This is a first for me... Sparking EMT

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five.five-six said:
Could you explaine exactly what you mean by that? Like most of your posts that as clear as mud.
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How do you receive a "full shock"?

What is the worst possible outcome of that shock? Hint, since most of my posts are as clear as mud: insert fatal where you think it might fit.

And FWIW, my posts may just be clear as mud so you to think for yourself. It could save your life, or at least extend the quality of life you currently experience.
 
Smart $ said:
How do you receive a "full shock"?

What is the worst possible outcome of that shock? Hint, since most of my posts are as clear as mud: insert fatal where you think it might fit.

And FWIW, my posts may just be clear as mud so you to think for yourself. It could save your life, or at least extend the quality of life you currently experience.
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perhaps if you didn't speak in riddles and just say what you mean like grown men do. That would be great.
 
five.five-six said:
perhaps if you didn't speak in riddles and just say what you mean like grown men do. That would be great.
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My dialog is typically reactionary. What you get is what you bring out of me. I've been around long enough to know those who are condescending are on the opposite end of any stick they think they are holding. Is that as clear as mud for you.
 
Smart $ said:
My dialog is typically reactionary. What you get is what you bring out of me. I've been around long enough to know those who are condescending are on the opposite end of any stick they think they are holding. Is that as clear as mud for you.
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That's absolutely untrue. My questions and statements have been direct and to the point. Try speaking in direct terms instead of trying to look cool on the interwebz. If you think something I wrote is dangerous, be a man about and just come out and say what you think. It's not that hard.


Try again :)
 
five.five-six said:
All I can say is wow, I was just pointing out that you won't ALWAYS have "full voltage" and a "full shock" on an open nuter.
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And you are correct, but not for the reason you stated.

When you are in contact with an open neutral and the earth, you have created a voltage divider with the largest drop across the load with the highest impedance. In this case that would be the person, and while it will never be the full line to neutral voltage, typically the impedance difference between the loads and the person will result in almost the full line to neutral voltage being dropped across the person, but you are correct...it can never actually be the full line to neutral voltage.

You are also correct that there is no shock hazard if there is no current on the neutral....something that can happen if the loads are exactly balanced.
 
I finaly convinced the building owner to pay me to trouble shoot this problem. It's really strange. I have found 2 sparking conduits, the 2nd more recently repairing a switch with a glowing connection. today I took amperage and voltage to ground readings. It's 10 volts and 9.5 amps from one conduit to the sprinkler system. I used the sprinkler system because there's nothing in the building I trust to be ground. Anyways, this conduit, I traced it out from the place I found the potential. There are only 2 devices after this Jbox, I verified this with a fish tape. There is one circuit feeding these 2 devices (receptacles) and even with that circuit de energized, I still get the 10 volts and 9.5 amps to ground. I think I need to rip the wall open to find out what's energizing that conduit.
 
five.five-six said:
I finaly convinced the building owner to pay me to trouble shoot this problem. It's really strange. I have found 2 sparking conduits, the 2nd more recently repairing a switch with a glowing connection. today I took amperage and voltage to ground readings. It's 10 volts and 9.5 amps from one conduit to the sprinkler system. I used the sprinkler system because there's nothing in the building I trust to be ground. Anyways, this conduit, I traced it out from the place I found the potential. There are only 2 devices after this Jbox, I verified this with a fish tape. There is one circuit feeding these 2 devices (receptacles) and even with that circuit de energized, I still get the 10 volts and 9.5 amps to ground. I think I need to rip the wall open to find out what's energizing that conduit.
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Would turning off circuits until that reading goes to zero, then tracing from there work? or finding the breaker with the (extra) 9.5A draw? before walls start falling...

thx for the update; what else failed to prompt the customer to pay you five months after the initial problems?
 
JFletcher said:
Would turning off circuits until that reading goes to zero, then tracing from there work? or finding the breaker with the (extra) 9.5A draw? before walls start falling...

thx for the update; what else failed to prompt the customer to pay you five months after the initial problems?
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I don't think I will see a 9.5A draw at the CB, because it's only at 10 volts which is roughly 100 watts, so it would be more like 1 amp of draw. it's a working business and it will have to be MW work. it's hard to convince anyone that it needs to be fixed when all the lights work, nothing is smokeing, sizzling or zapping anyone at the moment....
 
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