Switches are Clicky; Here's Why

[@DanceTranced]

When I was young I used to try get the very old switches to sit in the exact middle. I now understand why I caused so much damage and got in so much trouble.

[@darkmagician1184]

we had a 3 way switch on our stairs, to annoy our other siblings we would put the bottom one in the middle position so they couldn't use the switch at the top. being a dumb kid, we didn't think we were doing anything wrong. it wasn't until I moved into my own house and had a really poor switch in my living room that would "fizzle" when you turned it off that I realized what I had done as a kid.

[@krypticviper1613]

@@darkmagician1184 I’m an idiot what does that break?

[@Sannerr]

@@krypticviper1613 watch the video and you would know

[@schnizzyfizz7832]

@@krypticviper1613 Electric arcing happens. That tiny spark is really really hot and eats away at the contacts inside the switch. You want zero resistance in the switch. But as damage and burnt gunk builds up, that resistance can increase and eventually you got a fire hazard.

[@Noah-Lach]

The l

[@GazzaJAnimal]

As a UK resident, I love how US plug sockets look eternally surprised.

[@obeseperson]

That’s why we made them like that

[@g9eclipse136]

Exactly the look you'll make if you stick your hands too close to the prongs!

[@hazeltree7738]

@@g9eclipse136 If only there was a system to stop you touching the shocky parts x) (This is just light hearted by the way)

[@aerofiles5044]

I can't unsee it now.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

They're probably surprised hearing how the humans around them keep talking about "switches", when almost any other region calls them by what they actually DO: cut off the current to nothing, not switch between two alternate options for the current to flow. A rail switch is a real swich, because there IS another rail in the other position.

[@sypwn]

Awwww, you didn't mention turn signals! The "click, clack" of turn signals used to be caused by the relay that controls the bulbs toggling on and off. Now cars use solid state relays, so the clicking sound is produced artificially by a speaker under the dash.

[@Ravanger3]

Not all cars. Some cars use solenoids, some cars do the speaker thing.

[@envisionelectronics]

Sypwn Yeah even my 2001 Saab has a speaker for this as well as the other dash warnings.

[@two_number_nines]

some cars have a piezo speaker making the ticking noise.

[@Hdtjdjbszh]

@@Ravanger3 my motorcycle is completely silent when it comes to turn signals. Which is good, because I can't hear anything over the wind noise anyway

[@NathanaelDuke]

Used to specifically be a bimetallic strip that heated and disconnected and cooled to reconnect on a regular cadence. My 2015 car actually plays the turn signal sound through the stereo speakers. ^_^

[@jaromirandel543]

Nice click sound is also good positive feedback. The positive feedback is very important in the human design. It makes things intuitive and giving you info "you doing it right"

[@bocasuja22]

he touched on that topic brifily when talking about computer mice in the very end

[@nova_supreme8390]

It is like parking a car. You really want to hear that sudden thump to know you are close enough to the other vehicle.

[@milo5315]

​@@nova_supreme8390 Wait a minute...

[@ClaytonDorris]

Agreed. The silent mercury based switches that were in my house when I bought it were a little awkward. Before I realized they were mercury I thought they were worn out and I really missed that 'click'.

[@QHawk7]

If I didn't click, and there's some electricity outage or defected bulb/ device. People would have just keep pushing it, thinking it haven't reached the end and closed or opened the circuit. It's a nice feedback.

[@andreib302]

The fact that a video like this exists makes me love this channel even more

[@bulbman256]

this video was uploaded 1o mon ago but youtube says its 2 days old

[@OnlyKelp]

Bulbman256 it says 25 mins old for me but comments go back like 2 days

[@MacPhantom]

Bulbman256 Video was probably private for a month.

[@nettgyver]

Wow not what I expected. Talk about click bait!

[@Vitosi4ek1]

@@bulbman256 It's usually uploaded 1-2 days early for Patreon subs. That's why you see a lot of comments under a video that just went public, too.

[@FoxDragon]

"Everything conducts electricity if you try hard enough" as an electrician, can confirm LMAO

[@theclangers8567]

This is a truism for all users of large amounts of electricity. :)

[@TalesOfWar]

@Ricky Anthony To the point it melts I guess?

[@sinpi314]

Electroboom intensifies

[@jacobhargiss3839]

@Ricky Anthony well, depending on the plastic it may just burn.

[@user-xyjuser]

U can? OMG U so smart!

[@maxstevens9643]

I flicked the switch as hard as I can, but the joycons still drift.

[@billert]

Then get a free repair from Nintendo (continental america only)

[@dominickbryant851]

R/Wooosh?

[@lewtds]

Haha. Joking aside, get a can of electronic spray cleaner and spray directly into the opening under the stick's flap. It'll dry up in 5 seconds and immediately clean the circuit up. Worked very well for me.

[@dominickbryant851]

I got a warranty for them ao i get free joycons for 2 years if one breaks

[@maxstevens9643]

@@lewtds i did that a long time ago with wd-40; I don't know what everyone is sending them in for when it's that easy.

[@williamjones5367]

I honestly laughed my ass off at the constant "OoooO lets do that again!" while pulling the plug out of the wall. You have a great way of satirically promoting safety because I can totally see children literally playing with that.

[@ChaseHeeler]

I'd just do it as an adhd fidget 😭

[@Killamarshian]

The tiny arcing is the reason why you should never turn a light on if you smell gas in a building. Excellent video as per usual.

[@subscriber6181]

and because of that, you have to light a match to see where you're going. Please DO NOT ATTEMPT

[@unlokia]

It's the reason you SHOULD, if you're on a Hollywood set.

[@thiesenf]

Don't forget that whatever you do you're always charged up to about ~1000V

[@helloofthebeach]

@@subscriber6181 I'm a professional in someone else's home, it's fine.

[@Kowzorz]

Or perhaps even more importantly, don't turn one off.

[@sorry-ko8jb]

never thought there would be a 15 minute video on the sounds of light switches but i’m not complaining

[@AndyK.1]

bot did he ever answer the question.

[@rhamby3470]

@@AndyK.1 yeah. It's the stuff that contacts the wire moving really fast to minimize arching. Hits hard and makes a click sound

[@Connorses]

did... did he get through all that without saying "click subscribe"? my man

[@theclangers8567]

This is the first KZbin channel that I have subscribe to, for this very reason.

