ECN Forum Forums Technical Discussion Electrical Theory and Applications path of least resistance

Hey guys,

Pardon the lack of involvement - I was sitting back watching this thread and the various replies by everyone, but didn't want to spoil anything by posting a long winded message.
Responses are good. Enjoyed reading all of them.
I've got a little story that fits right in line with the "hot water", but first I have to comment on the TV angle!!

Bill, I'm going to try [like Steve] to get away with watching Baywatch without hearing too much static. I've got to see that one!! My Father is a Die-Hard Baywatch - er, maybe he has seen it.. I'll ask.

The first thing that popped into my head was just how much that De Fib pulse would piss off an electric Eel!! Those Eels push a full 1 ampere at upto 800 volts!! and maybe as long as 5 seconds!! [they mentioned all this at Sea World, but someone sneezed when the guide was saying for how long of a duration - sounded like upto 5 seconds].
They blast each other when fighting, so maybe the De Fib pulses would make one go away??
Just seems like the Eel's going to laugh and show that person what a real shocking experience is like

Gosh, I just love the mixture of TV and Electrical stuff!!!

Squad 51 was at someone's house trying to save this guy's life after he got barbequed while tinkering with the Electric Range. While they were explaining the situation to "Rampart", they just had to say "220"!!
Quote: " Rampart, we have a victim of Electric shock - possibly by 220".
I figured if the joker wasn't satisfied with the shock from one hot - or the lack of shock if he wasn't connecting to ground [EGC, metal frame or the concrete slab?], then he deserves to get fried by grabbing the other hot!!

Another one is the famous quote from the movie "Mr. Mom" when his Wife's new Boss came to pick her up - the part about the room addition.
Quote:
[boss] So, you're going to redo the wiring??
[Mr. Mom] Oh, Ya.
[Boss] So, are you going to wire it all with 220??
[Mr. Mom] Oh, Ya - 220, 221 - whatever it takes.

There's a million of 'em - enough to start an entire newsgroup forum on!!

What are some of your favorites?? [this goes out to the entire group].

Anyhow, here's the story.

When I was in 4th grade, there was a little pond made from a 3 or 4 foot diameter kid's plastic pool, which was placed in the ground so that the top lip was flush to the grade. In this pond were a few fish, plus some real cool little frogs. There was a small 120 VAC pump that recirculated water.

One evening I was watching the frogs. The pump was on. As I would lean a certain way, the frogs would suddenly stretch out both front legs and both hind legs. When I would move back, they would go back to their normal relaxed state. Happened a few more times, so I [like a 4th grade moron!!] decided to pick one up to see what that was all about.
Didn't take too long to figure it out, once my hand touched the water's surface!

What was happening when I leaned that certain way was I had pushed a twig, which also pushed a frayed / cracked part of the cord from the pump, into the water.
The water contained dirt and whatever else ran in there from rains [plus fish and frog poop].
Current flowed in all possible directions through the water, then into the moist dirt below the pool.
Even though the pool was plastic, all the dirt and stuff that washed into the pond - plus the grasses that grew into the pond - created multiple points for current to flow out of the pond and into the dirt [earth].
The currents were definitely low [not enough to trip a breaker, but high enough to trip a 6-10 ma GFCI - there wasn't a GFCI protecting it - yet!!].

The poor frogs were just caught right in the middle of these multiple current flow paths!


The moral[s] of the story:

1: If there's a path for current to flow to, which is in some kind of direct contact with water containing minerals [hard water, salts, dirt, metallic stuff like rust, magnesium, calcium, etc.] and a person / living creature gets in series with that current flow, that person / creature will receive a shock! The shock will continue until the current flow has been stopped from flowing through that contact [GFCI trips, Radio gets thrown out, person / creature manages to jump out {not too likely}, conduction path changes, etc.].
Boy, now that's got to be a real bad one!! OUCH!!!

2: When you see frogs in lilly ponds suddenly "stretch" their legs and keep them real stiff - plus do not try to get away from you, the best thing NOT TO DO is to play Squad 51 and reach in to grab them!!
I know this from experience!!

3: If being chased by Electric Eels, forget the De-Fibulator!! Just get the heck out of the water!! The De-Fib thingee is just going to pulse the surges of current between the pads. If the Eel is caught between the pads while the pulses are active, he might get violently pissed off and demonstrate what a real charge feels like!!

The Eel will curl it's body around whatever it's going to zap, then let loose with the fireworks!! Placing some living creature in that current flow path will result in a "Shocking Experience"

Dang Eels have natural Electrochemical cells inside of them, which connect in a series additive fashion!!

Now that's really something different!! ~:-O

Scott SET