Accidental contact with 120 volts

Hey Everyone!
I wanted to share some images of this impact gun as a reminder to us all, that even low voltage can be deadly. It can be difficult to understand the difference between, say; 120 volts fed off a GFCI and 120 volts out on the lines.... When the source has the potential to keep pumping out that current it can be disastrous!
Have a great rest of your week everyone!
😁🍻 Cheers!
** These video's are NOT intended for training or D.I.Y. Only properly trained and authorized personal are allowed to work on this equipment. Always adhere to work methods and procedures particular to the company you are working for. **
Don't forget to drop a 👊 along with where you're watching from!
Huge thanks to my Patreons!
➡ / bobsdecline​​​
Music courtesy of:
"All good in the wood" by Audionautix
KZbin audio
#Bobsdecline​​​, #Beingalineman​​​, #Lineman

[@AlexBesogonov]

Keep in mind, welding machines use mere 50V to actually WELD metals together.

[@P25AES]

At high current.

[@nndorconnetnz]

Totally agree. When people say it's current that kills, it's misleading while true at the same time. You cannot have current with out voltage in a circuit. A bit like when people say thats a torquey engine. That means nothing. But what it's implying is it's able to provide power not far off idle. Power = RPM x Torque or work over time. What kills is current yes but that cannot happen without the PD to push it. The greater the voltage the more current through a given resistance. Brushing your hair with a comb can generate 10,000 volts with very little current. Putting a spanner across your car battery can allow thousand of amps but you can put your fingers across the terminals and nothing happens. Your spanner has a lot lower resistance than your hand for electricity.

[@darkwinter6028]

I have a mig welder that tops out at about 20v.

[@P25AES]

@@sonacphotos except I can soak my hands in salt water then grab the electrodes of said battery and I will be just fine. Just because it delivers high amperage means nothing. Just like I can hold onto 100kv at Pico amp level and will be just fine. Must have the correct balance of both.

[@anullhandle]

@@P25AES be careful with that milli amps can stop a heart.

[@fixitman2174]

I still have my old Klein linesman's pliers from back in the 80's. There is a notch in the cutter from a learning experience I had back then. I was an electrician's helper, and the electrician told me to cut a couple inches off a piece of hanging romex at a new house we were working on. It turned out he didn't know what the wire was for, so he told me the circuit was off. It was live until I cut it. He learned what breaker fed the wire, and I learned to never trust anyone to turn off a circuit. I still test for voltage before doing any electrical work on my home, even though I turned off the breaker. Everybody makes mistakes sooner or later.

[@Bobsdecline]

Hey Everyone, hoping all is well! 👊👊 I open the video saying "go over the incident" where I simply wanted to show the equipment involved in the incident. It's a great visual reminder of the potential hazards of low voltage. We must do our best to never become complacent when working with electricity...

[@mikeznel6048]

Hey man I'm happy for you and your family! Hard work should pay off buddy. Glad everything worked out for you and no one got hurt! Stay safe man.

[@LenaLuna11]

Loving your videos, Aaron . So interesting to see and learn what you guys do on a daily basis out in the field.

[@bobbykaminski4045]

Thanks for the videos going through my apprenticeship it helps see videos like this and what to pay attention for!

[@johnclyne6350]

I forgot to ask about the game changer for storm work? Is it a drone? We have a drone department as well as an arrangement for helicopter time. They save time for covering ground in thick overgrown right of ways or steep treacherous slopes. Let it be a surprise? I’ll wait for your next video after your settled in? E-mail me if you would like a house warming gift? Do you have a registry? Let me know? Congratulations again to you & your family!

[@Bobsdecline]

Thanks John much appreciated! Always a pleasure hearing from you! No registery here, could really use a fence tho! Lol jk (my dog hates this whole leash thing). Hoping to put one in soon! I'll let ya in on the new tool on e-mail 🤫🤫

[@Machead92]

As a former Line clearance tree trimmer for 8 years in California, I have seen holes blown through straight inch half metal from guys making contact with only secondaries or a triplex. Seen primaries struck and its an experience that will give you an all new respect for High voltage,Power lines. Be safe

[@ajfurnari2448]

A prime example on why you ALWAYS wear PPE, even when doing mundane stuff. You can do everything perfectly safe and still get hurt if there is an equipment malfunction. Congrats on the new house Aaron. Fistbump from Minnesota

[@Bobsdecline]

Well said AJ! 💯🍻 Cheers and thanks!

[@hondaveetc82]

Shut up

[@Bobsdecline]

Well that escalated quickly 🤣

[@williamsender6416]

Best part about the job is going home!

[@rocxylemmon8535]

a good movie to watch I think is life on the line :)

[@perrybrown4985]

My father was an electrical contractor. About 50+ years ago, he employed an old guy, who used to be a linesman with the supply authority. The poor guy was seriously disabled... He had been hurt in his linesman job. He was working live on a padmount transformer and his wrench had bridged the phases. The fault currents that are available in these situations are devistating. He was lucky to survive. Nice of my dad to look after him - but far better if it had never happened at all - that one instant completely ruined his life. (Fortunately we have safer tools and work practices these days, but still, catastrophe is lurking)

[@zforce69]

Same thing happened in my city, I get the pressures to do it live but it's just not worth the risk. • On 3 February 2015, four electricians opened the CFS access cover to inspect the damaged fuse. While opening the cover, one of the separated end-caps was dislodged. • The fuse end-cap sank in the oil tank and made contact between one of the “live” 11kV busbars and the earthed tank at the bottom of the CFS. This created an electrical short circuit and an electric arc, a catastrophic explosion and the expulsion of hot oil which ignited into a fireball inside the switchroom. • The four electricians all received horrific burns from the explosion and subsequent oil-fuelled fire. They all managed to exit the HV switchroom. One died at the scene. Another was transported to hospital but died later that day. The two survivors spent months in hospital receiving treatment for severe burns.www.sbs.com.au/news/wa-shopping-centre-blast-kills-two-men

[@philhoward4466]

try our downtown 120/208 ring with 12 transformers in parallel on it. they don't make breakers that can handle that kind of fault current.

