right over the insulation and kneeling on the roof.Wow got to my feet quickly threw the arms around(hence the belt to the back of my left hand- Neatly severed a tendon that holds up the middle finger. As i keeled over the cable ran out of slack and i was disconnected when the wire pulled out of the strippers.The general anesthetic knocked me around more than the shock.Always happens when you least expect .
Like yesterday jump off the tractor to open the gate of the paddock and whammo brushed my arm against he hot wire of the electric fence once again --woke me up.Like a rubber hammer to the head.


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## jockmac (Nov 11, 2007)

*electricity*

whilst in the subject of getting belts off things that we should know better than touch live.I've got a question to put that will need some elaboration .Has anyone out there done much work with inverter Split air conditioners? .If there is -I've found out something that not even some pretty bright techs and inspectors can answer.Why can you have voltages to ground from the chassis of inverter split units when the ground had been disconnected from the supply to the unit for what ever reason it has been interrupted.This voltage is around 121Volts ac don't know how mush current though but not enough to trip an ELB.not just one make of machine --All makes tested the same some going back to when Inverters 1st came out.
its something to do with bleed resisters fitted from the capacitor s to the chassis to discharge the voltage when the machines are stopped.It seems to discharge all the time.A good ground being required at all times or else you get belted enough to make you back off!!.
We have various levels of licensing in Australia and being a refrigeration Engineer does not allow you to do everything .You have sometimes to rely on working with Electricians who are the ones supposedly installing earths etc.I found this fault when installing and testing some small split inverters connected with extension leads to a temporary builders supply was put onto a major renovation job where there was no conventional switchboard fitted .Just a weatherproof outlet and latterly before it was removed we found it directly connected to the mains 240volt supply no earth and no protection. The builders had been using it that way for a few weeks before I stumbled over the problem and pointed it out to the sparky involved .


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## HighWirey (Sep 17, 2007)

Andy,

Were diluting this forum again.

Never et Dog Fu Young . . .

Best Wishes


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## fshalor (Jun 18, 2007)

*RE: Poll answers.*

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yes.

2. Voltage level? 12, 48, 120 

3. AC or DC? Both. 

4. Burned or other injury? Minor burn. 

5. Admitted to a hospital? Nope. 

6. How/Why?

First was about 4 years old, plugging in a lamp and was touching both prongs. (Stupid kid.) I felt the waves, and thought it was kind of cool, but knew not to do it again and never wanted to feel that again. 

Putting a computer back together under a desk once, I pinched the phone line in the case and got bit. (Good reason to carry a flashlight now.)

I work with a lot of 12v instrument systems. Most of my stuff is under 2-3 car batteries in size, but can still bite a bit. The worst was a field pump that came back from the manufacturer after being sent in for dead motor. I plugged it right in, and flipped the switch with my hand in contact with the metal case. The switch hadn't been put back right when they reassembled the unit and was in contact with the side. 

I'm surprised at some of the silly practices around 12v power. Like the battery holder on our $100k profilers; it's downright trivial to arc the battery while removing the battery holder. Which is why both of them have terminal covers ziptied in place.


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## 5volts (Jan 11, 2008)

1. Have you ever been shocked? yes

2. Voltage level? 120/ 277 but it was probbly closer to 600V inductive kick off ballast

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? No

5. Admitted to a hospital? No

6. How/Why? Accidently got in series with a 277V ballast

Hey Brian John Lets here yours


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## simmo (Dec 12, 2007)

jockmac said:


