Things some idiot got wrong and now can't be put right

[Profpointy]

View attachment 353076 before I plug my guitar in is this right

That would actually work if you've still got and old fashioned fuse box. I recommend you don't try it though.

I did hear of a beauty where someone had a complete socket circuit installed which hadn't actually been wired in or was on a blown cirtuit. Temporary fix was a wire with a plug on both ends; one plug into a working socket, and other end into the unconnected circuit. Voila, other set of sockets now work Problem was when the other circuit was fixe, and the extra plug removed. You now have a wire with a plug on the end where the exposed pins are live. A wonder no one was killed but I believe someone had a belt off it.

 

[swansonj]

Neutral is very close to earth so effectively neutral = 0v and live = 0-230v

Neutral is very close to earth and can indeed be regarded as being at 0 V. But the phase wire (colloquially and pretty universally called the live wire) goes from 0 up to 325 V, back through 0, down to 325 V the other way, back to 0, and repeat every fiftieth of a second. 230 gets into the act because it's the average of that variation (using one particular averaging method) - it kind of makes sense that the average has to be less than the maximum.

 

[subaqua]

Neutral is very close to earth and can indeed be regarded as being at 0 V. But the phase wire (colloquially and pretty universally called the live wire) goes from 0 up to 325 V, back through 0, down to 325 V the other way, back to 0, and repeat every fiftieth of a second. 230 gets into the act because it's the average of that variation (using one particular averaging method) - it kind of makes sense that the average has to be less than the maximum.

Shall we really confuse people with phases being 120 degrees apart and other elastictrickery stuff like why it's the r.m.s value .....

 

[wheresthetorch]

I have an electricity question. I've received a mains shock twice - why didn't I die?

 

[Profpointy]

swan beat me to it.

Earth is only 0V because that's what we choose to measure other voltages against ie we define 0V to be Earth for the purposes we're discussing rather than it being a measure. Voltage is potential difference rather than absolute

 

[subaqua]

That would actually work if you've still got and old fashioned fuse box. I recommend you don't try it though.

I did hear of a beauty where someone had a complete socket circuit installed which hadn't actually been wired in or was on a blown cirtuit. Temporary fix was a wire with a plug on both ends; one plug into a working socket, and other end into the unconnected circuit. Voila, other set of sockets now work Problem was when the other circuit was fixe, and the extra plug removed. You now have a wire with a plug on the end where the exposed pins are live. A wonder no one was killed but I believe someone had a belt off it.

Try broken neutrals on the DNO network . And wondering why on a 230V system there are voltages in excess of 400V and in excess of 50A flowing in the main protective conductor . I know why BTW. It's just very strange when it happens and defies logic

 

[subaqua]

I have an electricity question. I've received a mains shock twice - why didn't I die?

Luck

 

[Dayvo]

I have an electricity question. I've received a mains shock twice - why didn't I die?

You did. Haven't you seen Sixth Sense?

 

[Profpointy]

Try broken neutrals on the DNO network . And wondering why on a 230V system there are voltages in excess of 400V and in excess of 50A flowing in the main protective conductor . I know why BTW. It's just very strange when it happens and defies logic

I was trying to debug some mains wiring with my high input impedance multimeter and I was getting all sorts of quite high voltages on so say neatral wires. I kind of understand why, but confused me for a bit.

 

[subaqua]

swan beat me to it.

Earth is only 0V because that's what we choose to measure other voltages against ie we define 0V to be Earth for the purposes we're discussing rather than it being a measure. Voltage is potential difference rather than absolute

Neutral is " zero" as in the U.K. LV distribution system the star point is legally required to be referenced to Earth .

ESQCR 2002 Reg 8 clause 3 (b) yes I am sad enough to know that.

 

[subaqua]

I was trying to debug some mains wiring with my high input impedance multimeter and I was getting all sorts of quite high voltages on so say neatral wires. I kind of understand why, but confused me for a bit.

If the " N" is not connected you are measuring a " L" conductor

 

[wheresthetorch]

You did. Haven't you seen Sixth Sense?

I'm quite scared now.

 

[mjr]

I am colour blind and I now just realise that some plugs that come with a red wire are really brown

I commend the "Color Namer" Android app to you - it's a big help (unless looking at OS maps apparently )

 

[Profpointy]

If the " N" is not connected you are measuring a " L" conductor

I think it was a a connected neutral rather tha live as I was getting 100V or so.

 

[winjim]

Shall we really confuse people with phases being 120 degrees apart and other elastictrickery stuff like why it's the r.m.s value .....

Crack on. It's all interesting.