[@rickvia8435]

Sounds like he experienced an arc flash. That will ruin or end a life.

[@Goldies24]

I was the electrical engineer on a computer project that used only 5VDC, but it was sourced from a 5000 amp supplies with added capacitor banks. The technician was instructed by me to use special plastic tools but he used a metal tool. He dropped it, it flash vaporized and caused him injury. Years later I had another tech on a 480VAC test bed. He was over-nicotined, caffinated, distracted by a party he was going to later. He tripped onto the test bed. Fortunately, I had added plexiglass covers which acted as the barrier. My sage advice for everyone is: around electricity don't goof off, don't side-step procedures unless you get approval, and keep track of where each of your two hands are, moving in a slow and deliberate way.

[@toejam7606]

Always test the wires with the back of your hand...

[@dodgetech02]

We had an older full-size van that got a new battery . Sitting outside and heard a Big Bang . It blew the braided power steering hoses off because the battery positive shorted to the hood and grounded out the braided hose . Even 12 volts can make a bit of trouble

[@Newberntrains]

lol my buddy used to weld up cheater rigs for stuck bolts with a 6v motorcycle battery DC aint no joke

[@robertschemonia5617]

A 12v automotive battery can dump literal hundreds of amps for quite a few seconds. A starter can draw upwards of 450 amps when they spin up and start turning the engine. And thats not a direct short, I can only imagine the amount of amps a 12V battery could dump in a direct short situation.

[@cat-lw6kq]

I did maintenance on 24 v plant that's 2v cells each a total of 24 lead acid batteries connected in series parallel.you saw,what happened with just 1 lead acid battery just think if you shorted 24 of them ?

[@christheother9088]

My neighbor was working on a 12v marine battery when the tool he was holding shorted with enough energy to melt his wedding ring. His finger looked like a cooked hot dog.

[@clayz1]

@@robertschemonia5617 Back when I was a smart ass teenager I wondered just how quickly a cloths hanger wire would heat up if you touch it to both poles of a 12 battery. I can tell you I INSTANTLY let go. And I never tried it again. The two burns were just surface, but quite painful.

[@jakesully5402]

Thanks for the lesson, Aaron. That blow hole in the impactor is crazy !!! I’ve seen my share of blown up pliers, and have been (un?)fortunate enough to feel the tingle of 347 volts. I work below 750 volts, and people wonder how I dare to be an electrician. MUCH respect for you linespeople !!!

[@12voltvids]

Saw a picture of the remains of a crescent wrench that was dropped on the bus bar or the battery string on a telephone exchange. Wrench exploded into molten ball bearings, and that was 48V DC off a battery string.

[@lorenguaylg]

Wow. I would of thought it would of glowed cherry red until it fell apart since it's direct current.

[@12voltvids]

@@lorenguaylg I wasn't there I saw the photos during an electrical safety course when I was hired by the phone company, but the remnants were blobs of what was molten steel and copper. The bus bars are solid copper, typically 1/2" by 10" and there are multiple solid copper bars. These all run to the battery banks. Each cell produces 2 volts. There are 24 in series. Each office will have multiple banks. of batteries. Now for the cells. They measure about 2' x 2' x 2' each. The cables that connect each cell to the next are solid copper 1" in diameter. The + and - (positive from cell 1, negative from cell 24) connect to the overhead bus bars which lead to each bank of batteries. The small office I work out of has 6 sets of batteries. (as I said each set of batteries has 24 cells.) Thats 144 large cells connected in series / parallel and under dead short we are talking 48 volts at 10's of thousands of amps. From the description of what happened at this exchange, a much larger exchange than the local one I work out of there would have been even more batteries, a worker working on something overhead dropped a large wrench that was long enough that it landed directly on top of the bus bars and created a dead short. Did I mention that these batteries are floating at 52 volts from a power supply. Well they are. The office I work out of has multiple rectifiers. One is running 1200 amps, and the others 900, 800 and 600 amps respectively. That is 3500 amps at 52VDC just from the rectifiers and then there is the reserve of fully charged lead calcium cells. The description told from someone that was there was a bang and a huge arc flash explosion that vaporized the wrench in an instant and blew a big chunk out of the bus bar. We were shown graphic pictures of the damage. Nobody was injured but the worker that was about 25 feet above it did have to go change his pants after the incident. Fortunately there was nobody working below when it rained molten copper and steel. No, the batteries are NOT fused. The equipment powered is. The bus bars bring the battery supply into the fuse boxes.

[@lorenguaylg]

@@12voltvids I believe I with that amount of current available

[@jasincolegrove4798]

And yet 48 volts would barely be noticed by a human. Funny how that works. Education is key, no amount of ppe can protect an imbecile.

[@12voltvids]

@@jasincolegrove4798 fact is most accidents happen with the most experienced workers. When you have done the job long enough it becomes almost automatic and you can easily lose your train of thought because you have done this same job 1000 times before.