> whilst in the subject of getting belts off things that we should know better than touch live.I've got a question to put that will need some elaboration .Has anyone out there done much work with inverter Split air conditioners? .If there is -I've found out something that not even some pretty bright techs and inspectors can answer.Why can you have voltages to ground from the chassis of inverter split units when the ground had been disconnected from the supply to the unit for what ever reason it has been interrupted.This voltage is around 121Volts ac don't know how mush current though but not enough to trip an ELB.not just one make of machine --All makes tested the same some going back to when Inverters 1st came out.
> its something to do with bleed resisters fitted from the capacitor s to the chassis to discharge the voltage when the machines are stopped.It seems to discharge all the time.A good ground being required at all times or else you get belted enough to make you back off!!.
> We have various levels of licensing in Australia and being a refrigeration Engineer does not allow you to do everything .You have sometimes to rely on working with Electricians who are the ones supposedly installing earths etc.I found this fault when installing and testing some small split inverters connected with extension leads to a temporary builders supply was put onto a major renovation job where there was no conventional switchboard fitted .Just a weatherproof outlet and latterly before it was removed we found it directly connected to the mains 240volt supply no earth and no protection. The builders had been using it that way for a few weeks before I stumbled over the problem and pointed it out to the sparky involved .


 
Don't quite follow with this,
You say all inverter type air cond units, but you express just one job that was to a temporary builders supply that was directly connected to 240v supply, with no earth or RCD fitted.
You may find with this temp builders supply - if no MEN (Main Earth Neutral) link whereby the main earth connection is not connected to Neutral there is no way for residual current to escape, ie: earth down to earth rod or water pipe. This type of temp builders power supply should be condemed, as no RCD is fitted. As a precaution in future, make sure all Temp builders power boards have an RCD fitted before you plug in on it. 
Workcover impose huge fines to builders and alike who do not meet their standards. I've seen them in action on building sites, and there is no explaining after the fact with those guys and gals.

Back on subject, I've been hit with 440vac from a busbar when working for a Dairy foods manufacturer years ago. In all food industry you have to wear those silly head net hats. Middle of summer and I was sweating like a pig working in the main electrical sub-station board and stuck my head into the cabinet a little to close. The head net was moist and I got thrown to the other side of the room. Was dazed for hours and had a thumping headache for hours after. No electrician had to wear those silly things after that working on any board.


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## heresrob (Sep 7, 2007)

brian john said:


> I was thinking about this for a while, with all the concern for safety, PPE and Arc flash. Answering this should not reflect on your skills as an electrician.
> 
> 
> Highlight and hit control and C, then when your response window is open hit control and V. This way you'll have the questions adjacent to your answer. There may be easier ways but this is this best way I know.
> ...


1. Have you ever been shocked?
Yes many times.

2. Voltage level?
110, 220. been more careful with 480.

3. AC or DC?
AC

4. Burned or other injury?
No injury

5. Admitted to a hospital?
never

6. How/Why?
relied on someone else saying the power is off. sometimes taking a chance. but not any more. I think i may have runouta lives like a cat


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## headrec (Feb 25, 2008)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yes

2. Voltage level? 120

3. AC or DC? AC

4. Burned or other injury? No

5. Admitted to hospital? No

6. How/Why? First was as a kid accidentally touching prongs. Thought it was sweet at the time haha. 

Once checking for spark on a car and the ended up causing a better ground then the spark plug did and gave me a big jolt (that one sucked). 

And most recently was changing a wall outlet and had the mistake of my dad flipping the wrong breaker and me not checking to make sure it had no power. Learned my lesson to check for voltage first that day.


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## nakulak (Dec 10, 2007)

have you ever been shocked ? of course 120,277,480,etc

now to change the subject.

what's the funniest accident you ever saw ?

I was working in a 6 story gut and remodel years back, and I went up to a floor where a sprinkler guy was threading pipes all by himself. Well, I had just walked into the floor area and I see the guy start to go over the pipe and he yells "unplug me !". He got flopped around the pipe 3 or 4 times, smacking the ground each time before he got unplugged, and suprisingly he was unhurt (loose shirtail got caught on the threader somehow. It was very funny looking though lol.


