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Yikes. Don't unplug appliances from the mains when they're switched on (pics!)

M

Mark R

Diamond Member
Always switch off the little switch on the socket first.

Well, this was always one of those pieces of advice that you choose to ignore, because nothing ever happens.

Well, I'd just finished my ironing, and went to unplug the iron from the power-strip it was plugged into. As I removed the plug, there was a loud bang, and a bright blue flash from underneath my hand. This was accompanied by everything on the power-strip powering down, which to my chagrin, included my PC.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the fuse in the power-strip's plug had blown, but that in the iron's plug remained intact. There was also evidence of significant flash damage to both the
plug and power strip.

I'm not quite sure what happened, because I do this every day - but presumably, as I removed the plug, it set up a small arc between the prong and the socket - which today, unfortunately, managed to ignite a much larger arc between the live and neutral of the socket - thereby blowing the fuse.
 
The same thing happened to me with my PC's power strip. Didn't damage anything but the power strip thankfully, but the blue flash and noise scared the sh!t out of me.
 
How would that be different from unplugging it from a wall socket where there isn't a switch? Sounds to me like something got on it that caused it to short as it was unplugged..
 
that's why i hate PSU's with no power switch that are hooked into motherboards with on-after-power-failure. plug it in and "SNAP." nice blue flash.
 
You stupid non-North Americans. Use 120vAC. It's so much safer. You can run 120v over the nipples and still survive. 220 is much scarier. 😛

120v@20A = 2.4kW
220v@20A = 4.8kW. You probably don't use 4.8kW in your entire damn euro-house, much less on one circuit.11
 
Originally posted by: EyeMWing
You stupid non-North Americans. Use 120vAC. It's so much safer. You can run 120v over the nipples and still survive. 220 is much scarier. 😛

120v@20A = 2.4kW
220v@20A = 4.8kW. You probably don't use 4.8kW in your entire damn euro-house, much less on one circuit.11
Click to expand...

maybe they use 10 amp fuses?
 
We use 13A fuses in each plug (except for low-drain appliances - e.g. a DVD player would be fitted with a 3A fuse in the plug, and a something like a food processor might use a 5A fuse).

Circuits within a house are usually 'ring mains', where multiple sockets are connected in a loop, with both ends connecting to the breaker. Typically, domestic circuits are fused at 30A (or fitted with breakers at 32A).

High drain appliances have their own circuits - e.g. 32A circuit for a cooker, or 50A for a shower.
 
Originally posted by: Spencer278
Originally posted by: EyeMWing
You stupid non-North Americans. Use 120vAC. It's so much safer. You can run 120v over the nipples and still survive. 220 is much scarier. 😛

120v@20A = 2.4kW
220v@20A = 4.8kW. You probably don't use 4.8kW in your entire damn euro-house, much less on one circuit.11
Click to expand...

maybe they use 10 amp fuses?
Click to expand...

Heh. See above post. They actually use 32A circuits - I lowballed. American electricity is elegant - the rest of the world just brute forces it with high voltages and high currents.
 
It was probably due to very specific conditions in the atmosphere of the room at the time.

It allowed the electricity to arc.
 
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