[@VariacManiac]

I can't imagine the fault current. Glad to hear no one was hurt. Stay safe! 👊

[@Bobsdecline]

Definitely broke 1000! Yes, very lucky there wasn't even a slight sunburn. Cheers!

[@jfbeam]

If he was close to the transformer, maybe 6kA.

[@zillboop4687]

Glad everyone is ok . Congratulations on the new house. Love from new York.

[@rampagerick]

@@jfbeam Probably not that high if it was residential. I believe a 50kVA pole pig with 5% impedance has an available fault current around 2400 amps. Residential breakers usually have 10kAIC rating.

[@IceBergGeo]

@@rampagerick I might be wrong, but if the transformer is 50kVA, @ 5% imp, wouldn't the fault current be close to 4200A? It's been a while since I had to do the calculation, so, like I said, I might be wrong.

[@stevenmiller279]

"It's only 120volts" is like saying "but it's a dry heat" hot is hot and electricity is electricity. If you decide to connect yourself to the grid you become the load.

[@ssrunner]

He's speaking relative to what they often work with.

[@bryans8895]

totally valid, but that’s a terrible analogy.

[@gazebodp]

During my firefighter training, one thing that was mentioned is triplex reccoiling over a primary line, or low voltage going over primary. That line could now be at primary voltage. Don't touch what's on the ground.

[@brianleeper5737]

Where my friend lives the local power company replaced all the poles AND got rid of the secondary lines between poles by putting a transformer at every pole instead of every 3rd pole. I guess that reduces the chances of a cross between the primary and secondary.

[@twothreebravo]

Glad no one was hurt. Things like this are always important to learn from, even if no one did anything wrong hopefully there's a lesson. As a former residential/commercial electrician I chuckle when you call 120v "low voltage". I'm like, "man... Now he's just flexing on me." 🤣

[@Bobsdecline]

Lol no flex intended 🍻

[@mikel9567]

Thank you for bringing this up. It's always good to learn from incidents like this. I know personally, electricity scares the crap out of me. I call an electrician for any wiring or repairs. I'll do simple things like change an outlet, but I don't like touching the panel. I do arc welding as a hobby and that's pure electricity, It's amazing to see what it does to metal.

[@ibiza1290]

Great information. We use 220v in the UK. My friend is an electrician and a house current went through his current safe screwdriver and melted entire thing from the handle. Electricity is no joke.

[@superchuck3259]

Did he get a refund from the lifetime warrantee on the tool :)

[@stiggyness1976]

No we dont, we use 240V in the UK and mainland Europe use 220V, there was a european union harmonisation of the voltages so that europe came up to 230V and the UK dropped to 230V, but the UK didnt really drop the voltage. Also if your electrician friend had that happen to his screwdriver, ask him what did he do with the cutout fuse? domestic dwellings are fused at 60amps unless its fitted with storage heaters and then its 80amps.

[@chrisbauer1925]

We also use 240v here in the USA. It's used for higher power loads like dryers and hot water heaters. The 120 volts hot to neutral here is derived from a grounded center tap on the 240V winding of the transformer feeding the residence. 240 volt loads are connected to the 2 hots, but no single wire is greater than 120v from ground.

[@andrewwhite1793]

@@stiggyness1976 the Voltages did not change. The tolerances changed to accommodate 220 to 240 :-)

[@Engineer9736]

@@andrewwhite1793 I have measured the mains voltage many times throughout my life in NL, last decade it has always been 230 volts +/- a volt or so.

[@klystron22]

Thank You for continuing to post and educate on safety. It's such an important thing and while the old timer's laugh at it, personally, I like going home at night. While I wasn't a lineman, I have worked on broadcast equipment that ran on 33kVDC. (Tube UHF TV transmitters require that voltage). I always , always took safety seriously when working on it. (2nd man, never work alone, full grounding, testing grounds, etc.). I never took any shortcuts because safety really is key. I don't care how much it may be laughed at, I never once had an incident in 24+ years.

[@Bobsdecline]

Thankfully the safety culture is becoming more and more accepted. It can be a tough juggle while maintaining efficient cost effective service but more and more companies are seeing the value making safety a top priority !

[@klystron22]

@@Bobsdecline Being in the union helps that as well with us. I am in the IBEW here, and Safety is a big big thing with us. There are paragraphs about items that protect us.

[@MaltaMcMurchy]

Thank you for reaffirming the need to be careful around electricity. ⚡ Best wishes as you continue your move-in!

[@georgelawton9075]

You are absolutely correct. Thanks for making this video. I hope it makes someone think and shut of the power before they work on electrical equipment. Nice job.

[@chuckdressler3556]

Been watching for a while and really enjoy your take on lineman work. Thanks for all you do.

[@Bobsdecline]

Thanks Chuck!

[@e.vasquez9946]

Southern California kids graduating from climbing school are being hammered with "it's the amps that kill you, NOT the volt's".... I'm just a grunt, next to no one and I've heard a couple green horn sound that phrase a handful of times.... thanks for your video...i hope to you join you on the line sometime...

[@mikeznel6048]

You will cook before that fuse blows. Thats pretty scary.

[@chrisbauer1925]

Also true with every circuit in the house that's not GFCI protected (most of them aren't). Overcurrent circuit breakers are there to protect the equipment from overheating, not the user from getting shocked. Though to be fair they will trip in this type of overcurrent arc flash condition. But they won't help in an electrocution.