[@deivedux9342]

As someone who's been on KZbin since early 2012, I grew very tired of those people that say anything remotely do that. It even makes me cringe whenever I make myself say it.

[@deivedux9342]

@DEEJMASTER 333 This is a brand account, something that doesn't accurately represents my KZbin experience as a whole.

[@mr.nazareth4501]

Memento Mori, brother

[@Crashid3D]

Maybe he was afraid someone could bring his subscribe button in a half on / half off state

[@OfficialMaxBox]

I can't get enough of your subtle humor. "Professional driver" got me giggling good

[@typodoeseverything]

Didn't expect to see you on a TC video!

[@ahrikoito2210]

Wtf you're the last person I would expect to see here

[@1BergerVongSchlauigkeitHer]

His puns are painful and they better stay that way.

[@HxTurtle]

for added fun .. turn on closed captions and you'll get to read even more of his dry humor

[@BlueSewist]

I never thought I'd find someone who'd explain science things with words like "swinging thingy" because it's exactly how I want things explained

[@Highlandword9]

Yeah I love his way of teaching us

[@peteedwards]

Also i worked in a firm designing fuzes (yes that how its spelt) that made missiles operate and that was always explained as "the thingy that makes it go bang" to the people above our pay grade

[@LordPhobos6502]

And in fairness, in context that was an accurate and helpful description 😁

[@Thor_the_Doge]

Ah, a fellow layman's terms enjoyer

[@yungrich6188]

the best teachers use the simplest language

[@MedicSound]

"Let's do it again!" Label: "WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE"

[@EgoShredder]

Yep blow the lighting fuse to your whole house by dontcha!

[@rashidisw]

Yeah for a moment i thought he gonna do the ElectroBOOM/Mehdi route.

[@asailijhijr]

@@EgoShredder why* don't ya

[@chopyouup]

I just take those tags off, I live my own life the way I want! *Electrical fire intensifies*

[@yosefmacgruber1920]

@@EgoShredder Fuses and circuit breakers only detect overloads and short circuits, not bad/loose connections and sparking, well except for the newer arc-detecting circuit breakers, which are not all that widespread yet? But do those very often trip off for just no reason? Modern digital lamp timers and digital thermostats, use a relay or mechanical switch mechanism which provides that instant-on, instant-off snap action that a switch is supposed to do. Hopefully, they would be rated for at least 15 amps, and use a heavy-duty relay that can handle switching on a window air conditioner or heater, and not merely a low-current lamp. Even though the most common usage would be to control a lamp.

[@sierra_R]

the super detailed information along with the near constant deadpan humor makes your channel my absolute favorite

[@unlokia]

"Dead pan"? I'd say contrived.

[@brendancurtin679]

unlokia I mean... isn’t that what deadpan is? Delivering a joke while pretending you’re not?

[@unlokia]

@@brendancurtin679 Being TRULY "dead pan" means that only those who pick up on the cleverly crafted, EXTREMELY subtle nuances of the joke, will get it. Tech Conn's is a nice guy, but FAR from "dead pan", far TOO obvious that he's tried too hard, almost to the point of being cringey, sometimes.

[@dafoex]

unlokia How about "dry" humour?

[@sierra_R]

@@unlokia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadpan

[@raydunakin]

When I was a kid some houses had silent switches that had a vial containing a small quantity of mercury. Two metal contacts were at one end of the vial. When the switch was off, the vial was tilted so that the mercury was at the far end. When it was on, the vial was tilted the other way, and the mercury would complete the connection between the two contacts.

[@S.P.B.222]

Older or mechanical thermostats are a perfect example of this 👍

[@gasolinekiss]

Some video game controllers in the 80s also used those mercury tilt switches to attempt to simulate motion controls. Some actually worked pretty well, but if you broke the controller, you're gonna have a bad time.

[@stephensnell5707]

@@gasolinekiss it's good that switches don't use Mercury anymore as Mercury is extremely dangerous

[@HexagonThatReallyLikesVinegar]

@@gasolinekiss *throws ps5 controller in rage* *tries to pick it back up and gets mercury poisoning*

[@Eavolution_]

Where I'm from they used mercury switches on car bombs, when the car started accelerating the mercury would be pushed back in the vile onto the contacts, completing the circuit, blowing up the cop or whoever it was being targeted

[@Beastw1ck]

Honestly, this is one of the best channels on KZbin. I don’t even know the creator’s name but his ability to entertain and educate at the same time is up there with the greats.

[@MrMustacrackish]

I'm pretty sure it's Alex or Alec but you're right

[@macstevins]

@@MrMustacrackish it's Alec

[@S.P.B.222]

Agreed, he would make an awesome electrical lab instructor. It's an art form being able to paint a picture in someone's mind, no matter what level of understanding they are starting from, but assuming they know nothing about what you are teaching them. 👍

[@Youtube_Stole_My_Handle_Too]

Also I like his dress code. Most youtubers dress as if they targeted toddlers.

[@Capecodham]

Honestly? If you don't say that you lie?

[@TheNdoki]

"Even Edison knew that." Now there's a quote.

[@DigitalMoose]

After Tesla explained the concept to Edison.

[@videowhat614]

@@DigitalMoose This stupid anti Edison shit is absurd. He’s one of the most brilliant inventors of all time.

[@GrosvnerMcaffrey]

@@videowhat614 it was a group effort Tesla Edison and Westinghouse all deserve credit it's just Edison was out for glory and the hate comes from him trying to step on people to get it even his associates

[@TortillaChip521]

@@videowhat614 okay, but Tesla was still brilliant-er 😂

[@kai325d3]

@@videowhat614 Lol, no.

[@Ralesk]

"A Switch is a handheld..." - They've got us in the first half, I'm not gonna lie.

[@Ralesk]

Also re: somewhat safely and completely safely - is there going to be a nice rant about NEMA sockets somewhere down the line? :D

[@oiseauxfeu]

As an electrician, i really like it when you explain basic everyday stuff using explanation with knowledge in reasonable order. Keep up the good work!

[@MillRunner]

"Let's do that again" -Famous last words

[@tazzydev3455]

That or what does this button d...

[@gamemeister27]

Using an arc to do damage to contacts is how electrical discharge machining works. You can use it to bore holes straight through anything conductive

[@absalomdraconis]

With sufficient caution, you can also use it "in reverse" to plate material onto a conductor, though admittedly a more conventional version of welding will usually be better.

