Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with electrocution

I refuse to let coffee to be the death of me.

miss lynnster — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:30:36 -0800

I just got shocked while making coffee. In the 16 years I've had the machine it's never happened before. What's the deal? I have one of those old Braun espresso machines from the early 90s... not the tiny cheap kind but not a big fancy shmancy one either. I've kept it this long with maintenance and occasional repairs. It works great and has been around longer than my cars or men... I heart my loyal little espresso machine. But today it bit me. :(

Today I was making a latte and while I was waiting for the steamer to heat up I did some dishes. I didn't dry my hands off completely, I'll admit. Picked up the metal frothing pitcher thingy (not this but similar) and when I started to use it, I felt electricity seriously tingling through my hand. I freaked out and dried my hand and tried to froth the milk again but got shocked again. The electricity was going from the machine through the milk to the pitcher to my hand. So I let go and then went to push the plastic off button on the machine, and that tingled too.

I am a coffee lover and now I am scared of my coffee machine. This cannot be!!!! Normally I'd just blame my wet hands but I *know* I've made coffee with damp hands before. So now I'm wondering if there's something going haywire with the machine's wiring that I need to fix before I electrocute myself like an idiot. I neeeed my morning latte, but I really can't buy a new machine right now. Sigh.

Thoughts?

Electricity theft

tellurian — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:00:17 -0800

Electricity theft. This is particular to NSW Australian law and energy theft. I can't imagine that anyone has experienced it, but on the off-chance and input from other people that have been victims, can you give me some advice? My power bills had seemed very high since moving into my new rental but when I had questioned my real estate agent, excuses were made about rising power prices. Last night there was a kerfuffle from the neighbours. Their parakeets which they kept in the backyard had been elecrocuted. We experienced a short in our fuse box at the same time. We called in energyAustralia and they fixed up the fuse board and noted some anomalies. On their advice, I recontacted my real estate agent and this morning I was advised by the real estates' electrician that there was a cable from one of my power points that was connected to another house (it ran past the parakeet's cage). He disconnected it, but what chance do I have of getting any money back from the electricity thief?

What are these weird posts on the sidewalk in Manhattan?

dcjd — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:25:12 -0800

What are these weird posts on the sidewalk in Manhattan? I recently have seen rectangular posts installed on the sidewalk in lower Manhattan. (south of 14th street) They are painted gray, have two circular yellow barriers on the street side to prevent cars from hitting them, and have a scary sticker on the top warning of electrocution. Another hint: the wet paint sign on one says Department of Transportation on it.

Here are two pictures of what I am talking about:

Picture 1

Picture 2

Gimme back my Rodriquez CD!

Scram — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:28:18 -0800

5-disk console CD player has eaten my disks and won't spit 'em out. How can I retrieve them, and can the machine be made to work as a manually opened/closed unit? I have a lightly used, several-years-old, 5-disk-changer RCA RP8070 CD player which suddenly let out a pained grinding sound and refused to open, no matter what buttons I push. I've got several CDs inside that I'd like to retrieve, so the sledgehammer option, while emotionally satisfying, seems unwise. Prying at the door with a letter opener results in no movement. The unit has tiny screws at each of the four bottom corners (in the center of the disk feet), and a smattering of screws on the back panel.

My questions for the hive mind:
1) how can I get the CDs out of the machine without electrocuting myself or damaging them?
2) is there some simple way to release/disconnect the sliding tray from what I assume is a broken motor, so I can just pry it open and slide it back in, and continue using the player rather than buy a new one that will probably break with light use, too? I'm willing to anchor the disk trays in place so it's not a 5-disk changer anymore, if necessary.

Will a laptop power connector kill you if you put the end in your mouth?

Caviar — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 10:04:13 -0800

How dangerous is the business end of a Macbook MagSafe laptop power cable to a small child? Do laptop power cables have any sort of circuitry to prevent them from shocking you? The Macbook mag cables are pretty easy to pull out, and about the right size for a small child to decide that this should go in their mouth. Obviously, these should not just be left lying around where babies are playing, but when using a computer near a baby, there's always a danger that they'll reach out and grab something before you can stop them. The MagSafe connectors seem like a bit more risk because of the relatively little effort it takes to disconnect them.

How bad would this be? A mild shock? Fatal? I've never heard of a single case like this.

I already called Apple tech support. They couldn't answer the question and referred me to my local Apple authorized support dealer, who I don't really consider an authority on child safety. As you might expect, I'm somewhat reluctant to experiment.

Can I work inside my TV without killing myself?

Lazlo — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 11:48:59 -0800

I have a ten-year-old Sony TV that's on the fritz. It's a good enough second set that I'd like to save it if possible, but it's also big enough that it's going to be a pain to haul in to the shop for an estimate. If I decide to pop the case and dive inside for a quick sanity check, what do I need to do to avoid electrocuting myself in the process? A couple of weeks ago the picture started rolling back up on itself -- and eventually disappearing -- a few minutes after the set was turned on. In its early stages the problem would clear up for a few minutes after a gentle thump on the side of the case, which makes me wonder if the problem is just something coming loose inside.

I'd like to try the same first-cut debug approach I'd use on a PC: opening the thing up and making sure all the wiring is connected and any PCBs/etc. are properly seated. (I have no intention of doing anything more than that.) But I know there are some fairly juicy capacitors in there that pose an electrocution hazard even if the set has been unplugged. Short of not opening the case at all, what can I do to minimize the risks of navigating the set's innards?

How do you avoid getting electrocuted on a subway track?

jchgf — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 08:34:44 -0800

After reading this NY Times story of a man jumping on the NY subway tracks to save a man who had fallen there after a seizure: How do you avoid getting electrocuted on a subway track? From the MTA NYC Passenger Safety FAQ: "No matter what situation arises, keep off the tracks. Tracks contain 600 volts of live electricity. If you drop something on the tracks, go to the station booth and tell the agent."

So how exactly did Wesley Autrey avoid getting electrocuted?
What part of the track exactly must you avoid if such a situation arises?
Is electrocution automatic if you touch the electrically-conducive part?

This question is a bit close to chatfilter and I don't intend to jump on a subway track ever, but I am genuinely curious and the question seem to respect the guidelines as I've read them. If it doesn't, please delete.

Shocking TV

angry modem — Thu, 02 Jun 2005 11:29:24 -0800

Has anyone shocked while tampering with their television really been thrown across the room into/through a wall?