[@flagmichael]

@@chrisbauer1925 I am seriously considering replacing every circuit breaker in my house that feeds an outlet with GFCI breakers. What say you?

[@chrisbauer1925]

@@flagmichael GFCIs are more important where there is water easily present, but it will improve safety to have them everywhere. Generally unnecessary, but still theoretically safer! It's also important to note tht a GFCI can only detect a line to ground current, but will still ignore an electrocution in the case of getting between live and neutral, though that is fairly rare to happen accidentally.

[@mikeznel6048]

@@flagmichael Usually you don't die from touching 110 in your house. Actually, mostly you don't die from touching it.

[@mikeznel6048]

@@chrisbauer1925 I've touched the hot and neutral so many times over the years, not on purpose but grabbing a plug to move it to get a board over it or just rushing, and I know that distinct feel of our 110 60hz power. I can feel the cycles and paint a picture of them as I feel them. 110 isn't really that big of a worry as the wire size in your house is also the big limiting factor, as well as the breaker. Do you know the difference between electrocution and an electric shock? You only get electrocuted once and you don't live to tell the story. You can get shocked many times and live to tell the story. Now 220, thats something you gotta be a bit more careful with because it's gonna hurt. More wire, higher amperage breaker and twice the potential to get you than 110.

[@johnwhitmore5408]

Thanks Aaron, great info per usual.

[@johnsonsteve1984]

I really like your videos that I have watched. It is great that you do informational videos like this for the public! I also work in the power delivery industry on the design side and bird dogged on many storms so I am fully aware of the dangers and remind my family of the dangers. There should be more videos like this so more people are aware! Thank you for all you do on the lineman side of your life and the KZbin side!

[@thalstantrailwalker2393]

Aaron, first off, Thanks for letting us know the person is ok physically. I hope he has gotten back to a good mental place as well. An accident like this could shake anyone up for a bit. Second, thank you for sharing. 120 Volts is no joke, and even 12 Volts can be an issue (you can do stick welding at 36 volts and even lower if your source can supply the current). V=IR, or put another way V/R=I (Voltage divided by resistance=Current). So even if you have "low" voltage of 120, if you have a very low resistance path (like a steel socket and chuck on an impact driver), that current can get pretty darn high. If you see downed wired, DO NOT APPROACH, even if it looks "dead". Call the power company and let them send one of their crews out.

[@Hyratel]

Contact welding (spot) runs a 'mere' 2-3v at the electrodes, all that means is it can't reach out and grab you the way line voltages can

[@davidsotomayor8713]

1:40 hearing that always made me cringe as well. It's like saying "it's not the fall from a 10 story building that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the bottom." 🤦‍♂️

[@keything8487]

great visual of the potential.....thanks for the videos !!!

[@randyfox4611]

A big fist bump from tennessee in the usa. I am a commercial heat and air service mechanic by trade. I really enjoy your videos and how you explain in great detail everything you're doing. You're a good teacher. Stay safe and looking forward to seeing your content in 2022.

[@alan.macrae]

Another great video, Aaron! I had an experience similar to what ibiza1290 mentioned, when I was in high school, wiring a new dimmer board for the drama club. All I had left was the plastic handle of my long screwdriver. Spectacular fireworks show and the hole in the back of that panel is still there! Congratulations on your new home!

[@fullraph]

An AC welder is fusing metal at like 40V and 150 amp, just imagine what 120 volts at a 1000 and some amps can do 😲

[@paradox9644]

It's more in the few kA range

[@Sicktrickintuner]

Yep output is normally in the range of 16-30VDC or 24VAc on aluminum

[@rico1319]

Count me in brother. I’m subscribed! Keep up all the good work that you and your brothers do!! 👍👍👍😎🇨🇱

[@johnwalker890]

Very good advice, thanks.

[@SX939]

You are absolutely correct, think of this, welding machines usually only have about 70 volts open circuit. Strike an arc and it may be down to 30 or so, look at the molten metal it produces. People have to realize they just cannot drain the grid, snicker, Respectfully, Dennis, KV4WM, A US NAVY Nuclear Submarine Veteran & Ham Radio Operator.

[@minilockwood24]

I was removing a service last summer, a simple job to finish out the day, and ended up blowing up the cutters I was using. I went to cut the second hot leg and got the jaws into the neutral too. Sparks went everywhere and splattered my shirt as well as got inside and left a couple dots on my chest and a piece of hot metal landed on my eyebrow and left a good burn mark. Overall I’m fine but if I took an extra minute to think about how I wanted to cut it down I could have saved myself the embarrassment

[@jamesmorett7300]

S T A R You know the drill Stop. Think Act. Review 3 way conversation

[@roadmonkeytj]

I used to keep a Klein screwdriver in my tool grip. Had been undoing L1 when debris blew and shorted the screwdriver to The other phase. It left a corkscrew blast around the shaft of the screw driver as the insulation burnt. It happened so quick that the motion of the screwdriver before I pulled back from the panel created the spiral. It was a great reminder that no matter how safe you think you are and how experienced you are that things can still happen

[@philhoward4466]

and now you wear the PPE for every job?

[@minilockwood24]

@@philhoward4466 I was wearing my PPE that day, every day before, and every day after. So your question comes across as cocky, ignorant, and condescending. PPE has nothing to do with the events that unfolded. If I took an extra second to think about what I was doing and a better way to go about it, it wouldn’t have happened

[@mikemmikem2758]

Great video. I was shocked by 120 many years ago and learned my lesson. Thank you.