[@StefanoFierros]

@@lilylopnco Thats what she said

[@Unreissued]

this comment sounds so metal

[@TheNightstalker80]

Yes conductive drilling and cutting is an industrial standard since quite a while and it allows for precise and quick results. And as mentioned, the reverse thing is light arc welding, it works mostly the same.

[@IanTester]

Oh yeah, the other "EDM".

[@WigWoo1]

I just figured the clicking is the plastic slapping against the back of the switch when you push it, because if you push them very gently there's no click

[@pauls5745]

yes there are different ways the common toggle switch is made. cheapies can use a plastic arm that bends and slaps. might only work 10,000 times or less then the arm fatigues and tho the switch will still work, it's not clicky any more

[@lancethrustworthy]

There's still a click, you've just constricted the motion such that it doesn't report like it would otherwise.

[@annoymouse890]

No

[@ctrlaltdebug]

If I push switch gently, I hear popping from electricity arcing.

[@Heywoodthepeckerwood]

It ain’t a woman..

[@rashaseden7062]

Just behind the house where I grew up (about a mile from a power plant), there are a series of high tension towers, with dozens of power lines heading out over the region. We used to stand beneath them with fluorescent tubes and play light saber, because they would light up as you held them. Don't know why this memory came to mind, but these videos always make me think.

[@realsushrey]

That sounds rather dangerous. In India there have been incidents of people getting electrocuted because of standing in the fields below the high tension power line. Max high tension power lines (11,000 Volts) are now built on absolutely gigantic monster poles to maximize distance between the ground and wires.

[@WyvernYT]

That's an old Navy prank, too. You round up some new guys for "lighting maintenance" and collect a bunch of fluorescent tubes from anywhere they won't be missed for a few minutes, then go up to the aft deck. The seasoned seaman explains that they just need to give the tubes a vigorous shake to loosen the stale phosphors, demonstrates - and his buddy up at the radar controls hits the beam for a moment, making the tube light up.

[@realsushrey]

​@@vg6761 I am not an electrical engineer so take this with a pinch of salt. However, as far as I know, energy carried by electricity per unit time is given by the square of voltage divided by resistance, or current multiplied by voltage. As far as I know, high amount of energy going through the body in the form of electricity can cause severe internal burns.

[@tomg5516]

Please do dimmers next, and why some bulbs can or cannot be dimmed.

[@legominimovieproductions]

Look at ElectroBoom's channel XD

[@prometheus575]

@alysdexia You cannot dim a fluorescent bulb. Pay up :P

[@WowIndescribable]

Yeah I have 'switch dimmers' and don't really understand how the work, technically. It's all about timing. If I hit the switch quickly, the lights go on (or off). If I press and hold, the dimmers oscillate between high and low and will stop wherever and whenever I release the switch. How do these work???

[@checkoutmynewchannel6708]

It turns them on/off extremely fast

[@greenaum]

@@WowIndescribable There's a little computer chip that's reading the button and controlling the triac that's varying the current to the lamp. If there wasn't a computer, you could do it with an electronic circuit with a few dozen components. But fortunately there are single chips now, with a computer, memory, and program storage, as well as input / output, all on one little chip, costing just a few pennies. Actually they've been around since the 1980s, it's why there's a lot more smart stuff about now. As computers, they don't compare to a PC or a tablet, with only a thousandth the RAM and CPU performance, but that's still plenty for a light switch or a microwave oven timer. The slightly more expensive ones, but still just a handful of dollars, have Wifi and Bluetooth on board. Hence all these Wifi house plugs and video cameras and stuff that are all over the place recently. These ones compare to PCs of perhaps 20 years ago, that still got on the Internet, except they're optimised for what they do, not needing graphics and disk drives like a PC has.

[@IlliterateSage]

"Hey honey, the thermostat guy made a video about why switches click!" Unlike these switches, she's very quiet right now.

[@WalterJamesComedy]

Karen took the kids

[@locke103]

murdered her, didnt you?

[@pekinggeese]

@@locke103 This got dark, fast.

[@locke103]

@@pekinggeese i apologize for clicking the lights off.

[@IlliterateSage]

Plants Tho Yeah. I don’t even try. It just happens.

[@jesx]

Switches: exist Humans: balance the switches in the middle so the light starts flickering. Switches: *bruh*

[@Archgeek0]

In fairness, that can be a useful way to trick fluorescent tube lights with dying ballasts into igniting properly. The sudden current cuts and starts can play into the magnetic tomfoolery of the ballasts in such a manner that you can push the voltage over the hump to get the ionization going full-bore, or at least half-bore, which will often self-correct in a few minutes. It's terrible for the ballasts, but they're dying anyway if you're resorting to this.

[@kruemmelbande5078]

I... Think your nintendo switch is broken

[@flurgy22]

I did that once on accident by half ass throwing the switch. I was perplexed by the way the light was acting figured the bulb was loose. Took the globe off the light and checked the bulb and it was tight. Figured I had a bad connection under the fixture. So I go to turn off the switch and it is making an angry 60hz buzz and was VERY warm. I'm guessing here but I can only imagine I had the switch on just enough to sustain an arc across the contacts. And I went right to the hardware store and got a new switch immediately.

[@jonnathan1869]

Tbh it's kinda hard to do

[@DiosPerroSandia]

At my high school, we do that in the bathroom and smoke comes from inside the switch

[@zombie-process7025]

1:56 - When Technology Connections and Electroboom have a crossover episode.

[@scottneulist9495]

I'm ashamed to say I jumped at that

[@LMacNeill]

1:46 -- Handling bare, live wires with your bare hands. Alec is the new ElectroBoom! ;-)

[@neomaster341]

Loose wires. Avoid them.

[@HedgehogStudios1]

Alectroboom

[@rogerwilco2]

It is staged. The light even turns on a second before the wires touch. The magic of video.

[@Sinjinator]

Maybe he's been watching BigCliveDotCom

[@lordmuntague]

@@Sinjinator Indeed, and he'll probably get some serious sarcasm off JW.

[@MarceloGosling]

“Nothing is a perfect insulator” Interestingly, not even “nothing” is a perfect insulator. A vacuum is one of the better ones, but it still has a breakdown voltage =)

[@richardwild76]

There is no such thing as a perfect insulator. How's that?

