24 Feb
1999
24 Feb
'99
1:33 p.m.
I'm following the discussion around the danger of household circuits:
Travelling in some other EU countryes, I've noticed that
few household installations have "SAFETY DIFFERENTIAL-CURRENT BREAKERS"
(here in Italy are called "Salva-vita=Life-saver), and also from these
messages I learn that 220v are used also in the US (surprise) for heavy
applications, but again nobody from both side of the ocean refers to the
presence, safetiness, of these devices that here are used and mandatory from
15-20 years.
I would like to hear from you all what's the situation there, if they are
diffused, you use them, are considered (toghether with earthing) enough to
avoid danger situations.
Ciao
Riccardo Romagnoli <chemif(a)mbox.queen.it>
I have worked
on various appliances ,electrical devices and/or wiring
most of my life, close to 50 years, and I have been "bitten" on occasion.
Of course, except for stoves and dryers, the voltage here is 110 v. I
can
understand the respect given to 220v.(3wire) and
have never worked on
anything at that voltage without shutting down the circuit. I have also
been
> very cautious about working on anything in damp conditions like in a
> washroom or wet basement. 
24 Feb
24 Feb
1:15 p.m.
New subject: CRT handling Was
RICCARDO wrote:
Travelling in some other EU countryes, I've
noticed that
few household installations have "SAFETY DIFFERENTIAL-CURRENT BREAKERS"
(here in Italy are called "Salva-vita=Life-saver), and also from these
messages I learn that 220v are used also in the US (surprise) for heavy
applications, but again nobody from both side of the ocean refers to the
presence, safetiness, of these devices that here are used and mandatory from
15-20 years.
I would like to hear from you all what's the situation there, if they are
diffused, you use them, are considered (toghether with earthing) enough to
avoid danger situations.
Ciao
Riccardo Romagnoli <chemif(a)mbox.queen.it>
In the US, they are called GFI (ground fault interrupt) breakers. Most
building codes now require that they be installed in "Wet" areas during
new construction. Typically they are found in bathrooms, kitchens,
garages, and outdoor recepticles. Generally, they are NOT required in
other areas and few people install them anywhere other than the required
places.
Normally the current flow is through one leg of the "Main" and the
"Neutral". NOTE: The neutral is not the same as ground but the
electrical potential is usually very close. In normal operation, there
is NO current flow between the appliance and the earth "Ground". If
something (your body) makes a connection between one of the legs and the
"Earth Ground", the device senses the current and trips the curcuit
breaker.
I'm sure these things have saved thousands of lives...
Steve Robertson <steverob(a)hotoffice.com>
1:49 p.m.
New subject: Computers on AM Radio...
I have a question...
Has anyone had their computer "speak" over the radio before? I have a local
(small-town) live radio talk show on one of the local AM stations here
(Upper Peninsula, Michigan, USA)... and I had my CoCo3 set up with it's
speech-sound pak and actually had it plumbed in and talking over the air!
(I called it my "co-host")...
I have a lot of Canadian listeners, so this was an "international
incident..." ;-)
Even if someone has done it before, doesn't this now make me one of the
"elite" computer super-gurus, and others should pay homage to me by just
sending me their Altairs and Imsais for free??? ;-)
Gaak... I'd rather have a Vax or PDP, anyway... not that I'll see one of
those anytime soon... :-(
Anywho, just wondered if anyone else has done it... I've *never* been first
on this list yet. ;-)
Take care,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger --- sysadmin, Iceberg Computers
Recycling is good, right??? Ok, so I'll recycle an old .sig.
If at first you don't succeed, nuclear warhead
disarmament should *not* be your first career choice.
5:01 p.m.
New subject: CRT handling Was
On Wed, 24 Feb 1999, Steve Robertson wrote:
"Earth Ground", the device senses the
current and trips the curcuit
breaker.
I'm sure these things have saved thousands of lives...
Dozens, at least. I doubt that a thousand people have died of
accidental electrocution since Franklin flew his kite. And there
haven't been that many die of intentional electrocution either,
despite what you might think from movies about Death Row.
--
Ward Griffiths
"the timid die just like the daring; and if you don't take the plunge then
you'll just take the fall" Michael Longcor
25 Feb
25 Feb
2:53 a.m.