[@toddpalmatier2163]

Peaking over the fence in my back yard watching you from Otter Lake, Michigan. Jack of all trades with just enough electrical knowledge to be dangerous.

[@rchuyck]

There was a guy in St. Paul Minnesota that just died after walking into a puddle with a frayed 120v extension cord in his hand. Electricity deserves serious respect

[@robinmyman]

In UK regs require all new installations to have residual current devices over all circuits in the consumer unit. If using any mains equipment outdoors all my outside waterproof power points have extra rcd protection. Years ago I cut thru hedge clipper cable...everything went off consumer side...hedge clipper stopped working.,.no drama.

[@russtomas4461]

Was he bare foot and soaking wet? Otherwise that's pretty damn hard to do.

[@rchuyck]

@@russtomas4461 Great question, I don't know the details. I am sure that OSHA will be involved. Sounds like worked for a mechanical contractor, which doesn't mean much though

[@russtomas4461]

@@rchuyck Not what I mean. You can hold on to the hot side of 120 volts and dance in puddles all day long. Let's assume worst case scenario here. He is not wearing water proof boots and they soak. The current must still travel through 20M ohms of resistance to get to ground. If his body is dry from head to foot, he is not going to fry.

[@jadon-sc1zj]

@@robinmyman Um in North America all out door sockets are required to have GFCI/RCD protection so that should have not happened

[@mikeznel6048]

Thats hardened steel too, even tougher than plain mild steel.

[@stargazer7644]

It wasn't hardened any more once it started glowing :)

[@roscoepatternworks3471]

All steel has about the same melting point, within 100 degrees or so. Hardened ot not it would have melted in the same amount of time. Almost instantly at about 2600f to 2700f degrees.

[@wouldntyouliketoknow9891]

Technically the hardness and toughness of the steel isn't really a factor for melting/vaporization.

[@mikeznel6048]

@@wouldntyouliketoknow9891 Yeah "technically" harder steels are made of a different mix and some mixes take more heat to melt than others. If you're going through the process of hardening steel, chances are its gonna be a better, higher quality blend with materials that take a bit more heat to melt.

[@genecoppedge5972]

Great info. I worked on bucket trucks, digger trucks for a living. The Linemen wanted me sign up for the five year apprenticeship program to become a lineman, I said no thank you, I’m staying right where I am. I have a lot of respect for lineman and the work they do to keep the lights on.

[@PolishJoe1000]

Thanks. Good reminder for us laymen. Glad no one was injured. Congratulations on your new home!

[@qomco]

"Low voltage" is all relative

[@edwinsinclair9853]

Worked on power in a Bell System telephone switching office. Yes, only 48v DC but could do a lot of damage. Many times that 48 volt plant was operating at 1200 Amps.

[@philhoward4466]

1200 Amps is just the normal operational current. worry about the fault current which can be over 200 kA! touch it with your fingers and you get a little 0.048 A whack. touch two lines with your wrench and you better be wearing the right PPE.

[@steele489]

Just got my apprenticeship and I’m addicted to your videos keep up the good work !

[@johnrtrucker]

Really great information here!

[@iamhaifisch]

It is insanely impressive to me that the drill still works at all, would've figured a lot of the internals of that got fried.

[@johnniewelbornjr.8940]

Great practical demonstration... The older I get, the more I realize how valuable ppe can be in so many fields. Yes, it's a pain in the posterior to work with ppe at times but it only takes a moment for something to go seriously wrong, even on mundane, repetitive jobs. It's simply a great insurance policy. Yep, noticed the scarcity of vids in recent times but congrats on the new home (and maintaining domestic bliss lol). Enjoy!

[@rileypatterson5095]

you are one of the very best person teaching all of us all about what linman doing you are the best God Bless you ! thanks to you and all the meany City of Denton tx to all lineman

[@haroldramone]

Thanks. Will be sharing this video with the young lads in TO. Be safe.

[@stargazer7644]

Keep in mind, a stick welder is typically only operating at 16-40V. It's quite good at liquefying steel.

[@mulciber7428]

Even 5Volts are enough. Look at refining Aluminum.

[@magicmulder]

Just watch the YT videos of peeps using 2V with 2.2 kA to melt steel in seconds.

[@powershot9933]

@@magicmulder I start my car using a pair of double A batteries

[@teardowndan5364]

"The meter is off, the amperage is zero" not when you close the circuit with a short or your body. Likewise, it isn't the volts that blow holes in things that touch lines, it is the 200+A just like in an electric arc welder which can push 1000+A at only ~35V through 1" rods. Higher voltages merely make it easier to push more current through insulation and resistance.

[@teardowndan5364]

@@tripplefives1402 100A is for relatively lightweight jobs or when don't mind needing 10+ passes to fill a large weld. Here's an example of ~1000A welding: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGeUlq14jZJ4r6M

[@TheEpicLinkFreeman]

It's important to note that your scenario can and will cause events similar to those shown in this video, it doesn't inherently make it for humans. It all comes back down to Ohm's Law how much current something will draw, no matter what kind of power supply you have. Most conductive materials make it very easy to push high amounts of current (theoretically) because they have resistances very very low. The human body does not have a low resistance, in fact quite high comparatively. I=35/.00000003 = 1 GAmp. I=35/1100 = .032 amps, and that's the low end of skin resistance; while wet and close together. Higher estimates will be around 80,000. Mostly harmless at that voltage. That's why some people get annoyed when they claim that it's "current that kills", because you can't have sufficient current without sufficient voltage. When skin resistance is relatively known, there will be a general minimum voltage where there starts to be a risk of dangerous electrical shock. Obviously it's the real world and these armchair calculations are going to be of little use if you happen to come across some edge case and scorch your arm, ending up with third degree burns, because you brushed up against something that someone told you wasn't dangerous in the middle of a rainstorm and you thought you could be fine. So just always use PPE and take proper precautions.

