THE WORST SHOCK I EVER RECEIVED! Find Out How...

Hey Gang! We're so excited to bring you this video for so many reasons. First of all we have our website! StudPack.com
We're still in the process of building this thing but it's just about ready, we need YOU to be super vocal in the comments and hit that like button for us so we can gauge this thing properly. Thanks for all the support!
Second, you guys have been asking for this video for about 2 months and we finally sat down and re-created this once in a lifetime scene where Dad was shocked. Tell us what you think below, and please drop some more electrifying stories for others to read as well! Thanks for watching and we'll see ya in the next one!

[@andrewphillips3957]

I was an electrician for almost 3 years. Never ran into this issue. Very interesting and easily understandable with the way you demonstrated it. Thanks for the info and stay safe! Great content keep it up!

[@j81851]

36 YEARS as a Journeyman level electrician and 10 years as an approved apprentice trainer I can say this is the BEST by far video on this critical subject I have ever seen! 5 Stars Best!! The mention of the let go threshold is excellent! Best wishes and kudos. Thank God you survived ! DIY is a great freedom, and though I don't advocate HD and Lowes not selling electrical to DIY folks I do advocate people knowing their limits and not exceeding them! Great Job! By the way another bad deal is someone ties the neutral in a 2 wire system to the ground screw of the receptacle! Problem is now neutral current is on the ground pin! Check one wired this way with a tester? It will show 2 green or yellow lights whatever the color for OK, properly wired. BUT IT IS NOT. Never try to ground a receptacle in a 2 wire system? You will only create a death trap!

[@StudPack]

Much appreciated John thx 👍💪

[@SirBrass]

I think the solution is to put a GFCI outlet in and put the "no equipment ground" sticker on it. That way the equipment has ground fault protection.

[@djlinux64]

@@SirBrass this is the way. Also, some countries went all-in on whole-house GFCI around 1990 which has saved so many lives.

[@Alex-nm3td]

@@SirBrass This is absolutely the correct solution, what these guys just did is setup someone else to get killed later. The other 2 options would have been to bond the box and receptacle to the water line or place a GFCI dead front at the panel. Other then that the rest of the video was good, this is the dangers of handyman electrical they applied a band-aid to the situation to make it looked solved but only made the underlying issue someone else's problem down the road, just like the last guy that put the 3 prong plug on.

[@SirBrass]

@@djlinux64 but circuits that aren't garage, outdoors, kitchen, or bathroom can be tricky to GFCI protect as a home diy retro install, as you have to first identify the first outlet in that circuit Branch. And good luck figuring that out without pulling electrical plans, and hope they're accurate. Especially if you aren't the first owner. And GFCI breakers are very expensive. And still eventually wear out, faster than normal equipment, because those monitoring circuits don't last as long as the rest of the stuff.

[@j0n5chm1dt]

This explanation beats a lot of electrician sites for clarity. Nice job.

[@cheryljason9617]

A lot of the electrical channels on here i wouldn't trust to wire my chicken coop or dog house... these guys are pretty good and a lot better than so called electricians on here I've been in the trade since 97 and he's done a bang up job explaining this...

[@kimstockdale632]

Nice explanation, but got lost a number of places.. Showing a hand drawn schematic along with the verbal circuit descriptions would have made the explanations a lot clearer.

[@stuxnet604]

@@kimstockdale632 unfortunately you may have the best teacher teaching a class, you'll always have a student who's behind everyone else in terms of comprehension. It isnt your fault, not everyone understands at the same rythm.

[@WillProwse]

Holy cow!!! That is a death trap. That is insane!

[@fvrrljr]

Ladies and Gentlemen, Will Prowse is in the HOUSE! Photovoltaic / Solar Thermal Technician here (me, myself and i ) even though i am certified I LOVE WILL ( learn a lot from him)

[@fvrrljr]

i actually can hear your voice LOL

[@TheOriginalJealot]

Fancy finding you here, Mr. Prowse! Good to see you!