[@BlankBrain]

@@richardwild76 If you put a high enough voltage on electrons, they can jump into free space via field emission.

[@moonrock41]

@@BlankBrain does that mean we could make electrons jump from the Earth to the Moon if a high enough voltage could be created?

[@nitePhyyre]

That question popped into my mind when he was talking about prefect vacuums. I'm glad to have it answered. Thanks.

[@tomasdvorak7307]

@@nitePhyyrethe effect of field emission was being utilized in the electronic lamps (predecessors to present day transistors). Despite their demise in 60s, 70s and 80s, I believe those lamps are still being used in some rare special applications; an electrotechnic engineer could perhpa advise more. Yeah, x-ray machines also come to mind. And other electronic gadgetry. As for vacuum, a perfect vacuum is just theoretical concept which can't be achieved in real live. The electronic lamps would contain something like good-enough vacuum, subject to technological and economical constraints, yet subjecting their void to space-level vacuum wouldn't probably affect (improve) their performance one bit.

[@flyingcatpack]

seeing how the lamp switch works through that clear housing made my day, thank you!

[@CaitieLou]

Over Christmas, my parents and grandparents were talking about how back in the 60's they tried installing rubber power outlets. After that, the found whenever there were storms those plugs would spark so badly that they could see it arcing halfway across the room. My grandpa didn't believe them at first, until he saw it himself. Needless to say they immediately switched those rubber outlets back out.

[@JerryDodge]

"A switch is a device which routes network traffic between devi... no..."

[@106640guy]

Switch is a little game my uncle once taught me...you stick one of your fingers in your...uhh nevermind

[@ReverendTed]

"A switch is a colloquial term for a limb or branch that your grandmoth...no..."

[@muffinproject]

A switch is when a skater changes how their fee... no..

[@Camwize]

A switch is someone who likes to be dominant and submissive in bed, depending on how they feel in that momen.... no...

[@jkdking12]

A switch is the menu option, in most jrpgs, you press when you want to switch party memb....no....

[@Nathsnirlgrdgg]

This is the best video about light switches I’ve ever seen. Incredible.

[@eamartig]

Nathaniel Gregg even better than every YIAY ever?

[@greenaum]

It's in my top ten, certainly.

[@walkermorales337]

I usually turn off lights slowly (without hearing a click) since I figured the clicking was worse than no clicking in terms of wear, turns out I was really wrong.

[@ClaytonDorris]

Instead of a click you just hear a sizzle.

[@AlexanderNash]

Seriously you were worried about wear of a $10 switch? what a stupid thing to worry about.

[@ZoeVenture]

@@AlexanderNash how do you know what kind of switch they have/had? Do y'all live in the same house? lol

[@ericwright8592]

In the home I grew up in, my dad specifically installed silent light switches everywhere. They used a drop of mercury and gravity to open and close the circuit. Yikes. I remember playing with them as a kid, moving the switch as slow as possible to see just when the lights would come on.

[@zyad48]

Man I wish Mercury wasn't so toxic :( It's honestly super interesting and has fun properties but it's so dangerous that it's not viable for commercial applications.

[@Freak80MC]

@@zyad48 Maybe once we all move over to robotic bodies we can start creating stuff with those pesky products which are too toxic to be anywhere around mushy biological meat bodies

[@vibaj16]

@@zyad48 As far as I know, gallium is no more toxic than any other metal, but it'll stain your skin. But I guess it doesn't have the chemical properties of mercury.

[@Halinspark]

@@Freak80MC Fun fact: (working on the assumption robot bodies would likely be largely aluminum for weight and corrosion concerns, as well as general machinability.) Mercury does bad things to aluminium, so it would still be toxic to a lot of the robotics.

[@alishaker9001]

Me at 3am: I think I wanna sleep My brain: don’t you wanna know why does light switches produce sounds

[@coooclmmaann12]

Literally me right now at 3:14

[@DumStrung]

@@coooclmmaann12 Same at 4:37... Goddamit fml

[@smallsthetimelord4066]

"I don't need sleep I need answers!"

[@adenarrington7607]

11:07 at 9% battery

[@pinekel1081]

@alysdexia This is the internet not a book or essay you asshole

[@DasGanon]

I'm a little sad that there wasn't "A switch is a piece of networking equipment that can organize traffic packets depending on if it's managed or unmanaged... Wait." But the IT Gods will give it a pass.

[@ethanpoole3443]

Actually, the switching layer predominantly routes the individual packets to their intended destination port(s), effectively a very primitive router, switching between ports on a per packet basis as well as resetting the timing allowing for longer runs between two points (up to 200m max path versus 100m). As differentiated from the dumb repeater hubs of ole that simply broadcast every packet to every possible port (though such are/were very handy for snooping all traffic).

[@kusog3]

I'm also sad that there wasn't "A switch is a type of selection control mechanism used to allow the value of a variable or expression to change the control flow of program execution via search and map."

[@Zed.TheReaper.McCormick]

And: "A switch is a type of branch that is used for disciplinary action." was also missing

[@rebmcr]

@@ethanpoole3443 Switches don't do anything at all to packets, they operate with Frames.

[@ethanpoole3443]

rebmcr You got me! I do appreciate the correction as I was drawing a blank earlier when trying to recall the correct term - my memory isn’t quite what it used to be!

[@clarohernandez6689]

Me: 3:00 AM... I need to sleep My brain: No, you need to know why switches click.

[@hi-its-matt]

Claro Hernandez I don't need sleep, I need answers!

[@rubyswan917]

@@hi-its-matt Basically the electricity used by humans is artificially condensed and appliances that make heat have a high microferit resistance on the hot wire.

[@ahsamv1992]

Me rn

[@disarmyouwitha]

Hey, it's me right now!

[@ming3706]

It's literally 3:01 am and I have a class at 8 am

[@realevilcorgi]

At 3:05 an awesome line would have been "if this grown man is this amused by this, imagine how amused a child might be"

[@JARJCC97]

many thermostat unpluggings later: (the house starts to catch on fire) OOOOOO LETS DO THAT AGAIN!!!!

[@HappilyHomicidalHooligan]

My Outer Persona: ... My Inner Pyromaniac:

[@Chef_PC]

I really need a 17 minute video of, **spark** “OOOh, let’s do that again!” **spark**, ad nauseum.

