[Jewelry making - Article 00163] - Re: [Orchid] Anodzing Power Supply

[Brian Symons]

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    Hi, its good to see safety issues are examined at all angles by
    Orchid readers.  It's one of the reasons I like to keep reading it. 
    I've reviewed several of my practices because Orchid has made me sit
    down and think!! I've been away but I'll put my 2 cents in again.

    In Australia (and NZ shares the same wiring rules), the commonly
    fitted (and now legally required) Ground Fault Interrupter or Earth
    leakage Circuit Breaker is meant to trip at 30 milliamps or .03 of
    an amp.  When there is any leakage in appliances and an entire
    building is protected by a single breaker (leakage is not so uncommon
    especially heating elements in humid climates and older appliances)
    then the accumulated leakage "burden" reduces the leakage required
    to trip the unit. This can be a cause for false tripping and nuisance
    electricians calls where they may find nothing wrong if they either
    don't check the burden current (not often checked) or the appliances
    are not on or have dried out in the mean time. I had a few calls like
    that. 

    If you are going to use a Ground Fault Interrupter or Earth leakage
    Circuit Breaker that goes onto the lead itself, I suggest that you
    also buy one of the little testers with three lights that tell you
    if the power outlet is correctly wired and test your outlets.  I have
    seen some lead units that would not trip if they were connected to
    an outlet that had reverse polarity - ie the active and neutral were
    swapped around to what they "should" be. In Australia the regulations
    only specified correct polarity in the 1960's - I don't know about
    the US but the testers are only cheap (less that $10 here) and an
    extra test can never hurt. 

    I did my electrical training under my father and I can remember him
    literally worried sick when a TV news story reported a man had been
    fatally electrocuted on a farm that he had fitted a Safety Switch
    (GFI, ELCB) the day before. The farm was run as a family trust
    (extended family of several individual famillies) but the house was
    owned by the one family (with several children). Dad had suggested
    fitting protection to the shed but it was declined as the trust
    would have to OK it. The husband was working on the back of a truck
    with a lead light without a safety cage. It fell, the bulb
    shattered... 

    Take care folks.  Electricity can bite hard and may not let you think
    about what you did afterwards. 

Regards,
Brian.

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