[@mikemcelveen]

Watching this video gave me chills. When I was eight, being a little guy, I had trouble opening our refrigerator. In order to get the door open, I'd brace one arm against the oven door handle and pull the fridge door open. It wasn't uncommon for me to get a little shock, like static discharge. I didn't think anything of it, especially being a kid. Static discharge is a fact of life for a kid running around barefoot all the time. But this one time, I grabbed hold of the fridge, grabbed hold of the oven handle to brace myself and I felt a moment of panic. I couldn't move. I couldn't let go. I knew something was wrong. I was stuck and I knew it was bad. All in a matter of seconds. I don't know if I discharged enough of the potential to break free or if I just got really lucky and willed myself to let go. I'm still not 100% sure what happened, I only know that I'm lucky to be alive. I told my parents and something in my voice must have gotten their attention. I explained how I had to open the door, a little embarrassed at being so weak. They took me seriously and we had an electrician there shortly to fix it. Turns out that the refrigerator wasn't grounded. That's all I remember, no idea what the technical fixed was. But whatever he did, I never got shocked again. Glad you made it out. Glad I did too. Electricity is nothing to mess around with. And refrigerator electricity holds a special place in my heart because of that experience. Thank you for sharing!

[@obviousness8113]

Great story. Glad you shared

[@martywebster1781]

Well like always im left to try and decipher all your hidden messages. Im left trying to nua bedecipher everything. Leaving me tmessaginor assume . I don't like not very mu not getting the story. Illassume the worst and hope for the best

[@divyanshpathak8804]

Same I was shocked a couple of times called my electrician told me that my main earthing wire isn't connected to the rest of the house circuit wiring I was living there since 2014

[@alansmith2203]

a chilling refridgerator experience

[@thewhitefalcon8539]

Grounding is like a safety net. In case something else goes wrong, like a wire's insulation getting cut against a metal box, grounding might protect you. This is why grounding is considered essential nowadays, even though it's not actually needed for the circuit to function.

[@KurtMGibbs]

120 volts has killed plenty of people, especially when it travels across the heart. Glad you survived and are able to put that info out there to help prevent it from happening to other people.

[@SG-zh5xd]

Agree I was hit with a 100 amp panel time slows down ,good point about the yoke .I see non grounded old rag wire houses pass inspection even when you can find brittle insulation .Almost always it's a flipper turn and burn .

[@ryanallen3704]

It's the Amps that kill you not the voltage.

[@ryanallen3704]

@@TheChipmunk2008 im confused, why did you grab both wires at the same time? Glad you're okay though. Stay safe.

[@KurtMGibbs]

@@ryanallen3704 Not really. In the human body, the skin provides a lot of resistance to current flow (amps) and higher voltage decreases that resistance. Bottom line, you can't have amps without voltage.

[@MikeHawkPEN15]

amp kills not volts

[@janetdupree6353]

Excellent presentation of valuable information. Stud Pack has become one of my top 10 KZbin channels.

[@frankgonzalez2884]

Been doing electrical work for over 20 years. Just learned something from you. Thanks for this info and sorry you went thru 1 second of sheer pain. I’m buying your Merch. Love your content. Keep up the fantastic work. Your channel rocks and worth my time.

[@OverKillionaire]

As an electrical engineer, I always do my safety checks before preforming work on an energized system. My worst shock ever came a few years ago while working on high voltage AC systems on aircrafts. I was measuring the potential current leakage on a system cable at 1500 volts AC @ 1mA. Every desk is not without an ESD mat nowadays, quite possibly the worst thing to set your bare hands on, much like that metal cage of the fridge. There was a short thru the ground braid of a short length cable I had on my desk. The HiPot tester was on the mat and my hand was hold the edge of the tester with a finger over the chassis screw as well. The moment I turned the tester on, it immediately went from my hand on the mat thru my hand on the tester! It felt like a boxer punching my hand at full force!! I couldn't tell if the bleeding on my pinky finger was from the shock or the impact with the wall next to the tester. This situation doesn't really make me feel different about my line of work, as the result was completely unknowable and avoidable. My advice is to look for potentially dangerous situations if you're unfamiliar with the state something is in. And if you're working for an employer, it's perfectly acceptable to tell them you don't feel safe if something doesn't seem right! If they're willing to sacrifice your safety, it's not an employer I'd want to work for.

[@sunilku5555]

Not able to understand "completely unknowable and avoidable". Is there a typo in the sentence?

[@jamescmca]

@@sunilku5555 He must mean "knowable and avoidable" and he won't make that mistake again.

