Here is the thread for your stories/videos on old and illegal electrics, whether real-life or in fiction (Jeffrey Deaver's
The Burning Wire comes to mind) and for general electrical disasters etc.
I'll start this thread rolling with the following true story:
My brother told me of a job he was on in an old house in Kilkeel, Co. Down, NI a few years ago (he has been a burglar alarm maintenance man for many years). Basically he went up into the attic of this old house and was confronted with an electrical wiring system that was rather eccentric to say the least of it. Apparently back when the house had been wired originally (a
long time ago one supposes!) the practice had been to wire the house using only the bare current-carrying copper wire that one would find inside our much safer plastic covered wires nowadays. The lady of the house warned him (superfluous to say!) "I think it might be live up there!" In effect, if anyone had touched the live copper wire that went around the wooden support (wood is not a conductor of electricity luckily) it was nailed to they would most likely have been electrocuted. I asked him about this little story a few days ago and said that I wondered what one would have called this particular wiring system. I was expecting a name for it. His reply was simply "Insanity, insanity!"
:))
I wonder if any of our members here have any other stories about electrical wiring disasters they'd like to share with us?
:)
Comments
Thanks for your story - very interesting to hear that. Things don't have to go up in flames in order to qualify for this thread! I thought that it would be something a bit different for our community here. Glad to hear the phone worked for you afterwards! :)
http://www.niceec.co.uk/electrical-faults/
Not sure if any electricity outside Germany has an earth on their plugs.
Yes, we have earths in our plugs here in the UK too. I imagine it's standard practice but I don't know in all honesty.
A sizzling noise? I'd have been really worried by that! :)
Yes, that could have been a distinct possibility by the sound of things. Thanks again for sharing your story - that's exactly what I created this thread for! It is slightly odd perhaps, but it interests me nonetheless! :)
Indeed, every country's electric system is probably different hence the "electrical mayhem"! :)
On that subject I remember watching a programme on TV years ago where the lead singer of a band had his hand literally frozen to the microphone due to an electrical shock or fault of some kind. Luckily he survived the experience and lived to tell the tale...
My brother (see his old electrics story related in the OP) was telling me a while back that workmen that are going in to paint doors, walls etc. in electrical substations are told by the Electric Board/Public Authority that if it is dry weather they are to keep at least ten feet away from any of the electrical components in the substation. We all know that electricity can jump to the nearest conductor - in this case a potentially a human being (if they get too close).
And if the weather happens to be wet when the workmen want to paint in the substation? They are not to enter due to the vastly increased chance of their being electrocuted. We all know that water acts as a conductor of electricity of course.
I asked him if it hurt, and he looked at me with dazed eyes, replying "Yes."
All I have for now.
Well I'm very glad to have it to add to the thread collection here, @Thunderfinger.
I understand that it's a bit of an esoteric topic, as fascinating as it is! :)
Never mind, just know that you are very special to us now.
...are all things that you are not?
You're an illegal? I'm phoning Donald Trump right away!
Good call. :))
I am not quite that extreme...yet!
Kenya nationwide blackout caused by rogue monkey
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36475667
last week ? ;)