[@gamingmusicandjokesandabit1240]

*Electroboom has joined the chat*

[@cezarcatalin1406]

Gaming, music and jokes! *and a bit of cooking* * Electroboom set the outlet on fire * * Electroboom left the chat *

[@cezarcatalin1406]

* Electroboom joined the chat again * (this time with slight burns on his fingers)

[@NathanNGM]

It warms my heart to read someone else use "ad nauseum" as well, in 2020.

[@okkomp]

*tw* New led lights won't damage even the worst of switches..

[@hgbugalou]

Edison knew bare wires are dangerous, but Electroboom sees it as A feature.

[@nicksGLI]

@@blitzwing1 I doubt Topsy thinks AC was glorious!

[@vega1287]

o knew a comment like this was going to be made

[@simonstergaard]

And Photoninduction didnt care

[@pinkajou656]

“Well, a switch is a handheld game-“ “No.” “A switch is a mechanism used to divert rail cars for-“ “No.” “A switch is the simplest mechanism that can control the flow of electricity.” **ding ding ding**

[@somenerd4572]

A switch is a person that both- I’ll stop there everyone knows what’s next

[@rami-succar7356]

@@somenerd4572 I don't, tell me

[@ShonaDudley]

@@rami-succar7356 "No."

[@rami-succar7356]

@@ShonaDudley Plez

[@alextheumbreon1363]

@@rami-succar7356 A person who likes to take either the dominant or submissive role in a relationship that offers said roles. Sometimes both, if their partner is also a switch.

[@JoshColletta]

"1500 watts, in fact." And that, folks, is what we in the business call a "callback."

[@charlescampuz5812]

alysdexia “Hick” is a pretty bold insult, at least in the States.

[@oddixgames6704]

was looking who else's noticed :)

[@zzschulzz]

LOL, used to feel a little guilty that I tend to “punch” those flat switches. I’ll just keep doing it and use the excuse that it’s safer.

[@isaachenrikson3197]

Pathetic. I've broken electrical boxes by punching so hard

[@aidancommenting]

@@isaachenrikson3197 *punch* "Where'd the power go?"

[@isaachenrikson3197]

@@aidancommenting they still work too lol

[@tinmann7187]

@@isaachenrikson3197 that sounds less safe.

[@the_hoagie5463]

I think "everything conducts electricity if you try hard enough" might be my senior quote

[@LookAlikeFilm]

The_Hoagie Also, every machine is a smoke machine if you try hard enough.

[@mikelieberman6924]

@@LookAlikeFilm Everything 'electric' runs on smoke and only dies when the smoke leaks out.

[@quadrplax]

Also everything is flammable if you try hard enough

[@donaldendsley6199]

@@quadrplax as Apollo 1 found out.

[@absalomdraconis]

@@quadrplax : Hydrogen Fluoride actually _isn't_ flammable, which is probably the only "safe" thing you can say about it, since it can even react with metals to produce flammable hydrogen gas. Still, Hydrogen Fluoride itself actually isn't flammable!

[@amazing7633]

A hundred years ago they were even louder. Our old house had switches with a porcelain body, and the switching mechanism (yes, a spring and some brass and bronze connectors) was what we could call "long throw, double-wiping, double break". Long throw means that breaking the circuit was not merely a movement by a two or three millimeters but 20 mm or more. Loud as heck. Descriptions of double-wiping contacts and double break can be found on some internet somewhere, and are left as an exercise for the truly curious.

[@zephyfoxy]

Wrong. A switch is a network devices that intelligently forwards frames to various devices based on MAC address.

[@bookaltd]

Wrong. A switch is what my ma' ordered me to fetch when I was naughty.

[@deivisony]

@@bookaltd I don't get it. Care to explain to a Brazilian who learnt British English?

[@primethread]

Archival Copy “physical child abuse”

[@kr4zyy]

@@deivisony it's a networking joke, go google Switch Intermediary Device

[@EliteFlight]

Okay Dwight

[@KarthikVishwamitra]

Me: I'm an adult who has a real life and important things to do Also me: watches a 15-minute video on clicky switches

[@vappyenjoyer24]

15.5*

[@3bydacreekside]

I gave nothing better to do

[@GoodElectronics]

Better than learning for an exam :)

[@3bydacreekside]

*halve

[@3bydacreekside]

*mave

[@tamburlaineman]

You should do a follow up video on dimmer switches, how they work, and why some lamps create a buzzing effect on them.

[@VideoGuy84]

Because all modern dimmer switches use a component called a Triac to essentially "chop up" the AC waveform so the light being dimmed doesn't see the full AC wave and thus appears dimmer. It's called PWM or pulse width modulation. I'm sure TC would do a MUCH better job explaining it though so I hope he does.

[@somedude2492]

@@VideoGuy84 what you say is correct, but a triac/diac type dimmer does not use PWM. It is really similar, but it's defienetely not the same. Pwm alternates between 1 and 0, a triac just lets some amount of the wave pass and stops the rest.

[@VideoGuy84]

@@somedude2492 I stand corrected. I'm probably thinking of low voltage LED controllers which do use PWM.

[@brantisonfire]

What about why CFL and some LED bulbs are not compatible with dimmers? I’m probably gonna answer my own question by assuming it’s because they are ballasted lamps that need the full current of a hot wire to power the ballast, so their either completely off or completely on. But that wouldn’t apply to dimmable LED bulbs.

[@wisteela]

@@brantisonfire Big Clive has done a video about this.

[@coralieofjumpwithnofear]

I just have to tell you how much I love your closed captions. I don’t _need_ them, but I do so like them! And the spelling of your displeasure vocalisations (‘eugh’, for example) is marvellous.

[@KevinT3141]

"While this specimen continued to be amused by the spark..." Love it! Never change Alec.

[@seanpalmer8472]

Fun fact: switches designed for DC have to be even more rigorously designed due to the fact that normal current flow never goes to/through zero like AC power does.

[@BurntFaceMan]

Most youtubers : Shoot things in Fortnite!, Look GTX 2080 Super!!, Mobile phones break!!! You: "Here's how a light switch works" Pure class and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[@szymusu]

1:24 you forgort to mention "Switch is an active network device controlling no"

[@maritoguionyo]

Yes

[@kc8ufv]

Also, a switch is a device used in some forms of corporal punishment

[@darkwinter6028]

You know what you’ve got when you’ve got two wires that don’t separate quickly? An arc welder!

