<VV> Christmas Lights

[FrankCB at aol.com]

Frank and Arjay,
    Frank's right.  Why take chances when it's SO  easy to screw in a light 
bulb (that you know is good) or use another device for  checking out 120 volt 
circuits.  I use the light bulb method before I  disable a circuit just to make 
sure that I'm throwing the correct circuit  breaker.  If it's a wall socket, 
I just plug in a meter or a test  light to make certain it's not alive.  Then, 
as a final  check, using an insulated screwdriver (or pliers) I short out the 
two  terminals one to the other which will definitely spark and blow the 
circuit  breaker if the socket was alive.    
    We already take enough chances on the road, at the  track, at the 
"tables" or on the lottery.  Why risk more when it's so easy  to be SURE the circuit 
is dead. 
    Frank "getting too old to take chances"  Burkhard
 
In a message dated 12/1/2006 8:56:52 AM Eastern Standard Time,  
corvairduval at cox.net writes:

Arjay:

More people are killed by 120 volts than any other  voltage here in the 
United States.

Why? Because of the prevalence  of the notion that "it's only 120 volts, 
that can't be  lethal"!*

While sticking a finger in the light socket, the current path  can very 
well be across your chest if your other hand is resting on a  ground.

Remember, fatal current through the heart is only about 10  milliamps. 
That is .01 Amps.

That is all hearts, not just old bad  ones.

As has been said before, you can do what you want to kill  yourself, just 
do not pass on methods that will kill others.

Frank  DuVal


* Some think 240 volts is worthy of more respect, but here  with the 
120/240 volt system the most shocks on 240 volts is actually from  one 
hot wire to ground, which is 120 volts!


Arjay Morgan  wrote:

>  I'm sure the 110 VAC output could be dangerous to an  old man with a bad 
heart standing in a puddle of salt water with a wire in  each hand, but I was 
taught practical electricity by Harry Thomas who always  checked if a light 
socket was 'live' by sticking his finger into it. Yes, you  get a shock, but the 
electricity only flows from the tip of your finger to  about the second 
phalange, not across your chest.