[@davak72]

Very true! I think this video perhaps better summarizes why the saying “it’s not the voltage that kills you, it’s the amps” is misleading (though technically true): kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqmyf42Zd6-ba6M

[@ericapelz260]

@@tripplefives1402 you’ve clearly never seen a ships hull welded.

[@blockededited8280]

That's what he says.

[@Frisky0563]

Congratulations on the new home make her happy! Take care

[@jeffroepke4052]

Shout out from Minnesota, USA! Thanks for all the great videos. I’m not in the trade or the industry but really enjoy learning how thing work and the skill and discipline needed to do your job safely.

[@Twentytwo22-entertainment]

I had turned off the wrong breaker while replacing an outlet. I ended up melting my screwdriver against the metal box and because the particular circuit breaker had failed it resulted in a pretty scary arc flash. The wall had to be repainted it was so badly burned. I bought a non contact tester and I never go without checking.

[@tommysmith8801]

Hired a contractor to replace light switches. He couldn't get voltage. Pulled out my non contact tester and the hot lines were still hot. Come to find out. Him pulling the box out he pulled the neutral out of the upstream box.

[@Hyratel]

I dislike the go/no-go NCVs, they're hard to get an affirmation on. I have one with a proportional chirp, and you can hear the difference between the line sine and square wave of fluorescent drivers, and the amplitude tells the story. It's a crazy squeal off an HF LED driver, and it's good for double checking old-as-balls light switches that can have substantial leakshorts from 90 years of flash-sputter. Not enough to light up even a 5w lamp, but I don't want to tempt fate

[@ryanrohrback256]

Hey Man! Can we possibly get a video of some climbing tips? How you set up and climb a pole

[@Bobsdecline]

I've actually got quite a bit of footage on this already, I've just never edited anything together yet. I'll try n get something up soon

[@jplumbob]

Much respect to you.

[@JJSafetyLLC]

Great safety reminder! Thanks for sharing your experiences in the field.

[@anthonybohemier3882]

congratulations on the new home ! look forward to new content but definitely get those beds put together only thing more dangerous than a live line is a spouse without a proper sleep

[@denotwos]

I'm a welder in Ontario say running 1/8" stick electrode. Around 120amps but 12V-18V would blow through that socket assembly. I know it's not really comparable to this situation but I can imagine how violent that arc would have been so close to a body.

[@syruin]

Keep up good vids. Glad no one was hurt. Getting hit with 120/240V is no joke

[@wx7slc]

Greetings from Salt Lake City. Love your videos. They are down to earth and easy to understand. Thanks for your attention to and advocation for personal safety. i have survived 277V arm to arm across my chest. Instant wake up! Luckily nor grabbing onto something I wouldn't have been able to drop. Thanks again and congrats on your new home!

[@MINIDISK111111]

Down to earth.. hurhurhur

[@lucidmoses]

I had a fish tap hit a power line feed to the house. There was a big bang and my fish tap was suddenly shorter. Never found any pieces. Best we can figure is it evaporated.

[@TheChipmunk2008]

Yep, hitting the incomer to a house can be energetic. Not sure about short circuit/ground fault currents on average in the US/Canada, but here in the UK, we have to assume anything up to 16,000A (16kA) at the service head (which is where the supplier's cable terminates into a main fuse block then on to the meter). That can and does vaporize things. And the arc flash can seriously mess with your complexion

[@lucidmoses]

@@TheChipmunk2008 Yes, I think we were darn lucky to be wearing heavy leather work gloves.

[@jfbeam]

@@TheChipmunk2008 US residential is commonly rated to 10kA. (about 2x what a service short would likely pull, and far more than any load out of the panel could do.)

[@lucidmoses]

@@jfbeam If it matters I'm in and older part of the city where my house service was 60 amps. Was upgrading to 100 amps because they wouldn't let me go beyond that. (was going to put in 120).

[@lostcause1206]

Ionized

[@TheChipmunk2008]

Congratulations on the new place! And yes, I hate hearing that about voltage too... 48 can be bloody dangerous (when it's connected to a several tens of thousands of amphours of telephone exchange battery). Even 12-24v isn't something you want arcing out in front of your face crawled under a car because you didn't disconnect the battery!

[@Harrier42861]

It has its place, properly used to explain why low voltages can be dangerous and high voltages can be safe. A feather dropped off the Empire State won't hurt a bit. A car an inch above your torso would kill you.

[@LuxAudio389]

Glad he's ok.Congrats on your new home.

[@LocalmotionSpain]

Great visual aid of why to never underestimate any voltage - glad your colleague was ok. Congratulations on the new home - greetings from Spain 👍

[@robertlitman2661]

Pretty impressive how the base of that socket deformed as much as it did. It had to have been glowing quite brightly.

[@Rliang7070]

Hello from Wisconsin, USA 😁 This is a very interesting video by the way! Keep up the good work

[@CelticKnight2004]

We're doing an electricians course at our local college, I'm going to write about this on my OH&S Assessment. :) This is exactly what we've been talking about... thank-you. This is a great learning tool.