[@Zeem4]

As a British person in Britain, I heartily enjoyed your Type G plug reference.

[@ianbutler1983]

The best plug/outlet design in the world.

[@elliottslab]

Haha me too

[@andreiarg]

To be honest it's the safest design I've seen out there both with the on off switches but also with the feature that doesnt allow you to stick a fork in them. Not sure how it's called.

[@elliottslab]

KaputPictures the shutters yes also it’s fused in the plug, so if it’s low powered it might have like a 3A fuse also making it safer

[@lemius6154]

@@ianbutler1983 until you step on it.

[@davidm8371]

The 10 year old me remembers holding a light switch half way and watching the lights (and the ark) flicker.

[@kyleflicker]

Triggered

[@PedroHenrique-ih1fl]

i burned a switch while doing that, smoke came out and i got really scared lmao

[@theinacircleoftheancientpu492]

Does the 40 year old you remember too?

[@tamber5977]

@@kyleflicker switched*

[@monad_tcp]

​@@kyleflickerthe best possible use of triggered.

[@Nathaniel._.]

I love the little chime he used at 1:39 for the correct answer. Yay

[@gixxygamma]

Then there's my Grandma's House, which still has many Mercury Switches in service. Completely quite and smooth action as it uses contacts on one end of a sealed glass vial containing a small amount of liquid mercury. When you tilt the switch, the mercury either flows away from the contacts, breaking the circuit, or towards them, connecting it.

[@Egilhelmson]

We have a bunch of them, because my father and grandfather from the other side had to be wrestled away from hardware stores, like drunks from bars, or they would burn up their wallet buying junk for which they were sure they could find a use.

[@damonedwards1544]

@@Egilhelmson That's funny. My dad did the same thing. Drawers full of electrical components for some project that never happened.

[@gtb81.]

i have quite a few myself, i found some for sale in a box and bought every one i could get my hands on, i have only used one though, but they are fantastic for outdoor use, as the contacts cannot corrode and will probably last almost forever i'd think

[@OrigamiMarie]

@@damonedwards1544 [looks at fabric and yarn stash] well I certainly can't throw stones!

[@H3wastooshort]

@@damonedwards1544 meanwhile me: *looks at floor with electronics all over it* yea thats fine

[@GraceAction]

*I got so anxious while he played with the plug* 😂

[@legominimovieproductions]

With the "plug" ;)

[@oktalon]

*“Ooh. Let's do it again!”*

[@VinceMcLennon]

If that made you nervous, do not look up Electroboom on YT

[@arnemaeschaelck5012]

same... this is why I always close my eyes plugging this in or unplugging them lol... and electroboom literally gave me a decent amount of heart attacks in the past...

[@mrsqueakthecat.8061]

Never come to my shop. I have 240 VAC 100 amp sockets for my big shop equipment. You wanna see a big arc pull one of those out when running one of my bigger machines!

[@anotheruser9876]

"Don't do this at home" So I went over to my buddy's house and did what you did with live wires there.

[@bigboilover6936]

another user oooh very clever, haven’t heard that one before

[@jimaanders7527]

You explained the mechanical operation of the switch very well. Fast action is very important. The "click" sound itself is important for a lot of people (like me) to give us a warm feeling that we really did operate the switch and didn't just wave at it. I used to have a mercury wall switch and I sometimes wondered if I had toggled it completely. The keyboard on your cell phone has an option to make a sound when you touch a key. (It's nice to have an option.) You can get a mouse that makes a click or not. PC keyboards come with different amounts of "clickyness". I like a little bit of a click sound and some tactile feedback. .

[@qlvinc]

Next video: *_Why doesn’t the sun make a click when it turns day time_*

[@RedwoodRhiadra]

It does, we just can't hear it through the vacuum of space :-P

[@stephensparks9350]

It's on a dimmer. Dimmers don't click. He covers this in the beginning.

[@radioanon4535]

no, you are all wrong *It takes light from earth, focuses it, and shines it back*

[@russellhamner4898]

The Sun doesn't even exist. You're just another one of Big Astronomy's sheeple. BAAAAAH!

[@astracrits4633]

@@RedwoodRhiadra Fun fact: if we could hear all the noise the Sun generates, we would probably all die due to the vibrations. Fortunately, the vacuum of space protects us from that!

[@shmotten]

The humour in these videos is just SO on point. I love this channel.

[@Kylora2112]

@@tippymctippersonepsilon1634 Someone who likes to top AND bottom!

[@videokaninen8995]

Sam Otten can you Switch your hat.

[@parnikkapore]

@Fuert Neigt Meanwhile, many people complain that those "eye-catching" thumbnails are memical, and even Linus S. wishes that he could use saner thumbnails. Granted, Linus' video can go both ways.

[@parnikkapore]

tbph, I think the current thumbnail is the perfect middle ground.

[@fulafisken]

I love how you start with the basic concepts and work up to the conslusion, I always seem learn new things or get new perspectives on things I already knew.

[@bbman10pwns]

It feels very reminiscent of those old vehicle educational animations from the 60's and 70's, where they did the same thing and also made it fun to learn something new.

[@ICasinI]

It also opens up an interesting discussion about how the sound made by practically any product you can imagine is, generally speaking, fully designed to be consistent with what a consumer would likely expect to be present.

[@theshellacstation78]

I love how you include things like: [professional recreation]

[@mialemon6186]

Also if you don't watch with captions on, you're missing out. It's delightful.

[@OriginalPineapplesFoster]

I definitely read "recreation" with the definition of 'leisure activity' at first, and wasn't even confused. 😛🍍

[@OriginalPineapplesFoster]

@@mialemon6186 Gosh darn it, now I've got [a legitimate excuse] to re-watch every single video on this channel. Thaaaaank you. 👍🍍

[@PunishedCreepswork4]

cool, now im going to be hyper aware of light switches and how they click in every place i go to. thanks mr technology connections!

[@Dodgerific]

came for clicking noises, stayed for accidental lessons in arc welding

[@InhumanFan98]

Thats what makes these videos so good :)

[@jonjohnson3027]

One more detail: the contacts in switches are made of a material that resists damage from arcing (unlike the brass or nickel plating of a plug and receptacle). One common material is phosphor bronze.

