On Tue, 07 Jan 2014 10:04:15 -0700, William Sommerwerck
<
grizzle...@comcast.net> wrote:
>> ...snip...
> I saw this -- absurd!
>
> He shorted the ends of a cut AC cord to create an electrical arc.
> Problem is, had the arc been sustained, the breaker would have blown
> long before the cable tie was severed.
>
> Yet another technical/scientific error in a series rife with them.
>
> For those not aware, it /is/ possible, with small screwdriver (or some
> other little pointy thing) to release the lock in a cable tie, so you
> can reuse it.
>
>
yes, was absurd, because he drew the arc across the insulating cable tie.
However, the breaker may, or may not, have gone off. Depends on the kind
of breaker.
Years ago, in our bedroom we had a UL approved extension cord plugged into
an outlet adjacent to the bed. Nothing plugged into the cord, just there
for when we needed it. The outlet was fairly new and also labeled UL
approved, and both probably were since this is a bit before China products
influxed the market.
Ms. Macy was sitting on the edge of the bed and declared to me, across the
room, "What's that noise?" Sounded like a zit, zit, zit, or such. She
continued to listen for the origin as I moved around the room searching
for the origin of the strange sound. Suddenly a loud sounding arc started
between the blades of the extension cord plugged into the outlet. The arc
carbonized the plastic and continued the process getting bright with
flames suddenly going up the wall adjacent to the curtains! I immediately
unplugged the extension cord, probably stupid to reach in without proper
precautions, but the action worked, the arc stopped and the flames
disappeared.
Upon examining the outlet, it was clearly obvious an arc had burned a
trail across and through the "UL approved" material. Had we not been there
at that exact time and circumstance we could have easily lost much of our
100 year old home containing wood that is now VERY dried out!
I was livid went back to where I had purchased the outlets and extension
cords [actually a very reputable hardware store] and they were as
flabbergasted as I was. Later, upon relating the incident to a fireman, he
told me that was something like the cause of 90% of home fires?! Say
what?! I guess it takes a special breaker to prevent this scenario. Now
there are 'heated' breakers that trip BEFORE such an arc can start. We
have them as circuit breakers to all the outlets in all the bedrooms now.
Don't worry quite as much, but still worry.