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

[Locut0s]

So everyone knows not to stick a fork in the electrical socket. For those that don't know go do it NOW and get back to us. The question is on average just how dangerous are these shocks? No one would argue that the potential for death is there. However you also hear lots of stories of people doing their own wiring, maybe they turned off the wrong breaker or are doing it live, and getting nasty but relatively minor shocks. I saw an electrician on TV working on a breaker box who essentially all but said that aside from the 220v lines the rest are likely just to hurt like hell. So, what are the REAL dangers of working in and around live 120v house wiring? Assuming you are being careful and not doing something stupid like grabbing the wires while standing in a puddle of water. Say for example your screw driver accidentally completes the circuit for a fraction of a second, what's the likelihood that this kind of shock would kill you, vs just throwing the tool out of your hand violently?

Obviously the thing to do is turn the circuit off at the breaker.

Old thread revived by new member.
admin allisolm

 

[FoBoT]

once
on a submarine (US Navy)
was up on a pipe about ten feet, working on a controller
landed on my butt
no damage, just scared me

 

[olds]

Been shocked by 110 at least a dozen times. Once by 220.

 

[arcenite]

110 is child's play. I've never felt anything else, though.

Oh and, obligatory, it's the amps that matter.

110voltsx20amp = 2200watts = tingle
12voltsx660amp = 7920watts = you can weld shit with this (car battery)

 

[RedRooster]

I did a few months ago, rewiring an outlet in our basement. I'm a rookie with this sort of stuff, but it was just a simple swap, how bad could it be? After a few test runs, I forgot to turn the breaker off once, and the next time I touched it with the screwdriver, BAM! Didn't hurt while I was getting shocked or after, just very startling. Its pretty powerful, I could see easily dying if you held on, but for a half second burst its nothing.
Kinda of feels like if your whole torso was to go to sleep, except a much much more powerful feeling.

 

[Locut0s]

Been shocked by 110 at least a dozen times. Once by 220.

Yeah this is more in line with what I'm thinking the norm is. Safety regulations would have you believe that it's pure death but I've heard far to many stories of people having gotten tons of small shocks. Again this is assuming you aren't being stupid and actually trying to be careful. Death is obviously possible.

What was the 220 like? Now we are talking some serious shit.

 

[Number1]

I touched 120 yesterday, no big deal. The worst I ever got was 550 AC while I was taking a course on how to repair high power radio transmitters. Everything went black and iI let go. It took me a few minutes to recuperate from that one.

 

[dennilfloss]

According to my parents, I once did stick the proverbial fork into an outlet when I was a little kid (preschool is my guess since I have no recollection of this). Looks like I survived.

 

[olds]

Yeah this is more in line with what I'm thinking the norm is. Safety regulations would have you believe that it's pure death but I've heard far to many stories of people having gotten tons of small shocks. Again this is assuming you aren't being stupid and actually trying to be careful. Death is obviously possible.

What was the 220 like? Now we are talking some serious shit.

The 220 woke me up.
I was about 19 or 20. We were at the pool swimming, drinking and smoking pot. The was a panel there that had no cover. I was being a dumbass and showing off. I was standing on a hose in a little bit of water and I was wet from swimming. I flipped the power to off and then intended to put a finger from each hand on each lug on the load side. I put them on the line side instead. It hurt way more than 110, scared the shit out of me but I was no worse for the wear.

 

[Locut0s]

I touched 120 yesterday, no big deal. The worst I ever got was 550 AC while I was taking a course on how to repair high power radio transmitters. Everything went black and iI let go. It took me a few minutes to recuperate from that one.

550 You are lucky you COULD let go, lucky to be alive.

 

[disappoint]

40,000 volts. HEI car ignition. Was rotating distributor cap while car was running. There were no bare wires. But with 40,000 volts there doesn't have to be. The current jumped across the insulation, went through my right arm and down through my right knee and through my jeans into the car's front quarter panel (ground).

You kids and your 120 and 240 are pansies.

 

[Rubycon]

110 is child's play. I've never felt anything else, though.

Oh and, obligatory, it's the amps that matter.

110voltsx20amp = 2200watts = tingle
12voltsx660amp = 7920watts = you can weld shit with this (car battery)

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.

40,000 volts. HEI car ignition. Was rotating distributor cap while car was running. There were no bare wires. But with 40,000 volts there doesn't have to be. The current jumped across the insulation, went through my right arm and down through my right knee and through my jeans into the car's front quarter panel (ground).

You kids and your 120 and 240 are pansies.

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.