[@landon7080]

that was a close one man, stay safe brother!

[@dragonfireproductions790]

"it's not the volt that kills you it's the amps" Ohm's law(V=IR): Am I a Joke to you?

[@kontra93]

P=V^2/R would be more applicable since it is the current passing through the high resistance of your body that is literally cooking you.

[@Bradley-tx6ed]

In this case there is not much to limit could have been hundreds of amps going through that drill now if their was some kind of resistive load in series or current limiter that would bring the max current to say 100 ma would have been nothing more than a few little sparks

[@wolfcatsden]

Don't get in trouble with a wife, congrats on the new home

[@andygalindo8978]

Congratulations on new home. Very exciting.

[@robertrichard9460]

Whatever they pay you guys, it ain’t enough! Keep up the good work!

[@RWRKofficial]

I was about to say It's dangerous because of amps but when I heard "there is no amps on these lines" I was like, oh uh nevermind then! I won't correct someone who knows better than me lmao

[@onetwoAX]

I mean when it's an open circuit he is right about no amps. LoL but yeah I was face palming.

[@Bobsdecline]

No amps until ya touch it! ⚡⚡

[@johnnytarponds9292]

Watched a army vehicle tech melt his wedding ring on an armoured personal carrier starter. "Only 24 volts". He lost a finger.

[@Clapxiomatic]

Would have been a non issue if he didnt have the ring on, very stupid to be wearing jewelry when working on things like that. Its true that human skin wont conduct 24 volts and he would be safe, but the ring is another story.... could see it heating up in an instant and burning through his finger.

[@johnnytarponds9292]

@@Clapxiomatic Insult on top on injury - he was charged for having his wedding band on.

[@flagmichael]

@@johnnytarponds9292 I got my wedding ring between a car battery and a grounded wrench - it got fearsomely hot in an instant.

[@johnnytarponds9292]

@@flagmichael LOL I bet!

[@datura_boof]

You're a madman!

[@count0nz]

Greetings from Auckland, New Zealand. Here we have 240V and it's not very Pleasant to Touchie. When I was a kid I had an old Arcade machine I was working on. and didn't realize there was a Live Bus Bar? Running down the Back on the Unit. and Accidentally Touched 240V.. was not pleasant at all. thank god. I only did so with 1 hand. and only brushed it. Much Respect. and I now Treat all AC Circuits as Live. and Make sure I Ground big Jucy Capacitors before working on PCB's etc.

[@andydelle4509]

"Only 120 volts?" How about 5 (yes five) volts? In the 1990s I worked on some super computers the size of refrigerators. One had a power supply of 5volts at 640 amps with 1x1/4 in +/- buss bars all across the motherboard. Bump that with a wedding ring or watch band and it will dissolve the flesh right to the bone.

[@superchuck3259]

5 volts times 400 amps is 2,000 watts of heat, just like a 20 amp breaker at 110! basically same power level!

[@andydelle4509]

@@superchuck3259 It was actaully 640 amps, two parallel 320a supplies. Keep in mind the nominal voltage of an AC arc welder is about 25 volts and look what that can do with 100 amps behind it.

[@jfbeam]

@@superchuck3259 640A _continuous_ rated. They all have output smoothing caps that can generate significant short circuit currents.

[@chrisbauer1925]

Yep, in that case electric shock isn't the concern so much as the arc flash and burns.

[@powershot9933]

640mA 🤨

[@adamruck]

The resistance across the tool was maybe a few ohms, the resistance across dry human skin is in the thousands of ohms. Pretty big difference.

[@superchuck3259]

Unless you are sweaty, they going to get burned!

[@Bobsdecline]

Yes, you are absolutely right! 💯. While expecting to be questioned about that, I went into an explaning this in the video... I decided to cut that whole part as it diverted my intent of the video and left more even more questions unanswered. While there's a big difference, there is still certainly a hazard, and this better demonstrates the capability of low voltage. In this specific circumstance that arc flash would likely have been the most concerning imo ✌️🍻

[@TheChipmunk2008]

@@superchuck3259 YES, this. 120-240 can easily grab you and make you not alive in short order if you're hot and sweaty on a summer's day or stuck in an attic or similar. People say 'oh stop being a sissy and man up' or similar. I'd rather be a sissy with PPE than a new project for the undertaker without it, thanks :)

[@jfbeam]

True. But the difference is 1A (human -- actually closer to .1A; currently measuring my sweaty paws @ 700k) vs. ~4kA for a dead short. (depending on line length, and transformer impedance) Humans tend to want to get away from power, tools tend to weld themselves to it. I have no idea what the ratings are for the PoCo cut-out, but they will blow if you short the secondary side. (been there, done that, blacked out a neighborhood.) [ V*I, or I*squared(R), means the human won't heat up nearly as fast. If you've ever "cooked" a hot dog, or pickle, with one of those novelty electric jobs, you should have an idea how quick a human would be seriously injured. ]

[@TheChipmunk2008]

@@jfbeam the human is dead either way. That's the thing they miss

[@localboysfishingcharters8753]

I work doing underground power and your videos are very helpful.. complacencies are the biggest reason for injuries

[@velascci]

Congrats on your new home Buddy!!!

[@Bobsdecline]

Thanks!

[@peters6850]

The sparks off a 12 volt car battery can get pretty violent. I can't imagine 69k volts

[@gordonrichardson2972]

I dropped a spanner onto a car battery once, only stopped once it melted and sagged in the middle...

