Re: Question about reversed-polarity in an AC outlet

From: Bob Myers (nospamplease_at_address.invalid)
Date: 02/22/05 

Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 12:00:00 -0700

"Sam Goldwasser" <sam@saul.cis.upenn.edu> wrote in message
news:6w650klkwo.fsf@saul.cis.upenn.edu...
> John Miller <me@privacy.net> writes:
>
> > Sam Goldwasser wrote:
> > > From the point of view of user safety, it shouldn't matter.
> > <and>
> > > There will be some differences like whether the shell or center of a
> > > light bulb socket is electrically live if the switch is off.
> >
> > Ummm...you don't see just the least bit of inconsistency in those two
> > comments?
>
> Pick all the nits you want but you aren't supposed put your fingers in
> the socket when changing a light bulb.

True, but I'm afraid you're missing something here, Sam.

It's not a matter of "putting your fingers in the socket"; when
unscrewing a bulb, there will be a time when the threaded side
of the bulb's base will be both (a) exposed and (b) still in
contact with the side of the socket. It would be a Really
Good Thing if the live side of the connection (which is
SUPPOSED to be at the contact to the bulb tip, not the
side) were disconnected before that happens, don't you think?

Bob M.

Relevant Pages
Quantcast