[@ionmaster7873]

Oh shoot I'm very used to carefully move the light switches at night when turning the lights on and off so I don't make noise, now I know I've been damaging them by doing that I'm sorry light switches, being sneaky is more important that your health and safety

[@HelloHiHelloHiHello]

Same

[@dillbill7152]

They're not hard to replace and theyre cheap anyway so sneak on my friend.

[@ionmaster7873]

@@dillbill7152 What is cheap or not, depends on how much money you have D:

[@bluenight317]

And if u want to DIY it or not

[@zlette]

Wait how are you being sneaky? If you turn off or on a switch the lights will be easily noticeable. I'm confused.

[@eljakimdeclerck1941]

me as a kid: holding light switch between I and 0 *spark noises* Edit: dunno if this is an achievement, but thx for the 1k likes!

[@Hdtjdjbszh]

My dad always told me that doing this would ruin the switch.... Only today did I believe him

[@MarsCBG]

Glad I'm not the only one who tried to do this as a kid. Then I grew up into a responsible adult who ONLY rapidly flicks the switches to hear the fun clicky noise.

[@unlokia]

@@Hdtjdjbszh You'd need to do that constantly for about 30 years to "ruin" it.

[@stonent]

Same!

[@jiffylou98]

Me as a 20 year old, doing the same thing

[@jadesprite]

me: you know one thing i've never wondered at all about? why switches are clicky technology connections: *I've got you covered.*

[@vanhalenbr]

I am commenting after watch the first minute or so, just to say the switch sounds are so nice to hear, I cannot explain and it’s nice how it was recorded to capture the feel

[@NeXMaX]

2:14 Ah, the British 3-pronged plug and receptacle combo. I still love that.

[@erigabu]

but very bulky...

[@marksmithwas12]

@@erigabu but once you put it in, it doesn't jostle about, it stays firmly against the socket. 2-pronged pins look like they can bend or pop out unexpectedly

[@TheRetroGamerBay]

@@marksmithwas12 they can pop out unexpectedly... They are super inconsistent. Some you can plug it in and it will just fall out and others you have to use a lot of force

[@yosefmacgruber1920]

@@TheRetroGamerBay If the plug just about falls out, you should replace the receptacle especially if there is anything that uses high current on that circuit. It has been abused and is worn out. I think people should grasp the plug (not the cord) and firmly pull it out. Do not wiggle it around, as that destroys outlets.

[@frugalprepper]

@@TheRetroGamerBay Yeah my plugs are always trying to sneak out. I have to walk around the house and check on them. I gave them all names. I will be like "SPARKY, SPAARRRKY... Get back in there. You know better! YOU TOO MELTY!"

[@scubaman2546]

Oh... I'M SO SHOWING THIS EPISODE TO MY GRADE 9 SCIENCE STUDENTS. This was one of the most clever episodes I have seen in a long time. The arc images that you captured were particularly interesting. Well done, sir.

[@shelvacu]

1:41 Aww man, I was hoping you'd describe a network switch

[@denshi-oji494]

shelvacu I was trying to figure out what type of network switch he was going to talk about that clicked...

[@FrothingFanboy]

Denshi-Oji I've got one. It's a 2-port switch (of sorts) integrated into a big multi-port analog video switcher. The whole box works through relays, so instead of both ports being active, a button has to be pressed to switch between them, emitting a click in the process.

[@J.DeLaPoer]

I live in a 19th century home with the old "push button" light switches. They're at least 100 yrs old and still work perfectly; incidentally they also make a hard snap you can hear and feel. I always wondered why we went away from these switches with the 2 buttons and toward the modern toggle/rocker type.

[@DemetriLoizou]

"We designed plugs that would, depending on your country, somewhere between somewhat safely and completely safely allow you to make and break electrical connections". Never been so proud to be British! There's a great video about British plugs on Tom Scott's channel.

[@Sonic6293]

What is a switch? Well, back in the day when I was actin' up, Grandma would tell me to go outside and pull a swit- "No."

[@Malidictus]

A miserable little pile of secrets?

[@chrischurch4551]

Don’t pick the small one

[@robertgaines-tulsa]

Thing goodness he didn't mention them. I never got one myself, although I do joke about how kids today want the Switch. YIKES!!!

[@danielsjohnson]

I am familiar with those kind of switches. I learned the hard way.

[@ThetaReactor]

Buckling springs deliver excellent clicks in every scenario. It's also worth checking out Big Clive's videos on circuit breakers to see how extra beefy switches work.

[@CathrineMacNiel]

"buckling springs" mmmmh Model M Keyboard.

[@davidmarquardt2445]

@@lazymass And then you have single pole/single throw, double pole/single throw, double pole/double throw switches. What he was showing was a single pole/single throw switch, which is the simple on/off switch in 98% of your house. But if you have a stairway or hallway, or a light by the backdoor that you want to control from the garage, then you need a 3-way switch. That's the one with 3 terminals and no on/off marking on it, because it is only on or off in relation to the position of another 3-way. Also if you only have a 3-way it can also be used as a simple on/off, just use only 2 of the 3 terminals. Now what if you have a room or stairway with over 2 entrances? The 4-way switch, with 4 terminals comes to the rescue. 2 3-way switches are used, and every added doorway gets a 4-way.

[@JadeNeoma]

this in my opinion is why it's good that UK plugs have switches built into the wall. You switch it off, then unplug it. This ensures that even things without their own switches, there are some things, don't cause a spark. The main things I can think of that do this are chargers and computers. My PC's power supply is still live when the computer is turned off, with a switched out,et I can turn it off at the wall before unplugging it. One of my PC's has a switch on its PSU but one of them doesn't.

[@maxhodek999]

Now I can’t turn on the lights to a room without testing how good the switch is

[@thatengineeringchannel4611]

Same... 😉

[@Backroad_Junkie]

Old mercury light switches (many are still in use) operate silently, as do many solid state switches.

[@russellhltn1396]

You beat me to it. My old childhood house was full of mercury switches. I believe they were billed as "silent switches".

[@millomweb]

@@russellhltn1396 We have one - fitted in the doorbell !

[@teresashinkansen9402]

Put a hundred amps thorough them and they aren't that silent ;)

[@denshi-oji494]

they also have mercury relays... when used within the design rating, you really don't need to worry about arcing damaging the contacts.

[@ethanlamoureux5306]

This is because mercury is a liquid metal conductor and doesn’t make much noise as it drops into position. But it still uses speed to minimize arcing.