 

[Locut0s]

The 220 woke me up.
I was about 19 or 20. We were at the pool swimming, drinking and smoking pot. The was a panel there that had no cover. I was being a dumbass and showing off. I was standing on a hose in a little bit of water and I was wet from swimming. I flipped the power to off and then intended to put a finger from each hand on each lug on the load side. I put them on the line side instead. It hurt way more than 110, scared the shit out of me but I was no worse for the wear.

220, water, intentionally grabbing the hot source. Sounds like you were lucky there.

 

[Locut0s]

According to my parents, I once did stick the proverbial fork into an outlet when I was a little kid (preschool is my guess since I have no recollection of this). Looks like I survived.

But how can you be SURE you survived? :hmm:

 

[RedRooster]

40,000 volts. HEI car ignition. Was rotating distributor cap while car was running. There were no bare wires. But with 40,000 volts there doesn't have to be. The current jumped across the insulation, went through my right arm and down through my right knee and through my jeans into the car's front quarter panel (ground).

You kids and your 120 and 240 are pansies.

Ya, but how many amps?

 

[amdhunter]

Took it in the mouth when splicing some cable on an old amplifier with my teeth. Jumped back like 10 feet but no real damage.

I used to stick my fingers to touch bare prongs from time to time for fun as a kid.

 

[olds]

40,000 volts. HEI car ignition. Was rotating distributor cap while car was running. There were no bare wires. But with 40,000 volts there doesn't have to be. The current jumped across the insulation, went through my right arm and down through my right knee and through my jeans into the car's front quarter panel (ground).

You kids and your 120 and 240 are pansies.

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.

 

[Locut0s]

40,000 volts. HEI car ignition. Was rotating distributor cap while car was running. There were no bare wires. But with 40,000 volts there doesn't have to be. The current jumped across the insulation, went through my right arm and down through my right knee and through my jeans into the car's front quarter panel (ground).

You kids and your 120 and 240 are pansies.

It's not JUST about the voltage, it's a combination of the voltage and amperage that really matter. Any idea what kind of AMPs you were looking at there? With 120 house current it seems you are usually look at between 15 to 20A.

 

[Modelworks]

110VAC will kill you , anyone telling you otherwise is an idiot.
Turn off power if at all possible.
Never work on live wiring with both hands, keep one hand in your pocket to keep from accidentally grabbing something and making a complete circuit across the heart.
Always assume wires are live even if you have turned them off.

The majority of deaths from shock are not from the electricity but by the actions related to the physical reaction of the shock. On a ladder changing a light bulb, man gets shocked, startles him, he jerks back and falls off ladder. Working on a machine and shocked jerks arm and into a gear or pointed object.

I have been shocked many times and the worst was from DC current, not AC. 300VDC hurts like nothing else.

 

[arcenite]

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'll...brb.


*removes toaster from bath tub*

 

[olds]

220, water, intentionally grabbing the hot source. Sounds like you were lucky there.

I probably should have been killed but I was too stubborn.

 

[Locut0s]

Took it in the mouth when splicing some cable on an old amplifier with my teeth. Jumped back like 10 feet but no real damage.

I used to stick my fingers to touch bare prongs from time to time for fun as a kid.

You used your teeth to splice cable?

 

[olds]

You used your teeth to splice cable?

He likes to take things in the mouth.

 

[Locut0s]

110VAC will kill you , anyone telling you otherwise is an idiot.
Turn off power if at all possible.
Never work on live wiring with both hands, keep one hand in your pocket to keep from accidentally grabbing something and making a complete circuit across the heart.
Always assume wires are live even if you have turned them off.

The majority of deaths from shock are not from the electricity but by the actions related to the physical reaction of the shock. On a ladder changing a light bulb, man gets shocked, startles him, he jerks back and falls off ladder. Working on a machine and shocked jerks arm and into a gear or pointed object.

I have been shocked many times and the worst was from DC current, not AC. 300VDC hurts like nothing else.

Yeah I wasn't arguing the point that it CAN be deadly. And one should always take appropriate precautions. Just that it's usually not as deadly as you may have been lead to think.

 

[Rubycon]

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.

110VAC will kill you , anyone telling you otherwise is an idiot.
Turn off power if at all possible.
Never work on live wiring with both hands, keep one hand in your pocket to keep from accidentally grabbing something and making a complete circuit across the heart.
Always assume wires are live even if you have turned them off.

The majority of deaths from shock are not from the electricity but by the actions related to the physical reaction of the shock. On a ladder changing a light bulb, man gets shocked, startles him, he jerks back and falls off ladder. Working on a machine and shocked jerks arm and into a gear or pointed object.

I have been shocked many times and the worst was from DC current, not AC. 300VDC hurts like nothing else.