Ever gotten a shock from standard US house voltage, 120V? How bad?

[lxskllr]

A few times at 120v. The worst I've been shocked was actually from an electric fence. I was lifting a wet log in winter, and my hands were already kind of numb, so I didn't notice I was pulling it against an electric fence. My wrists started "buzzing", and I looked back at what I was doing. My fingers tingled for about an hour afterward, and my heart felt weird for awhile.

 

[MayorOfAmerica]

It's not the heat, it's the humidity.

 

[Rubycon]

A few times at 120v. The worst I've been shocked was actually from an electric fence. I was lifting a wet log in winter, and my hands were already kind of numb, so I didn't notice I was pulling it against an electric fence. My wrists started "buzzing", and I looked back at what I was doing. My fingers tingled for about an hour afterward, and my heart felt weird for awhile.

I always wondered about the tales of men who actually pee on the wire. :biggrin:

OP: What is hose voltage? You know it's bad to have voltage in your pipes!

 

[Red Squirrel]

I think what plays a big role is the contact with your skin. With very dry skin there's so much resistance not enough amps get drawn. If you wet your finger and stick it in the plug it's probably much more dangerous than dry fingers. In fact where I work it's very dry. I was playing with 9 volt batteries and I had 13 of em lined up before I could finally feel a little tingle. Then I licked my finger and OMFG. Was around over 120V when I had measured it. They were brand new batteries and were reading more than 9 volts.

I've gotten my fair share of 120v shocks. Those will really wake you up. I would not say that it hurts, it's just a really weird and fast jolt feeling and it leaves numbness behind.

I've never experienced 240. I was asking an electrician who works with 600v if he's ever got nailed by it. He said "it makes you sit down". With a "trust me, don't try this at home" face. lol.

The more voltage, the more amps get pumped into you, so voltage does play a big role too. Your body is basically like a big resistor so when you get a shock it will draw some amps (which go through you) based on the resistance. As the voltage goes up, the amps go up too because of ohm's law. At least that's how I understand it, maybe I'm wrong. There's also other factors like if you are getting shocked from finger to finger, arm to arm, arm to leg etc... I think arm to opposing leg is the most dangerous.

 

[lxskllr]

I always wondered about the tales of men who actually pee on the wire. :biggrin:

Log.. Hmm...

You're very charitable. I'm not sure I'd use that description :^D

 

[Modelworks]

Speaking of secondary reactions to shocks...

I remember well a story of a TV tech that was poking in a set and got hit from the charge stored in the CRT itself. He lunged back pulling his hand so fast he slashed his arm up so badly on the plastic shroud that he required stitching up!

When I was doing warranty work the first thing you always did when you were going to have to pull a board was discharge the crt. The tool we used for that scared the secretary because it looked like something a utility worker would use to repair power lines.

done right it makes no sound at all, done wrong it sounds like someone popped a balloon.

 

[Red Squirrel]

When I was doing warranty work the first thing you always did when you were going to have to pull a board was discharge the crt. The tool we used for that scared the secretary because it looked like something a utility worker would use to repair power lines.

done right it makes no sound at all, done wrong it sounds like someone popped a balloon.

You insert that WHERE?!? D:

 

[Modelworks]

I think what plays a big role is the contact with your skin. With very dry skin there's so much resistance not enough amps get drawn. If you wet your finger and stick it in the plug it's probably much more dangerous than dry fingers. In fact where I work it's very dry. I was playing with 9 volt batteries and I had 13 of em lined up before I could finally feel a little tingle. Then I licked my finger and OMFG. Was around over 120V when I had measured it. They were brand new batteries and were reading more than 9 volts.

The amount of current available at the contact point also has a lot to do with it. Grabbing a small gauge wire will not be as bad as grabbing a large one because the smaller wire is limited in the amount of current it can deliver in such a short time. Grab a charged up capacitor though and be prepared to yell because it can discharge everything all at once.

 

[Rubycon]

Lifting, wet, log, and numb in the same sentence! What could go wrong?!

Speaking of voltage those so called stun guns pushing 750kV+.

The current is in the microamp range but again a body member shorts it right out.

Now imagine having higher current in the 1000 ampere range. You can search for videos on youtube taken in Russia where vandals are dragging wires up to transmission lines carrying these potentials. A person's body would go boom like a flash squib tossed in a Bessemer converter...

 

[eldorado99]

I did that in high school.
I was setting the points in my Mustang. The gf was sitting in the car bumping over the ignition to get the points up on the lobe. I put the feeler gauge in between the points to set them. She had forgot to turn off the key.
I got zapped and I jerked my arm back as hard as I could and jammed my funny bone on the hood latch. That hurt more than the ignition.

Count me in on this one. I always wear gloves when fucking with the dist. cap on my old Caddy now.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Not sure if serious particularly the bolded part!

At 12V the skin offers such a high resistance that so little current flows that a person won't feel it. As the voltage increases this changes. This is precisely why you don't use toasters while bathing.



At 40kV 99% of the available current will flow through your body. Ignition systems have currents much lower than a household outlet - in the milliamp range. This just proves how LITTLE current is actually required.

Touch the secondary of an angry MOT (Microwave Oven Transformer) - and it WILL kill you. Despite it being a relatively puny 2kV its 1/2 AMP current will put 1000W through your body and you will flop around like a catfish in a canoe, lose control of bladder and bowel functions and stop breathing.

