Electrocuted!
#31
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It was a long ago - 1978. I was a trainee generation engineer. And Kincardine-on-Forth was different from Longannet - - Kincardine was built in the late 1950's and 760 MW. Longannet is down the Forth and 2400MW. I loved the old place. All gone now
#32
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#33
Thanx for your reply I used to work at Longannet as a subby, loved that place too, no doubt it will go soon too
#34
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We've just rebuilt an 11kV Board, a small connection to a voltage transformer was the intial fault, the connection was poor and started arcing which ionizes the air drawing in moisture. The moisture in the busbar chamber built up until the 11kV was able to arc across the three phases causing a symetrical short circuit. Most of the chamber vapourised but not before blowing some components through the side of the double brick building.
The fault level was 150MVA.
That's why we always try and remote close when possible.
Cheers
Lee
The fault level was 150MVA.
That's why we always try and remote close when possible.
Cheers
Lee
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#36
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Most scary job I did at Kincardine was looking for external steam leaks in the boilers - walk around the boiler casing with a rag attached to a bamboo pole. If the rag took off at speed, there was a leak.
If you missed it, you died
If you missed it, you died
#38
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LOL... A man after my own heart. Is being electrocuted nearly to death like having ones arm partially severed, or hearing a meteor hitting the house?
Last edited by Bubba po; 26 September 2007 at 07:51 AM.
#39
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Every time I've had a shock it's been the result of trusting someone else's word, and I always tell myself "next time, check for yourself, you feejit".
#41
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Yes, superheated and invisible. Dredging my memory banks, at about 1800 psi and 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
#42
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#43
pretty dodgy, but while in high school in the CDT section we used to play with the mains supply
we used to set "traps" for each other, jesus looking back we were stupid but the funniest one (shouldn't laugh really but it was LMAO stuff) was when one of the lads cut the cable going to the radio (figure 8 power cable)
he then taped the bare wires to "kimbers" seat stool.
when "kimber" came in he shouted over for him to switch the radio on (it was always next to kimbers seat anyway).
pmsl
kimber went flying
we also used to make home made tazers (2 nails in the 8 figure radio lead and throw it at somebody)
12 volt capacitors linked up in a cluster and connected to the mains inside somebody desk, infact anything electronic was tested with a full 240volts just to see what happened
do not try this at home kids
we used to set "traps" for each other, jesus looking back we were stupid but the funniest one (shouldn't laugh really but it was LMAO stuff) was when one of the lads cut the cable going to the radio (figure 8 power cable)
he then taped the bare wires to "kimbers" seat stool.
when "kimber" came in he shouted over for him to switch the radio on (it was always next to kimbers seat anyway).
pmsl
kimber went flying
we also used to make home made tazers (2 nails in the 8 figure radio lead and throw it at somebody)
12 volt capacitors linked up in a cluster and connected to the mains inside somebody desk, infact anything electronic was tested with a full 240volts just to see what happened
do not try this at home kids
#45
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RCBO's are available that are a combination of both.
It's further confused by split load consumer units, although you may see an RCD fitted this may just be covering external lighting, bathroom and kitchen. The rest of the internal ring mains and internal lighting circuits may not have RCD protection. This is a quite common installation as flourescent lighting and some domestic appliances can cause RCD tripping issues. The installation guys dont fit RCD's to these circuits to save future hassle.
Cheers
Lee
Last edited by logiclee; 26 September 2007 at 10:28 AM.
#47
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One annoying thing about UK electric is they only use single pole MCBs. Which only isolate the live for each circuit.
The problem arises is if you want to work on some electrics, but need to keep something on (such as light ring - so you can see what your doing). And the only double pole breaker in the box is the master switch.
The result is a nice tingle everytime one touches the neutral cable.
Continental electrics usually use double pole breakers for each of the circuits. So one can switch off a particular circuit and work on it in total confidence that's it totally isolated
The problem arises is if you want to work on some electrics, but need to keep something on (such as light ring - so you can see what your doing). And the only double pole breaker in the box is the master switch.
The result is a nice tingle everytime one touches the neutral cable.