[@paytienttraderllc190]

Bill you are very lucky it was the HiPot not line voltage. The good old days we would use the crank style Megger and have an apprentice hold the end as we cranked to get a laugh. Kind of like a hazing ceremony to the unsuspecting apprentice. Almost all of us were a victim of this ceremony as apprentices. The worst shock I ever had was when I was hung up on 277v for 17 seconds on top of a 8' ladder in a hi-rise in San Francisco. I had just opened up a J-Box tested to make sure it was dead with a inductance tester (mistake #1) yes the tester was working checked it with a hot source and it rang, but for some reason it did not register with the wires in the box that day. I had already turned off the breaker but did not do proper Lock Out Tag Out procedures(mistake #2), reason being it was just the two of us working the whole floor doing demo to tenant improvement. God we did some crazy stuff back in those days. Proceeded to splice the wires in box with bare hands starting with ground, then neutral, and finally the hots. Left hand holding the insulated part of the wires while my right hand twisted the bare stranded wires together. All seemed good, no tingling sensation nothing, form touching the hot wires or the neutrals, neutrals can zap you too if there is a load on that circuit. Then it happened, I had rested my left forearm on to the T-Bar Grid completing the circuit to ground from my right hand thru my chest to my left forearm. Co-worker below me had been having a one way conversation with me this whole time, while I was working and he had noticed I had gotten very still and quiet. So he started to call out my name several times asking are you okay, I could hear panic in his voice and all the sudden I got released from the death hold. He told me he was about to kick the ladder from under my feet. Ended up with (two) 2 inch burn marks where my forearm had made contact with the T-Bar, and dazed and confused like I had a lobotomy. For about a month I had nausea and diarrhea. The worst part of it, I was never sent by the contractor to the hospital to check my vitals. I could have had an arrhythmia of the heart, internal burns in my blood vessels, etc.... I was quite naive as to have not gone to the hospital on my own either. Come to find out the freaking circuit was being back fed by another circuit on the same phase so it did not trip, when they were both turned on. The box cover was labeled with the circuit we turned off, but was still hot due to the other circuit on the same phase still being on. So when I checked with my faulty inductance tester which worked apparently intermittently.... beep beep beep at hot outlet (test 1), climb up ladder beep beep beep when you rub up and down quickly to your pants (test 2), and finally silent no beep at the J-Box (actual circuit test). Perfect storm of events leading me to believe the circuit was dead. From then on I still use an inductance tester, but also in conjunction with a FLUKE T-1000 and a mechanincal WIGGY (to make sure I'm not reading inductance [phantom] voltage).

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

I just assume everything is done as stupidly and dangerously as possible. Saves time.

[@projectfreedom9510]

If this was on network TV, you know they would cue the intensity music, cut to a commercial with a segway and drama between you and your dad would have to happen because it's TV. lol So glad I don't have cable anymore. This is gold. The content is amazing. Good work.

[@sherwinalvarez7365]

Damn you guys have the best content on KZbin.

[@JM-ct7yz]

the way you explain things is so easy to understand! Can’t wait to rock a stud pack shirt!

[@ReneeRosensteel]

Thank you. I am learning about electricity. This was the clearest, most practical explanation I have seen to date. Well done

[@mikereed678]

J

[@andrewbowser2794]

K

[@reecenewton3097]

@@TheChipmunk2008 Yes, but houses built before about 1950 often did not have ground wires going to the outlets, and if they did, the only thing grounded was the outlet box itself. The receptacles in those days did not have a ground socket and appliance plugs did not have a third prong for ground. Power tools, like drills, for example, had metal cases, and the plugs had the usual two prongs for AC, with the drill case connected to a green third wire in the power cord, the wire exiting the side of the power plug, the wire having a fork-type spade lug on the end, the intention being that you loosened the center screw of a residential type outlet and temporarily connected the spade lug under the screw. You can imagine how many of these green wires were connected to ungrounded boxes, were ignored, or just simply cut off.

[@normhodgkinson6965]

Jordan, when ordering shirts, keep in mind that a lot of guys in the trades also like t-shirts with pockets. In recent years, stores like Walmart/Kmart and others, have had a very poor selection of pocket t-shirts. I have been getting my shirts from Amazon. Paul, the electrical info you provided in this video is shocking. Its something i would not have thought of. Glad you are OK. Safety first !

[@StudPack]

Great point Norm! We’ll look into some pocket t shirts in the future. 🤝 thanks for the support!

[@rxcalvosa]

Carpenters, like me, never wear pocket Tee Shirts. Sawdust and slivers can irritate the heck out of yer titty-nipples.

[@Mantis858585]

As a child and not a tradesmen I always thought those pockets were for a pack a smokes. I don't smoke and sure like keeping small parts in them working on things. :)

[@andrewj7432]

My first home gave me a surprise. The dude who owned it before had wired up some power outlets with speaker wire and no earth. I nearly died when I saw it as my wife was using those ones to vacuum the house. Some people are just morons.