[@marscaleb]

4:17 "Everything conducts electricity when you try hard enough" (Shows a lightning strike) Man, a couple years ago I was working for a company that builds lighting protection systems, and it was so fascinating to learn about this kind of stuff that I didn't know that much about as a kid. When lightning hits something, all that electricity WILL find its way to the ground, and it doesn't much care about what kind of material it is. I was looking at photos where unprotected buildings got hit, and there were freaking BRICK WALLS that were ripped apart from the strike, and I began to realize that fundamental truth of electricity that, yes, with enough of it, you can make it travel through ANYTHING.

[@cthulutech4697]

That is scary. But also amazing.

[@MrDasfried]

Yeah its realy amazing That The same ENERGY is stored in every existing matter and so will travel through it if forced enough. Its really baffeling actually how everything is setup in this univers.... Never stops to amaze me

[@PhoenixNL72-DEGA-]

Even through a vacuum, as shown by the existence of CRT screens and ARC Lights.

[@mikej2489]

Well sort of its not really going through the brick more that it breaks down the molecules and atoms. Yes it goes through the brick if you look at it, but rather is jumps from the water inside the bricks or anything that is in the brick itself (glass pieces for example) At that moment the brick also breaks because dielectric breakdown happens, which means the electric field exceeds the breakdown voltage. Breakdown voltage is where an insulator basically has its molecules crack under the voltage. Everything thing in the world has a different limit (air for example has 3Kv/mm limit) So what basically happens is that lightning happens and it starts to break everything on its path. It will still find the easiest way. But everything that does breakdown turns to plasma. Which is why the brick breaks down. This is because the voltage field is too high (which in lightning is seriously high) and it manages to make a jump with an arc and that arc turns everything in the path to plasma. Lightning can also happen without ever reaching the earth (sometims going kilometers across clouds), this means it isn't able to break down the air under the cloud enough to reach the earth. In short insulators have a lot of electrons close to the atoms this makes it near impossible for current to flow. Air for example can withstand 3000 Volt every millimeter until it breaks down) If the electrical field goes over the voltage limit, suddenly it manages to grab those electrons and bumps them into atoms etc, which ionizes the atoms and you can charge them. But thats only because the voltage was higher then the materials could handle in the bricks (which isnt much). Lightning has around 1billion volts. this means that you need to have an insulator that can withstand 1 billion volts. A perfect vaccum for example will never have lightning go through it (perfect vaccum has nothing to carry it) Diamond for example has 2 million volts dielectric strength per meter. So 500 meter of diamond would withstand a lightning blast and it would nothing.

[@mikej2489]

@@PhoenixNL72-DEGA- No electricity will never go through a real vacuum, in a real vacuum there is nothing to carry electrons around so there is nothing to charge. Crt screens and arc lights do not have real vacuum. CRT screens have 0.01 pascal or 0.01 millibar. So not real vacuum meaning there are still electrons in the near vacuum (otherwise you would be able to see light) Same for the ARC light which contains gas to make the arc. Again if you have true vacuum you wouldn't been able to push electricity through because there is nothing to push it.

[@genzu6388]

1:56 as someone who is almost a qualified electrician, lying in bed at midnight with my phone glued to my dumb face at that moment, with earphones in, this scared the shit out of me. My heart skipped at least 3 beats. I ain't ever recovering from that shock.

[@mattburwick4206]

I think that the toaster needs to make a cameo appearance in each video. Kind of like Hitchcock in his films...

[@Shaun.Stephens]

Or Quentin Tarantino, or Taika Waititi, or Peter Jackson..... etc.

[@unlokia]

Raise your glasses for a toast to the toaster! 🥂

[@chriswalford4161]

Matt Burwick : I anticipate an episode on smoke detectors very soon

[@MrAlice]

I laughed at "1500 watts, in fact". Love the inside jokes.

[@maksuree]

@Simeon Walker 1500 watts

[@tiltil9442]

I didn't laugh about that sweetly naive comment.

[@thebluegremlin]

2 people got whooshed

[@dadolphinplayz]

69likes

[@BillAnt]

Well yeah, the UK's 230V can carry much more energy through thinner wires than the US's 110V. Course you could also get shocked really badly and possibly die, so yeah it's a bit of a trade-off. ;D

[@LostSonOfPluto]

I didn’t know I wanted to find out why switches click until now. But I’m glad i could learn

[@arubaguy2733]

This guy can take an everyday mundane piece of hardware and hold my attention for 15 minutes. That's why I subscribed 4 years ago.

[@Robogeek360]

"...but that's beyond the scope of this video" I never thought I'd hear those words on any of your videos.

[@MaHa-ys4ib]

BINGO!!!

[@zamuy12479]

I don't know if it's the content or just the style of presentation, but your videos consistently calm me and set things right during what has become a tough time. Thank you.

[@Holobrine]

“A switch is a handheld gay” - Technology Connections, 2019 1:27

[@Saltlord894]

😂

[@johnalbertson79]

stupid

[@lordman5497]

@@GentlemanlyOtter because he is wood

[@syaz4380]

@@lordman5497 he is wood?

[@brony4869]

@@syaz4380 jojo reference

[@PMitchell106]

13:07 some other commercial uses of SF6: -Electron microscopy -Making your voice deep like Darth Vader -Absolutely dominating most of the other greenhouse gasses in terms of global warming potential.

[@IAmSippycup]

One of my favourite sounds on this earth is the big "kshunk!" of flicking a breaker on or off (particularly off).

[@haymantaylor7583]

"Ah yes, here's the problem." 𝑴𝑬𝑨𝑻𝒀 𝑾𝑨𝑪𝑲 "Fixed it."

[@devd_rx]

What's your favourite sound on other Earth??

[@krrk6337]

*Professional driver. Closed course. Do not attempt.*

[@deaconblue949]

Part of the reason those older switches clicked louder is because they were more well made, like your Sunbeam toaster. But also the older switches were designed to work with either AC or DC current, which was still a thing at the time and needed to be taken account for. Many older appliances and all light bulbs of the time could work on either. GE actually came out with silent toggle switches back in the eighties and David Letterman made fun of the parent company of NBC by saying "They are silent..... Because THEY DON'T WORK!!"

[@tylerdun6627]

"A switch is a hand held game- no." I have never felt something more than that on simple phrase in my entire life