BBC News - Alexa tells 10-year-old girl to touch live plug with penny.

Good grief. Something bonkers that was going around on Tik Tok aparently. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-59810383

Tik Tok challenges seem to be the rage among the youngsters!  Just another gene-pool cleanser IMHO!  Tide-pod challenge, Tablespoon of cinnamon challenge, hold your breath until you pass out challenge, just to name a few! 😳

Sort of like the "I double-dog dare you to stick your tongue on the frozen metal pole" dare!

Not sure if this was in the US or UK, we have 240 volt supplies here. I understand that you guys in the US have lower voltage usually.

Either way, frightening. Lower voltage US supplies can kill too. 

110 volts at 60 hertz.  Yes, ouch that hurts!

8 hours ago, martin-w said:

Not sure if this was in the US or UK, we have 240 volt supplies here. I understand that you guys in the US have lower voltage usually.

Actually, everyone in the U.S. has 240 volt service, although the breaker box will divide the service by half to provide 120 volts to all wall outlets in the building. Both the hot wires are used to power 240 volt service for dryers, air conditioners, stoves, et cetra.

Nonetheless, that stupid Tik-Tok "challenge" is very dangerous. I do hope no one was foolish enough to try it! 

Come to think of it, such a challenge ought to be criminal... 🤬

 

12 hours ago, n4gix said:

Actually, everyone in the U.S. has 240 volt service, although the breaker box will divide the service by half to provide 120 volts to all wall outlets in the building. Both the hot wires are used to power 240 volt service for dryers, air conditioners, stoves, et cetra.

 

Oh right. Most are single phase 240 volt here. I guess you'd call it a hybrid system with radial circuits for heating, lights, water heaters etc but ring final circuits for sockets. Rings were introduced just after the war to save copper. Nothing stopping an electrician rewiring with radials though, the regs permit it. Most stick to what they know though and that's ring's. Bit bonkers really as testing becomes more complex. And issues can arise regarding broken rings, then you end up with two radials and undersized cable. On the whole it works well though.

Do you have GFCI outlets (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) over there?

23 minutes ago, n4gix said:

Do you have GFCI outlets (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) over there?

 

Older consumer units (fuse boards) are equiped with one or two RCD's. Residual Current Devices's. (Different name for your GFCI)  Usually protecting the ring final circuits, showers etc. But not lighting. And MCB's on each circuit. (Micro Circuit Breaker)

More modern consumer units are equipped with RCBO's that serve the function of an RCD, residual current detection, electric shock and fire protection, plus protect against overloads. RCBO's replace some or  all of the MCB' and RCD's, so they can be on each circuit.

https://www.consumerunitworld.co.uk/choosing-a-consumer-unit-343-c.asp

Plus of course we can buy sockets with built in RCD's and various products like extension leads with RCD's. Not that you need it if the consumer unit has an RCD or RCBO for that circuit.

Surge protection is also available for consumer units now too.

 

Edited December 30, 20214 yr by martin-w

Thanks for the link. I now am better educated on the subject. 

This is a typical GFCI outlet that is mandated to be used in any outlet within six feet of a water source (such as kitchen and bathroom sinks. The black button is used to test the GFCI and the red button will reset the breaker. The main advantage is that the fault is nearly instantaneous and affect only that one outlet, allowing other outlets on that circuit to continue working. The only really weird thing about the electrical code in the U.S. is that the color of the wires jackets aren't what one might expect! Black is the "hot wire", White is the "neutral" and bare copper is the "ground."

In most electronics, Red is "hot" and Black is "neutral / ground." 😶

Pretty much the same for us, if water is involved, like an electric shower for example, or power to a garden, RCD's are mandatory. Also, if cable is buried in a wall, less than 2 inches deep it must be protected by an RCD. As I say, all ring final circuits are these days anyway. External cable to a garden needs to be armored cable plus RCD.

Our GFCI's/RCD's are mostly in the consumer unit/fuse board, so not usually any need for devices like you show.

Your wiring colour codes are weird. Our old system used to be red for live, black for neutral and bare copper for Earth. Earth/ground is now technically referred to as CPC. Its bare copper in the sheath, but once exposed, for example in a socket back box it must be covered in Earth/CPC sleeving which was green and yellow striped with the old system.

The colour codes changed a while back to match our flexes, so now it's brown for live, blue for neutral and green and yellow striped for earth.

 

"Electric Shower"??  Is that like throwing a toaster into the bathtub? 😳  Shocking!

40 minutes ago, charliearon said:

"Electric Shower"??  Is that like throwing a toaster into the bathtub? 😳  Shocking!

 

That's what we in the UK call them. What do you call them in the US... "device powered by electricity that warms water and then sprinkles water onto one's body"?

I know you like to be descriptive, as in sidewalk, so people know it's on the side and you walk on it. We just say pavement. 

Lessee......Water heaters (gas or electric) heat the water and copper, pex, or galvanized pipes run through the walls of the house, apartment, condo, or whatever, and deliver the water under about 55-60 lbs pressure to faucets, showers, toilets (loo).  🚽 🚿 

17 minutes ago, charliearon said:

Lessee......Water heaters (gas or electric) heat the water and copper, pex, or galvanized pipes run through the walls of the house, apartment, condo, or whatever, and deliver the water under about 55-60 lbs pressure to faucets, showers, toilets (loo).  🚽 🚿 

 

That's a very long name for an electric shower. What's the acronym?

S-H-O-W-E-R   turn on faucet, step in, and get wet!

Just curious, Martin....Does the electric shower both heat and then pump the water to the shower head?  Are you on a well or city/town water system?