[@TheChipmunk2008]

@@gordonrichardson2972 Yeah lead acid batteries were chosen for car starting duty precisely because of their (for the size) relatively low internal resistance and thus high current output. not something I like messing with tbh. I tend to use short circuit protected power supplies for my extra low voltage electronics work for that very reason.

[@sarah1390]

The thing is and it has been stated many of times in KZbin videos that it is a very low amperage that can stop your heart. It is more the path it takes that can determine how much damage is done including death. Me just being a consumer I remember one time trying to unplug a computer cable from a regular socket for a Canadian Coffee chain. There was something wrong with the till and I was trying to perform some troubleshooting with the computer but I was having difficulty removing the cable as it was a very tight space. Out of nowhere, the security chain from one of the donation boxes fell between the prongs and got a good sized little fireball of metal that flew out and you could see the damage done to the metal in the plug itself. After that experience I hate to plug anything in or try and pull it out because I'm legitimately scared

[@joshuagavaghan224]

I once unplugged a computer as a kid and my fingers crossed the contacts and I felt a contraction wave all the way up to my shoulder! It was the craziest thing ever and very freaky, I was like 8 years old. I was shocked but since I was ok I was kinda fascinated with the experience.

[@sarah1390]

@@joshuagavaghan224 I actually got shocked a few times while working for the same company. We had this damned slushie machine that provided the base for some of our frozen drinks. I got a few noticeable zings off the machine. Issue was there was a ground fault at the plug it was connected to. The first few were grounding out to a nearby donut rack that we would use as balance to climb a little step stool to fill up the Machine. Got it fixed. Then the store underwent renovation. Then every time it was shocking people was when the plug got jostled in the new plug because we kept drink powder on top of the plug

[@gerardmoran9560]

Loving your content from Charleston, SC, USA. As a child and to this day I've been fascinated by electricity and electrical distribution. I have a nice but modest collection of old glass insulators; they make good candlesticks.

[@andydred6439]

Tons of respect for u guys👍👍👍

[@friedmule5403]

Sorry but i have never understood the idea of 120V being less lethal than i.e. 7200V, hope you maybe can explain? What i am trying to say is that if the voltage is high enough to flow trough your body, then is it lethal (yex except very low current)

[@Bobsdecline]

Even extremely low voltage can be lethal is contact is directly across a vital organs. Like you said, if the voltage is high enough to have conductivity through you, it can be lethal. I think some consider lower voltages "less lethal" because they can be more forgiving. That's definitely not an excuse to treat it any differently, however if you were to have 69kv across your body vs 120v, the chance of survival would be much much greater with 120v.

[@wfukfm]

The way they taught it to me is that voltage has the potential to send more current through a given resistance and it's the current that kills you - but don't get careless with lower voltages either because if you got good conductivity and / or the current goes through your heart , even LV can do you in - like if you have dry gloves a few hundred might not kill , but if I got barefeet in the rain or mist and I get a left hand on 50V and current goes through my heart to ground through my leg it might be all she wrote.

[@artomix7]

If your body is a fixed resistance, 7200V/120V = 60, so a 7200V line will push 60 times more current than your wall voltage which can be far more lethal.

[@jkbrown5496]

Or if you have a low voltage and low impedance path. Story I was told 40 years ago, when we all tested our skin resistance with the old Simpson analog meters, which is safe enough, was one guy in, I believe ET school in the Navy, got the bright idea to test his resistance beneath the skin and inserted the probes in each hand. Well, the skin has a fair resistance, but the salty blood is a very good conductor and he killed himself with a AA battery, definitely not more than a 9v battery.

[@artomix7]

@@jkbrown5496 I've heard that story though, not sure if it's a myth or not. I wish I had a better idea of how resistive blood is, though it must be pretty low because whenever I measure my skin resistance it doesn't matter what two points I pick, even if the probes are 1 inch apart or on totally opposite ends of the body it reads pretty much the same, indicating below the skin is far more conductive.

[@danukepaintball]

"Only 120 volts", with a hell of a lot of amps along with it (available, not being used), and no breaker. Usually stuff like that will burn and burn and burn until enough wire melts away to stop the fault. But as a linemen you already know this, this is for others reading.

[@tg9754]

Great video. I'm watching in the Chicago area. Safety is paramount when doing anything. Keep up the great work and stay safe. Good luck with the new house. See you next time!

[@roybrown4944]

Beautiful

[@texasproud3332]

Good video Aron as an experienced electrician I have been there also congrats to you and your family on your new home 🤛

[@rubenvarela4077]

Thanks for info

[@knifedudetodd]

Watching from north Carolina. You guys are true hero's stay safe out there

[@leathercheerio1]

Thanks for allowing my fan to run right now. I wouldn't be able to sleep without it.

[@unwired1281]

Congrats on the new house. We’ll be here when you get caught up!👊

[@Bobsdecline]

Thanks Topper! Cheers!

[@youshouldknowthis3424]

Good Luck with the New Home !

[@zackstrang5963]

Great Video Aaron!!

[@MLZ1957]

Love your videos. I learn a lot. I am a retired Union Electrician. LU# 41 IBEW Orchard Park NY.

[@pmona7673]

👊 Jamestown, NY…. Really enjoy your videos!! Thanks for sharing your experiences! You are making me want to become a lineman!! 💪

[@kyle62690]

Good advice! Stay safe

[@robertk4629]

Crazy I respect you guys the real heroes in the night... you guys know what you are doing and still stuff happens... Stay safe