What A Shocking Work Day

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Was already in a grumbly mood about having to work outside today. It is freaking raining hard as hell down here, and electrictity and water go great together. Still though it could be worse I think to myself. I'm used to working in the rain and other less than ideal conditions. It goes with the trade. Anyway, the main part of the job I need to get done is fixing some lighting in the marquee over the front of the restraunt. No biggie except I have to climb into from the access holes mounted on top. I catch a break in the rain and drop through a hole into the sign. Working by feel I get the three lamps popped in and hop out and power it back up. Nothing, Nada, Zilch. So I gotta go back into said marquee again. Opening the middle access, I start to climb back into the sign. Now this sign runs off its own 120Volt sub panel which is mounted to the sign. It has 4 ckts. for incandescent lamps, 2 ckts. for florescent lamps (which was what I was doing today), and 9 ckts running neon lamps. Yes its that big. Anyway, while climbing into said sign my pant leg rolled up on my right leg some. As I set that foot down and was climbing off the built in step ladder my calf made contact with the secondary from a neon transformer. (someone installed it and just set it on top of the enclosure instead of putting it back in like the were supposed to.) I took all 15kv from that wretched little box into my right calf and out my left arm. My friends it was pain beyond pain. Pain of which I have never experienced before and hope to never again. I honestly wanted to die. It lasted about four seconds, and that was enough for me for a life time. Oh and theres no damage to myself just two small red spots on my leg.

Now for a little info on neon lighting. Neon runs off of a transformer, as I have already stated. In order to make it illuminate it takes high voltage and thusly uses low amperage. By increasing voltage you lower amperage. The typical transformers in big signs push between 6kv and 15kv. But only use 30-60millie amps. Also with a transformer you have primary and secondary windings. In this case the primary feed is 120volts and the secondary output is 15000volts.

[roadwarrior]

I know nothing, but shouldn't the power be "off" when you work with anything electrical?

[Raider Nation Fisher]

I know nothing, but shouldn't the power be "off" when you work with anything electrical?

Depending on the circumstances generally yes. Again that depends on what type of work is being done to it. In this case the store required either the neon or the florescents and incandescents to remain hot. Being I was working on the florescent lamps and the locations of the incandescent lamps they were turned off. The neon with the exception of this transformer. Was at a distance that contact should not have been a problem.

[OHIO]

Man, you're lucky it was low amperage.

Those are what'll get ya.

[.ghoti.]

You sir are lucky. 15k, across the path you described is enough to stop your heart. It only takes 20mA to do that.

[slonezp]

Awwww. Be a man. Police tasers are 50,000v.

Nothing like a little tickle to remind you to be careful. I get reminded all the time. That idiot who didn't put the transformer back into the enclosure should be fired.

glad you're ok

[Senkoman12]

Awwww. Be a man. Police tasers are 50,000v.

Nothing like a little tickle to remind you to be careful. I get reminded all the time. That idiot who didn't put the transformer back into the enclosure should be fired.

glad you're ok

yeah but they have low amperage. like ghoti said only 20mA and your dead. your 20amp outlet at home can kill you in a heartbeat

[Fishing Rhino]

Ohm I goodness. Talk about current events. I cannot imagine watt was going through your mind.

[Jigfishn10]

I'm glad you're all right, Raider. I've gotten zapped by a 20 amp circuit in the past and didn't like it one bit, but I can't believe that an electrician would be that lazy and not put a transformer back where it belongs. I've been in construction for a long time and think that some, not all, electricians are lazy. Those lazy ones should never be in the trade and give the trade a bad name. Pull their license and let them flip burgers. There is no need for that crap!

[slonezp]

yeah but they have low amperage. like ghoti said only 20mA and your dead. your 20amp outlet at home can kill you in a heartbeat

Trust me. There is no disrespect to the OP(Hence the emoticon in my post). I'm well aware of the dangers of electricity. I work with 24v-480v 3 phase every day. It's kind of a "term of endearment" for guys in the trades(I'm a commercial refrigeration mechanic). If someone gets hurt, once we find out he's ok, the razzing begins.

3 years ago I wrote up some work on a panel to have done by an electrician for a customer who owned a refrigerated warehouse. My boss, who did not look at the job, insisted I do the work myself, to save the customer money. I refused. He sent another guy out who is lucky to be alive today. Screwdriver slipped. He took out the main and the transformer outside, and walked away with a story to tell the grandkids. To this day we still razz him.

[zip pow]

I did the same thing on the front of a mexican restaurant. Three years ago it only cost 25000 to cap crown and fill all my teeth. just glad your ok

[Senkoman12]

Trust me. There is no disrespect to the OP(Hence the emoticon in my post). I'm well aware of the dangers of electricity. I work with 24v-480v 3 phase every day. It's kind of a "term of endearment" for guys in the trades(I'm a commercial refrigeration mechanic). If someone gets hurt, once we find out he's ok, the razzing begins.