New subject: CRT handling Was
On Wed, 24 Feb 1999, Ward D. Griffiths III wrote:
Dozens, at least. I doubt that a thousand people have
died of
accidental electrocution since Franklin flew his kite. And there
haven't been that many die of intentional electrocution either,
despite what you might think from movies about Death Row.
Well, I don't know if I'm to believe the textbooks I'm given in school,
but the ones on 'health' and 'safety' quote large numbers for american
deaths due to electrocution. I don't remember how high, but over a dozen
per year.
--Max Eskin (max82(a)surfree.com)
3 a.m.
New subject: CRT handling Was
Well, I don't know if I'm to believe the
textbooks I'm given in school,
but the ones on 'health' and 'safety' quote large numbers for american
deaths due to electrocution. I don't remember how high, but over a dozen
per year.
In a country of 250+million a dozen is not a large number, nor would a
thousand. Often the deaths are unnecessary and from foolish lack of care.
A electic shock if you follow safety advice is unlikely to be deadly but
due to the possibility care MUST allways be taken. I've been hit by some
heavy power supplies over the years and though unpleasent (it HURTS!!!)
the basic care I took kept me from far worse.
Allison
5:10 a.m.
New subject: CRT handling Was
Max Eskin wrote:
Well, I don't know if I'm to believe the
textbooks I'm given in school,
but the ones on 'health' and 'safety' quote large numbers for american
..............................................^^^^^^^^^^^^^
deaths due to electrocution. I don't remember how
high, but over a dozen
.....................................................................^^^^^
per year.
Sorry Max, but combining "large numbers" and "dozen" is really funny,
and
I'm still smiling about it!
5:52 a.m.
New subject: CRT handling Was
On Thu, 25 Feb 1999, Marvin wrote:
Sorry Max, but combining "large numbers" and
"dozen" is really funny, and
I'm still smiling about it!
What I meant to say was, the books said something over a dozen. Maybe five
hundred or so per year. Certainly a thousand since Ben Franklin.
--Max Eskin (max82(a)surfree.com)
24 Feb
24 Feb
2:26 p.m.
Upon the date 01:33 AM 2/25/99 +0100, RICCARDO said something like:
I'm following the discussion around the danger of
household circuits:
Travelling in some other EU countryes, I've noticed that
few household installations have "SAFETY DIFFERENTIAL-CURRENT BREAKERS"
(here in Italy are called "Salva-vita=Life-saver), and also from these
Sounds like what we (in North America) refer to GFCI or Ground Fault
Circuit Interrupter.
I have
worked on various appliances ,electrical devices and/or wiring
most of my life, close to 50 years, and I have been "bitten" on occasion.
Of course, except for stoves and dryers, the voltage here is 110 v. I
can
understand the respect given to 220v.(3wire) and
have never worked on
anything at that voltage without shutting down the circuit. I have also
been
> very cautious about working on anything in damp conditions like in a
> washroom or wet basement. messages I learn that 220v are used also in the US
(surprise) for heavy
applications, but again nobody from both side of the ocean refers to the
presence, safetiness, of these devices that here are used and mandatory from
15-20 years.
I would like to hear from you all what's the situation there, if they are
diffused, you use them, are considered (toghether with earthing) enough to
avoid danger situations.
Diffused? Don't quite know what you mean by that word here.
Anyway, in new construction or in remodeling/repairs to bathrooms,
kitchens, laundry rooms, outdoor receptacles, wet areas, garages, etc. the
National Electrical Code requires GFCI devices be used to protect users of
those circuits. I can't recall exactly but it has been at least 20 years, I
believe, since this rule went into effect.
If there is more than a few milliamperes of current flow between either hot
or neutral and earth, then the GFCI device breaks the circuit. This is
likely what you refer to as Salva-vita.
GFCI's are a most excellent idea for us to use if we have our workshop for
working on our computers in a basement or garage (concrete floors). For
that matter, it would be a good idea to have GFCI outlets for any
electrical equipment we work on anywhere. I have them in my attic where I
have a small area to work on my small machines. And I most certainly have
them installed in my main lab in the basement.
Regards, Chris
-- --
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL: http://www.ggw.org/awa
25 Feb
25 Feb
8:01 a.m.
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9 comments
9 participants
participants (9)
-
allisonp＠world.std.com -
ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
cfandt＠netsync.net -
chemif＠mbox.queen.it -
gram＠cnct.com -
marvin＠rain.org -
max82＠surfree.com -
steverob＠hotoffice.com -
zmerch＠30below.com