[@okaro6595]

Vacuum cleaners typically are double insulated so they do not need or use ground but speaker wire.

[@y00h0011]

The NEC requires you to install a GFCI and a No Equipment Ground label, or... a 2 prong receptacle also w/ a No Equipment Ground label...if the cable is not replaced. Always test that receptacle/wiring at the beginning. Determining that the wiring was wrong, would prompt you to remove the device and then the unprotected cable and compromised wire insulation would also be discovered. You'll find trash work, just as you did ..all over this country. It's a real problem. The majority of the National Electrical Code was devised from people getting hurt or killed. 120v is the #1 killer in alternating current. The fact that you were wet with sweat reduced your resistence and more or less..amplified it, while in turn ...making the pathway to ground easier to return. So glad THAT one didn't kill you Paul. Remember, the NEC book is an electricians Bible.

[@markfernandes2396]

Can you do a video on this explanation? Would be. Cool

[@KobeGriffin]

yessir, 406.4(D)(2) out of the 2017 NEC Codebook

[@ryancduff]

"Always test that receptacle/wiring at the beginning." Most people hooking up a water line to a running refrigerator are never going to think to test the wiring in case something was wrong.

[@mjdamato]

@@ryancduff Exactly what I was thinking. Had he been investigating a problem with the power, I'm sure it was the first thing he would do. But, he was "simply" hooking up the water line for the ice maker. Heck, you have to move the refrigerator to even get at the receptacle 99% of the time. I've tested all my outlets only because I replaced the old almond units with white ones. Based on this, I will certainly think about testing outlets in situations where I would not have thought to do so before.

[@okaro6595]

He installed a two prong receptacle. That is legal. What he did after it is somewhat questionable but it was not a fixed installation. A GFCI outlet would not have helped as the failure was upstream from the outlet. The current would happily come from the box through the ground wire. Sure it would protect if the equipment itself failed.

[@dccandmlc]

Great tips - important to take into account the basics. One question; Why not add a GFCI outlet, and tag "No ground" instead of a 2 prong outlet?

[@okaro6595]

A GFCI outlet would not have prevented the shock as the electricity comes from the ground wire. The major problem with the GFCI method is that it does not protect against a problem that happens in the box where the GFCI socket is. Using a GFCI breaker one can prevent it. However, it generally is not good to use GFCIs with fridges and freezers. Nuisance tripping can get expensive. Also there are cost issues if the customer does not pay. That was comparable to first aid. The thing should be fixed properly.

[@Layarion]

@@okaro6595 actually i'm confused. don't you normally want the box and the receptacle to be connected at the ground? because if they are, the breaker would trip. second question, why didn't the hot ground trip the breaker? it should have been traveling from hot to ground without a resistor in-between, so why didn't it trip?

[@ugaugauga488]

@@Layarion I can answer the second question. The breaker wasn't tripped because that receptacle was not wired to ground. It was floating. Like he showed, the installation had been done with just the hot and neutral, without the ground wire connected to the receptacle. Thus, the receptacle was floating. When the hot wire got nicked and made contact, it just energized it, as it was floating, and therefore no tripping happened. Now that receptacle became hot and energized the fridge cover via the ground pin in its cable.

[@okaro6595]

@@Layarion Rewiring a house can be expensive. Ideally you of course have a proper grounding system that connects to the incoming neutral at the main panel. However, as the house does not have it there is no way to divert the fault current. In that case the ground can only cause current to come from the socket to the equipment in case of a failure in the socket as happened so it is better not to have any ground contact. Why would the breaker trip? You do not seem to get what lack of grounding means. There is no way for the current to get anywhere until he touched it. It takes 100 times more current to trip a breaker than to kill a man.

[@RichardT2112]

Congrats!! My biggest shock? We’re when my wife uttered those words “I’m pregnant”.

[@john.french]

Congrats on the domain name! And merch. Exciting to see your channel and business grow! I'll probably buy a hat when available. Super awesome video explaining all of the details of this incident. Very helpful on the yoke background!

[@thehobbymachinistnz]

Firstly, you were very lucky. Someone was looking over you that day. I am glad that you were not seriously injured or killed. Secondly, thanks for sharing the story and providing a greatly detailed explanation of the issue/cause of the problem. If the information in this video helps to save one person then it is well worth it. All the best from NZ.

[@canadaftw0]

Great video, one thing you I'd recommend if you come across any two wire (ungrounded) receptacles is to replace them with a GFCI receptacle. It will add some protection even without a ground wire. Check your local regulations but this is acceptable for the Canadian Electrical Code.

