Re: How not to wire up an electric grill

John Devereux wrote:
Robert Latest <boblatest@xxxxxxxxx> writes:

Joerg wrote:
Hello Folks,

This was posted in a German NG. Now don't do that!

http://www.linuxno.de/_data/gallery/nwl7/_medium_DSCN7823.JPG

Actually I don't think that's very dangerous. It would be dangerous if, in the case of the power strip getting submerged, a substantial portion of the current went through the guys' bodies but I can't see how that would happen.

Same with the old "hairdryer in bathtub" situation. What IS dangerous is holding the dryer (or any other unsealed, mains-powered device) with wet hands while the rest of the body is well-grounded (as it is when sitting in the tub). What ISN'T dangerous, IMO, is to drop the plugged-in dryer into the tub while someone is sitting in it (but not on the sink or other grounded metal parts), especially if a FI fuse is fitted.

I couldn't bring myself to try it out to freak out the wife though (she's convinced that 230V can arc about half a meter between blow dryers and water), but I'm sure the biggest danger is that of an immediate divorce.

You are probably right - but perhaps the human body is a better
conductor than bath or pool water (being full of salty fluids). So the
current might take a short cut!

As I understand it, it's not a case of a short cut but that the current
flows through all available paths and a person in the bath or pool would
be part of, and well coupled to, a non-trivial subset of "all paths."

--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
.

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