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## HCECalaska (Mar 21, 2007)

i was working a large steel mill project and my apprentice was threading some 2"GRC. the apprentice had a 3' 90deg bend in the pipe which was hanging out the end of the threader. our foreman walked in to see what was going on right when my apprentice stepped on the foot pedal of the threader.. the 90 spun around caught our foreman between the legs picked him off the ground and threw him into a pipe rack. there were no injurys and the foreman didnt come around the threader for a while.


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## Mountain Electrician (Jan 22, 2007)

The question should be....has my brother ever been shocked? 

The other day he was trimming out a house, and he went to straighten the end of a piece of 14 with his teeth, (yup, that's right) and one of the carpenters had turned the light switch on. 

There's a word for that, I can't remember it. Really, it's right on the tip of my tongue...
Of course, if his helper hadn't of been there I would have never found out about it. :laughing: 

Since he wasn't injured, it's something we can joke about, but it could have just as easily went the other way. Turning the switch off doesn't kill the power!

I'll save the story about him peeing on an electric fence while he was snipe hunting for another time.:thumbup:


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## joeyuk (Feb 27, 2008)

1. Have you ever been shocked? Yes

2. Voltage level? 120 , 277 10,000(?) dc

3. AC or DC? AC & DC

4. Burned or other injury? No

5. Admitted to a hospital? No

6. How/Why? The worst 120 volt shock was while in the Navy. I was working on a lighting ckt. 120V AC. I was actually laying on top of a 2X4 fixture wiring it. It was in a very hot and humid engine room and I was exhausted and soaked with sweat. I must have touched the strippes end of the wire with my hand and it went out my back. I thought to myself that sucked and continued working.

The 277V shot was doumb. As a 1st year apprentice I turned of the ckt. I was to work on. Then traced out the pipe to find the junction. 
Opened the cover removed the wirenut and tried to untwist the wires with my fingers. Well I should have been more careful tracing out the pipe. It turned and I was following a pipe with live 277V in it. Fortunately it only went thru my fingers to the box. I told the foreman and after insuring I was ok he told me to just take it slow the rest of the day.

Lastly the 10,000(?) volt DC was when I parked my Blazer turned the key and removed it and the engine kept running. No matter what I did the engine would not turn off. So I popped the hood, put on a pair of cloth gloves and a pair of winter leather gloves. I made sure I wasn't touching the car frame at all and pulled the coil wire. Again the juice only went thru my fingers to the engine block but that was a pretty good jolt as well. One second later I was fine but it is still an eye opener.


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## joeyuk (Feb 27, 2008)

nakulak said:


> have you ever been shocked ? of course 120,277,480,etc
> 
> now to change the subject.
> 
> ...


 
Whats the difference between a fitter and a plumber?

A fitter don't know $hit.

Another thing we say around fitters is
"Sprinklers save lawns. Smoke detectors save lives."


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## HighWirey (Sep 17, 2007)

joeyuk said:


> Whats the difference between a fitter and a plumber?
> A fitter don't know $hit.
> Another thing we say around fitters is "Sprinklers save lawns. Smoke detectors save lives."


My version of "Whats the difference between a fitter and a plumber" :

Immerse each in a vat of $hit up to their chins. Swing a piece of 4" black iron pipe at them. Which one do you think ducks first?

BTW, _that pipe must be black iron_, no reason to waste a good piece of conduit . . .

Work'in For That Free Tee . . .


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

HighWirey said:


> My version of "Whats the difference between a fitter and a plumber" :
> 
> Immerse each in a vat of $hit up to their chins. Swing a piece of 4" black iron pipe at them. Which one do you think ducks first?
> 
> ...


 
For the most part a plumber handles bathroom fixtures and pipefitters do HVACR piping. As for sprinkler fitters, they are a breed all of their own, kind of like alcoholics with an erector set fasination.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

randomkiller said:


> As for sprinkler fitters, they are a breed all of their own, kind of like alcoholics with an erector set fasination.


LOL! :laughing:


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

JohnJ0906 said:


> LOL! :laughing:


 
Try holding an intelligent conversation with one, you'll soon see my point. Especially one from a road local :001_huh:.


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