Last nights storm

[shaman]

When i was a young bloke our house or thereabouts got hit by lightning and the hotplates on our electric stove powered up with the surge. before that happened my mum was panicking about the storm and my old dad jokingly said "don't worry until you can smell burning". Well mum used to leave the tea pot sitting on a wooden coaster thingie on the stove and it caught alight and so did the teatowels hanging on the dryer above the stove. all of a sudden we could smell the smoke and raced in to put it out. bit of smoke damage but that was all thank heavens. Never forget it . Nature's a powerful thing aint it.

[Derek_Bullock]

Wow

Just saw on the news down here the size of the hail you got. That was some storm.


Derek

[theoldlegend]

Hi Pinhead,

Yes, we tried to, but it was so old, we could have got it fixed up, but we were told that there could be other things that could have gone wrong with it. eg: new gas etc, old compressor, old pipes etc, couldn't handle it etc, blah, blah blah.

It used to sound like a chain saw, so we got rid of it. The insurance company had no problems. At the end of the day, we did orl rite.

Cheers TOL

[redspeckle]

From Fishinmishin
Could have hit the ground around the water mains. I've had a freind that has been shocked in the shower for the same reason .
Yep I had that happen to me recently when the neutral wire became dissconnceted from the house
I havn't had much [smiley=sleeping.gif] this week with the storms in the area Birkdale been a lighting show
Mitch

[PinHead]

From Fishinmishin
Could have hit the ground around the water mains. I've had a freind that has been shocked in the shower for the same reason .
Yep I had that happen to me recently when the neutral wire became dissconnceted from the house
I havn't had much [smiley=sleeping.gif] this week with the storms in the area Birkdale been a lighting show
Mitch

How did you get a shock in the shower when your neutral disconnected. That would make anything that was turned on, live, but not operate. Unless the neutral was touching something nothing could have happened and even if it did it should have tripped the breaker. If that did happen I would be seriously looking at the entire wiring in the house.

[Steven78]

We use the MEN system here multiple earth Neutral. I herd of people getting killed because one day when doing the wiper snippering cutting the earth wire thus living up the water pipe when there was an earth fault with the local transformer or toaster in the house.
The Neutral wire is bonded to the earth stake and water pipe in the meter box. The circuit breaker would have only trip if it reached its rating. If you had earth leakage RCD device this monitors the difference between Active and Neutral if there is the same amount of current on both Active and Neutral this is the normal situation. If there was more current on the Active wire then Neutral wire or visa versa the RCD would trip as the difference would be getting an earth return through faulty cabling or someone getting a shock.

RCD for tinnes are a very good idea because this would guarantee that there would be no corrosion caused by faulty wiring on the boat as the RCD would trip if the Hull became an earth or live.

[shaman]

Lotta sparkies out there, love the tech talk.
I have trouble changing a fuse

[PinHead]

Steven.... I hope most people these days do not have their main earth connected to the water pipe as most water pipes are now poly and not copper. I believe it is mandatory to be earthed to a earth stake as per the relevent AS. Interesting stuff the old electricity...it does some fun things at times.

[Navi]

I agree the earth stake is driven deep in to the gound off your meter box which sould take care of the risk....


cheers Chris

[Steven78]

The copper pipe in the house for Hot water e.g should be still earthed and bounded to the main earth stake.
As per Regs AS3000 BLha Blha.
To many beers

[snappa]

donn't touch it myself....
when their are storms ... in sit in the shed on a rubber tyre drinking diet coke...

it helps..

[snappa]

and

taking to "the one who must be obeyed" on the mobile phone....

[Dug]

It be God's warning, men should never load dishwashers or do any washing up!

It is against the laws of nature!

just don't tell Margo I said this OK

[Steven78]

Women get married in white for one reason !!!!!!!!!! and thats to match the dish washer

Ha Snappa.

Just kidding

When the power goes out you must drink the beer before it gets warm

[Figjamm]

so if we were driving our car and power lines come down in front of you you back up and don't get out ??? would the rubber tye's prevent us from getting a shock???

Hi Chris,

The Bureau Of Meteorology says - Be wary of downed power lines that may be touching your car. You should be safe in the car but may receive a shock if you step outside.

Integral Energy says - Do not drive across fallen power lines. If power lines have fallen across or have become entangled in your vehicle, unless in immediate danger, remain inside your vehicle and call for help.
In immediate danger (the wires are 'crackling' or moving), open your door and jump well clear. Keeping your hands off the vehicle and your feet together, continue jumping with your feet together until at least 10 metres away from the vehicle and the conductor.

So you're right.... back up and don't get out!!

--
Bev