Continental electrics usually use double pole breakers for each of the circuits. So one can switch off a particular circuit and work on it in total confidence that's it totally isolated
#48
pretty dodgy, but while in high school in the CDT section we used to play with the mains supply
we used to set "traps" for each other, jesus looking back we were stupid but the funniest one (shouldn't laugh really but it was LMAO stuff) was when one of the lads cut the cable going to the radio (figure 8 power cable)
he then taped the bare wires to "kimbers" seat stool.
when "kimber" came in he shouted over for him to switch the radio on (it was always next to kimbers seat anyway).
pmsl
kimber went flying
we also used to make home made tazers (2 nails in the 8 figure radio lead and throw it at somebody)
12 volt capacitors linked up in a cluster and connected to the mains inside somebody desk, infact anything electronic was tested with a full 240volts just to see what happened
do not try this at home kids
we used to set "traps" for each other, jesus looking back we were stupid but the funniest one (shouldn't laugh really but it was LMAO stuff) was when one of the lads cut the cable going to the radio (figure 8 power cable)
he then taped the bare wires to "kimbers" seat stool.
when "kimber" came in he shouted over for him to switch the radio on (it was always next to kimbers seat anyway).
pmsl
kimber went flying
we also used to make home made tazers (2 nails in the 8 figure radio lead and throw it at somebody)
12 volt capacitors linked up in a cluster and connected to the mains inside somebody desk, infact anything electronic was tested with a full 240volts just to see what happened
do not try this at home kids
Not to try at home (even someone else's home).
Steve
#49
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Your having a larf arnt you . Any old house in france theyre never even heard of breaker switches/rcds - in fact most of the lighting is spured off the 30amp single ring main that does everything
#50
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i was being "talked" through a electrical problem by an engineer on the phone one day at the wash, a motor had broken and it was tripping out the power, the engineer was at another break down and could not get to my site till the next morning.
the gimp on the phone was telling me how to disconnect the power from the computer panel in the office (big **** 415 3 phase thing you see in factories with about 85 breaks inside and various other transformers etc etc)
anyway he told me to find the 45 track and take the wires out from it, which i did.
"ok you can now run the wash but one of the side brushes will not work so give the car a better prewash on that side"
engineer came the next morning and shat his pants as i had removed the wire "from the wrong side" and had a live and earth floating about next to each other
engineer on the phone said nothing about which side you are supposed to take them from
the gimp on the phone was telling me how to disconnect the power from the computer panel in the office (big **** 415 3 phase thing you see in factories with about 85 breaks inside and various other transformers etc etc)
anyway he told me to find the 45 track and take the wires out from it, which i did.
"ok you can now run the wash but one of the side brushes will not work so give the car a better prewash on that side"
engineer came the next morning and shat his pants as i had removed the wire "from the wrong side" and had a live and earth floating about next to each other
engineer on the phone said nothing about which side you are supposed to take them from
#51
So there I was, putting door casings into this barn-conversion property, where the first-fix electrics are all in, plus some of the sockets and light switches. Sparky is not one of our team, but the customer assures me that only the sockets are on - the light switch wires are all poking out of the back-boxes. Suddenly... WHAM!! A terrific belt on my left wrist where my flesh has touched across two wires; the upstairs light cicuit is live. I inform the customer who says dopily "Oh, the sparky's left all the switches on". "FFS!" say I... "hasn't the circuit tripped?"
"No... you must have a dehydration problem - if I ever get a belt the circuit breaker trips"
"I haven't got a dehydration problem, I've got a 'being electrocuted by some dozy ****' problem!"
So now I have two little grey marks on my wrist and a sense that I've "got away with it" once more. : Just one question: any of you lot out there who've had a jolt in the past, could you taste your fillings for ages after? Weird.
"No... you must have a dehydration problem - if I ever get a belt the circuit breaker trips"
"I haven't got a dehydration problem, I've got a 'being electrocuted by some dozy ****' problem!"
So now I have two little grey marks on my wrist and a sense that I've "got away with it" once more. : Just one question: any of you lot out there who've had a jolt in the past, could you taste your fillings for ages after? Weird.
Les
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#55
I used to run data cabling a lot in my previous job. Due to working closely with electric cables in floor boxes and wall trunking I found I used to get a shock once every 6 months. 50/50 My fault, electicians fault. Never did me any harm. I guess I am now in double figure for shocks so should count myself lucky. I always found the worst part was the feeling of your eyeballs vibrating.
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#59
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More memories of the electricity supply industry - weekly we had to check the Sulphur Dioxide levels in the flue gasses - which involved climbing 150 feet up a vertical ladder attached to the flues to insert a probe into the emissions.
Guess who had to do this
Health and Safety at Work Act? Hadn't been invented
Guess who had to do this
Health and Safety at Work Act? Hadn't been invented