3 years ago I wrote up some work on a panel to have done by an electrician for a customer who owned a refrigerated warehouse. My boss, who did not look at the job, insisted I do the work myself, to save the customer money. I refused. He sent another guy out who is lucky to be alive today. Screwdriver slipped. He took out the main and the transformer outside, and walked away with a story to tell the grandkids. To this day we still razz him.

i figured you were kidding because of emoticon but i didnt know if you were aware of why tazers dont kill and outlets do

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Ohm I goodness. Talk about current events. I cannot imagine watt was going through your mind.

Well played sir. Very well played.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Trust me. There is no disrespect to the OP(Hence the emoticon in my post). I'm well aware of the dangers of electricity. I work with 24v-480v 3 phase every day. It's kind of a "term of endearment" for guys in the trades(I'm a commercial refrigeration mechanic). If someone gets hurt, once we find out he's ok, the razzing begins.

3 years ago I wrote up some work on a panel to have done by an electrician for a customer who owned a refrigerated warehouse. My boss, who did not look at the job, insisted I do the work myself, to save the customer money. I refused. He sent another guy out who is lucky to be alive today. Screwdriver slipped. He took out the main and the transformer outside, and walked away with a story to tell the grandkids. To this day we still razz him.

That is so true. We had an electrician that I worked with at my last company that we called Smokey. Him and another two electricians were working a shut down at a pharm plant we built, I was on vacation that week so I wasnt around. Anyway he had a 480 volt 8000 amp switch gear arc out in his face. Put him in the burn unit for a couple weeks. Kept him outta work for about six months also. He joked about it after he got back and said he was one of the only electricians that could say they shut down five city blocks worth of industrial plants and warehouses with his face, and lived to tell about it. Hence how he got the name Smokey.

[Red]

I have had a few minor zaps in my lifetime. The one I will never forget is when I was plugging the clothes dryer for my dad, he couldn't fit behind it or something, don't really remember. Anyway, I must have had some skin touching the prongs on that big plug cuz that sucker knocked the crap out of me!! I think I was 11 or 12 years old.

Cliff

[Fat-G]

One time I pressed the button on a shock pen....

Just kidding, glad you're alright homie. Sounds to me like another pawn shop trip is in order...

[NorcalBassin]

Yikes... glad you're alright. We had a neighbor that lost their son-n-law last year while working for PG&E. You just never know with electricity. Count your blessings.

[clayton86]

I like getting zapped lol been tazzed numerous times never for doing wrong just the idiot who raises his hand and volunteers to get tazzed during training or when the security and law class at work has the troopers come talk bout less lethal.

Iv also been fried by a car neon transformer left like a little tattoo on my finger where it arced.

[Sam]

Glad you are OK.

Would have hated to lose you as I would not have anyone to talk football smack with this coming season.

Did you have a flashlight with you?

[scrutch]

You are a lucky man. Glad you are ok. I watched a coworker grab a handfull of a 138,000 volt static charge onetime. We were building a tower line and had the conductors temporarily deadended on a D8 Cat. Everyone knew to approach the cat using the rubber mat that we had on the ground. An apprentice walked up and grabbed the conductors for some stupid reason. We estimated there was over 100,000 volts of induced voltage from another nearby tower line in that line when he grabbed it. Fortunately no amperage. He flopped around like a fish for a few seconds and the only thing injured was his pride. We didn't razz him at all...no not at all...

[Ratherbfishing]

Glad you're okay. I know just enough about electricity to be dangerous and stay far away from it.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Glad you are OK.

Would have hated to lose you as I would not have anyone to talk football smack with this coming season.

Did you have a flashlight with you?

Yup sure did. It was my SureFire too. Even then I still failed to notice that evil little box sitting there.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

You are a lucky man. Glad you are ok. I watched a coworker grab a handfull of a 138,000 volt static charge onetime. We were building a tower line and had the conductors temporarily deadended on a D8 Cat. Everyone knew to approach the cat using the rubber mat that we had on the ground. An apprentice walked up and grabbed the conductors for some stupid reason. We estimated there was over 100,000 volts of induced voltage from another nearby tower line in that line when he grabbed it. Fortunately no amperage. He flopped around like a fish for a few seconds and the only thing injured was his pride. We didn't razz him at all...no not at all...

Dang it boy. Gives a whole new meaning to getting your teeth rattled right there.

[Bluebasser86]

I like getting zapped lol been tazzed numerous times never for doing wrong just the idiot who raises his hand and volunteers to get tazzed during training or when the security and law class at work has the troopers come talk bout less lethal.

Iv also been fried by a car neon transformer left like a little tattoo on my finger where it arced.

Why in the world would you volunteer to get tased?? I've crossed wires and been drive stunned along with taking the ride in the academy but for the life of me I can't imagine why you'd voluteer to do it just cause?? I'd still rather be tased than sprayed again but still, why man?

[GLADES]

Glad you are OK.

I got shocked cutting into a circular saw power cord when I was a teenager. I couldn't get my hand to let go of the saw, so I had to throw it down. I am super careful around electricity because of that stupid incident.

I agree about some electricians(industrial) being lazy, plus they are very sloppy leaving their cuttings, blown fuses, and blown modules everywhere.