Im friends with an older appliance repairman who said this is a mistake you make not more than once, he said it either kills you makes you be damn sure you never do it again. He said he once did it and only remembers waking up a few minutes later on his back

 

[Q]

In high school I stuck a finger in an open socket by accident (leaning back in a chair, using hand to hold me up = open socket) and it felt really weird, took me a second to realize what I did. Arm felt numb but I'm still alive.

 

[Q]

Also, watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_1T2_l43Xo

 

[Locut0s]

Touch the secondary of an angry MOT (Microwave Oven Transformer) - and it WILL kill you. Despite it being a relatively puny 2kV its 1/2 AMP current will put 1000W through your body and you will flop around like a catfish in a canoe, lose control of bladder and bowel functions and stop breathing.

Im friends with an older appliance repairman who said this is a mistake you make not more than once, he said it either kills you makes you be damn sure you never do it again. He said he once did it and only remembers waking up a few minutes later on his back

I took apart an old microwave a while back so that I could throw out the parts individually. I saw and touched the transformer I know that much. It had been sitting in the garage for a long time though. How long do these parts hold a deadly charge? Did I cheat death?

 

[IcePickFreak]

Got hit with 110v once when swapping out a water heater in an old farm house we rented out. The electrical system left a lot to be desired and was pretty much a hit and miss game. It's a pretty good wake-up.

The worst I've felt though is like a few others and got hit with an ignition coil a couple of times. My arm was shaking for a bit after those.

 

[Modelworks]

I took apart an old microwave a while back so that I could throw out the parts individually. I saw and touched the transformer I know that much. It had been sitting in the garage for a long time though. How long do these parts hold a deadly charge?

The transformers don't hold a charge. The capacitor does. Usually an oval shape and bright aluminum colored. Newer microwaves often have a resistor on the caps to discharge them over time, but not always. Without the resistor they can hold a charge for years.

 

[Locut0s]

Also, watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_1T2_l43Xo

Yeah I've seen that before.

 

[Locut0s]

The transformers don't hold a charge. The capacitor does. Usually an oval shape and bright aluminum colored. Newer microwaves often have a resistor on the caps to discharge them over time, but not always. Without the resistor they can hold a charge for years.

Yeah I worked with the cap too:

Note to self, that was stupid, don't do again.

 

[Rubycon]

That cap (pictured) has an integral bleeding resistor so it won't hold a dangerous charge for long. It's always a good idea to test before handling to be sure.

Better microwaves are using inverter power supplies increasing efficiency and offering much better control over power. (no more pesky duty cycling of the magnetron) Should be healthier as well.

 

[Locut0s]

That cap (pictured) has an integral bleeding resistor so it won't hold a dangerous charge for long. It's always a good idea to test before handling to be sure.

Better microwaves are using inverter power supplies increasing efficiency and offering much better control over power. (no more pesky duty cycling of the magnetron) Should be healthier as well.

I can't remember what the one I took out of out microwave said on it. Might have had a resistor, might not. How would you test it?

 

[Rubycon]

I can't remember what the one I took out of out microwave said on it. Might have had a resistor, might not. How would you test it?

Very carefully.

Actually you can use a commonly available digital multimeter. Set it for DC at a high range or auto. Caps with resistors will show a fairly fast drop in voltage once the source (charging) is removed. An unprotected cap can retain a charge for a while. Also using the crowbar method (screwdriver across terminals, etc.) to discharge a cap isn't a guarantee that it's done on the first try! You have to do it several times a minute apart. The bleeding resistor prevents this.

 

[Jeff7]

Not sure if serious particularly the bolded part!

At 12V the skin offers such a high resistance that so little current flows that a person won't feel it. As the voltage increases this changes. This is precisely why you don't use toasters while bathing.
...

I must have eternally sweaty hands or something.

I remember feeling a damn strong buzz off of the 18VAC output terminals of my old train transformer on more than one occasion. At least it felt strong at the time....I might have been 11 then.

 

[AlienCraft]

Speaking of secondary reactions to shocks...

I remember well a story of a TV tech that was poking in a set and got hit from the charge stored in the CRT itself. He lunged back pulling his hand so fast he slashed his arm up so badly on the plastic shroud that he required stitching up!

A shock on a ladder can result in a fatal fall. It's not always the electricity that kills directly. Of course removing the primary hazard would prevent these casualties.

There are a couple of really big capacitors in a flyback circuit that will also hold a big charge a long time.. They'll make you see god. We used to charge up smaller ones in out high school Color Tv Repair class, bend the leads back and flip them to the jocks who were conditioned to catch anything tossed in their direction. Hijinks ensue.

 

[destrekor]

Not sure if serious particularly the bolded part!

At 12V the skin offers such a high resistance that so little current flows that a person won't feel it. As the voltage increases this changes. This is precisely why you don't use toasters while bathing.



At 40kV 99% of the available current will flow through your body. Ignition systems have currents much lower than a household outlet - in the milliamp range. This just proves how LITTLE current is actually required.

Touch the secondary of an angry MOT (Microwave Oven Transformer) - and it WILL kill you. Despite it being a relatively puny 2kV its 1/2 AMP current will put 1000W through your body and you will flop around like a catfish in a canoe, lose control of bladder and bowel functions and stop breathing.

Isn't something like 25 or 50mA a lethal current if paired with a certain voltage?

That's what's funny. You can survive 1,000,000 volts but turn around and have 24 volts kill you (other factors at play, of course). And flip it around too, you can survive 40 Amps, yet meet an untimely demise thanks to 10 mA.

 

[CrazyAznDriver]

What voltage is this? http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2ea_1307923206 obviously nsfw