Questions On The Code > General Discussions on Code
Stupid and/or Dangerous things you've Seen or Done...
GEsoftwhite100watts:
Inspired by this thread on LG...http://www.lighting-gallery.net/index.php?topic=1534.0
So, what are some of the stupid and dangerous things you've seen or done with electrical wiring/devices?
Here are some of mine...done at my own house...you gotta do what you gotta do, it's not like I don't know any better...
Using one F32T8 and one F40T12 tube in F40T12 residential-grade "ShopLite" fixtures with LPF ballasts. I didn't have enough F40 or F34 lamps at the time, so it was sorta legitimate and not like I didn't know any better...tried to use those two lights minimally until I got the right tubes...
daisy-chaining multiple extension cords and/or power strips
Keep in mind for all these that my area is off the grid...everyone produces their power via generators or alternative energy sources...
At one time we were giving a neighbor power via a 100ft #12AWG extension cord (more specifically a Rigid (Home Depot brand) one. Worked fine since with generators many people's houses are fed with a piece of Romex with a plug on it going to the main breaker panel (if there even is one LOL)
Running power to an outbuilding with a piece of #12AWG extension cord wire fitted through PEX water pipe as conduit...and buried a few inches beneath my unpaved driveway...
Using wirenuts on stranded wire...mainly in florescent shoplights lights powered by extension cord wire. Then I discovered the wonderful word of crimp connectors. I still use wirenuts for testing occasionally though...
Hooking up temporary outlets (again on #12AWG extension cord wire) without the ground wire connected
Fusing the once-leaked-tar ballast in my rescued Sears shoplight with a defunct set of Christmas lights (so it's on a 3 amp fuse). This was inspired by Joe's advice, however I need a smaller fuse...but 3A is better than nothing if it fails catastrophically is my theory...
I've even used strings of Christmas lights as makeshift extension cords...
daisy-chaining those "Y" adapters for light bulbs and/or light bulb outlet taps so I can use four or six or eight bulbs (CFLs) in one socket...did this before I got my vintage F40T12 shoplight when I needed more light...
I'm sure I can think of more...plus see my posts in the LG thread on this (I'm ace100w120v on LG)...
At a neighbor's house there is an outside light that's one of those temporary socket thingies that you conenct with wirenuts that's been temporarily there with exposed Romex and wirenuts for years with a spiral CFL, and was recently relamped with a daylight one. Previously it was a 23w 2700K Converv-Energy and now it's a daylight (not sure what kelvin) (13w) WestPointe which is actually more pleasant since it's dimmer and daylight and slightly mercury starved as those are analgam-based and don't do so well on chilly Southeast Alaska nights. (looks like moonlight on snow and isn't a bright glare bomb; IMO those 23w 2700K CFLs are bright and glary)
I've also seen extension cords used as a substitute for Romex
And 34w florescent tubes in fixtures ballasted for 40w...Result: ballast meltdown
CFLs in can lights, which although the heat will theoretically kill them quicker means the fixture is fireproof since as we all know those like to smolder and even flame out at EOL. Luckily I've never had it happen to me, just a couple infant mortalities which is acceptable out of the many I have...the 13w GE Helicals are decent quality...
I've seen a #12AWG cord direct-buried about a foot deep, too.
And electrical tape repairs on underground phone wire at my house (which failed)
I'm sure I can think of more...
A_lights:
Interesting stuff you've done, i think id be kinda cool to live off grid for a while...although my generator would probably not last too long running all the time lol...would need a diesel one
I've fried some ballasts wiring them wrong (only electronic ones) and fried lamps accidentally because of shorted ballasts, I've been shocked by a few not grounded fixtures, ran fluorescent lamps on 175W MH ballasts. .fortunately I've not had any CFLs or MH lamps fail badly. .yet!
GEsoftwhite100watts:
Yeah, so far I have been lucky...
From looking at that 4KW generator you have, I imagine it'd be a real gas guzzler and pretty noisy too...
Someone I know had a Briggs&Stratton 4KW thing for a generator that was SUPER noisy, didn't run right, and backfired like CRAZY, especially when shut off...BOOM! and a bright flash from the exhaust.
Since it rarely ran right it looked like disco lighting in their house at times...until it blew it's head gasket. I bet the neighbors were happy when that happened...
Have you tried running any of your lights on your generator? At least you have SOMETHING for during a power outage...
Mike:
I got the $h!t scared out of my last night. I was on my grandpa's basement (the one with the troffers) and had my left hand on the fridge's freezer door handle and i touched my other hand onto the metal JB that had the switches for the troffers. I got on HELL of a shock accross my arms! I don't know what the hell happened! At first i was standing like i mentioned then i touched the junction box and YYYOOOOWWWWWW!!!! Next thing i know the frezzer door flew open and the switches all went up like they would in some scarey movie!
It was honestly pretty cool how the switches all went up in sync. I dunno, maybe it flipped them when i got shocked but i don't remember anything i saw or heard when i got shocked, but i remember exactly what i was feeling for about two seconds. Not only did it scare the hell out of me, it hurt really bad! Damn, i even have blisters on my two index fingers.
It burned at my two index fingers. After my arms flew back (i kinda stumbled back a bit too, but kept my balence) my arm muscles were DRAINED! I mean i could barely lift my arms for a good ten minutes and heart was going a hundred miles and hour. thank goodness it was atleast still beating! i hear all sorts of stuff like if you get electrocuted across your body it can stop your hear or something. :o :(
anyways, i went and grabbed a tube of wrapping paper to shut the freezer door and to flip the switches off LOL. Any idea what would cause such a freaky shock?! :o
joe_347V:
--- Quote from: streetlight98 on December 24, 2012, 11:52:57 AM ---I got the $h!t scared out of my last night. I was on my grandpa's basement (the one with the troffers) and had my left hand on the fridge's freezer door handle and i touched my other hand onto the metal JB that had the switches for the troffers. I got on HELL of a shock accross my arms! I don't know what the hell happened! At first i was standing like i mentioned then i touched the junction box and YYYOOOOWWWWWW!!!! Next thing i know the frezzer door flew open and the switches all went up like they would in some scarey movie!
It was honestly pretty cool how the switches all went up in sync. I dunno, maybe it flipped them when i got shocked but i don't remember anything i saw or heard when i got shocked, but i remember exactly what i was feeling for about two seconds. Not only did it scare the hell out of me, it hurt really bad! Damn, i even have blisters on my two index fingers.
It burned at my two index fingers. After my arms flew back (i kinda stumbled back a bit too, but kept my balence) my arm muscles were DRAINED! I mean i could barely lift my arms for a good ten minutes and heart was going a hundred miles and hour. thank goodness it was atleast still beating! i hear all sorts of stuff like if you get electrocuted across your body it can stop your hear or something. :o :(
anyways, i went and grabbed a tube of wrapping paper to shut the freezer door and to flip the switches off LOL. Any idea what would cause such a freaky shock?! :o
--- End quote ---
O_o O_o :o First of all I'm glad that you weren't hurt or anything. I'm guessing either the freezer or the JB wasn't grounded properly and that one of them had a ground fault.
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