[@StudPack]

Thx 👍

[@okaro6595]

In this case a GFCI receptacle would not have helped as the problem occurred before it. A GFCI can detect only problems that occur after it.

[@jetconcrete7068]

GREAT INFO! have a hot ground rt now I'm chasing in ceiling fan! change speed to 1:25 guy talks to slow~~~~

[@r3alfish]

In my house someone (ungrounded 2 prong as well) I was replacing some outlets and running GFCI outlets after inspecting the wiring and checking out the ones that were 3 prong to see if any of them somehow were grounded. In my bathroom I noticed when I turned the exhaust fan/secondary light on I had a hot ground. The outlet ground the light fixture, the double gang box for the outlet and switch would all go hot. Otherwise it showed a very weak ground... Been like that for literally years apparently. The cause was really stupid. They pushed all the ground wires to the back of each electrical box and they did such an awful job stripping the wire jacket back that they also sliced into the neutral and in turn that gave it continuity to the bare ground wire. 😐

[@frances8137]

Check and check again. One mistake is all it takes. I was at Portsmouth Polytechnic working on experiments using 3 phase when I checked the switching was powered off, but was looking at the wrong panel. Attempted to disconnect my circuit. Left hand on one phase and right hand on one of the others. Fortunately my skin is very resistive to 415V !!!! I called myself alot of names for crass stupidity and for not double checking. Fortunately I was alive to do it.

[@Lou.B]

Man. My heart was actually racing a bit watching you do this demo. I appreciate you revisiting a very nasty experience to impart the lessons to us! Keep up the GREAT work!

[@GailUrge-vq6qn]

Wow, I was so electrified by your story....it was shocking and energizing.

[@ifiwooddesigns]

OMG! Electric is one of my biggest fears. In my profession of public drinking water, I’ve heard too many stories of our water meter guys getting shocked due to house grounds being ground to wrong side of inside water meters. Luckily codes have been changed but tell all my meter guys to use jumper cables when lines are ground to the water lines. Scary!!!

[@peterford9369]

I'd have replaced the box with plastic or composite. Interior metal boxes are so unpredictable like u said, because any short issues go straight to the box and potentially you. You just can't be too careful when handling a metal box issue, even just changing out a switch or receptacle. One touch and, " pop", goes the breaker and sometimes not even. Even if the wires are put in properly, from the bottom or top and clamped in. Lucky you had a good heart. Thanks. I remember an electrician once told me, in school, then make u hold a wire and ground u and make it hot, and teach you not to jump and possibly make things worse. Thats like saying, stand steady and let a snake strike you without moving... Right.

[@Physicsnerd1]

That was a very dangerous situation. I started out as a sheet metal journeyman and continued to learn a little bit about all the trades. I can build from ground up. But I am like you when it comes to electricity. It's danger is you can't see it, so before working with anything electrical, you better damn well know what you are doing. I enjoy your videos, you are very knowledgeable. Stay safe.

[@okaro6595]

Many probably think, hey I will put a GFCI. However, it does not protect against a hot ground if the failure is before the GFCI. This is an important lesson that the ground wire can carry electricity both directions.

[@NoName-nb9qi]

Jordan. Are you planning on also making shirts with things ya'll say in videos? Or is it just gonna be "Stud Pack"

[@mrt77wv]

I remember reading a Popular Mechanics article with Eddie Van Halen, and he talked about nearly dying from touching an undischarged transformer inside a tube amp. And the amp was unplugged at the time.

[@salg500]

Another way to fix ungrounded receps is to install a gfci receptacle.

[@edwardbain5391]

Just curious I have never heard that before.And I was under the impression that putting a GFI recepticle on an ungrounded outlet does not meet code requirements and gives the impression to the user of a appliance that the recepticle is grounded.

[@hotshot2101]

@@edwardbain5391 it meets code it’s still ungrounded but the electronics in the gfci receptacle looks at the current going out on the hot and returning on the neutral if there is imbalance it trips. So if you are leaking current it will cause and imbalance

[@yepper1165]

@@edwardbain5391 They're are videos about this subject here on KZbin. 🙂

[@edwardbain5391]

Thanks for your thoughts guys!

[@frankhynes4514]

Need to check GFI they all don’t trip at the same leakage or delta differential between in an out current

[@charleskaufman5826]

Yes on more electrical, I am a Electrical Engineer and when I get into house wiring and see some of the stuff that is done can get very confusing. A good explanation will save peoples lives and property, you can never be to safe.

[@scott_meyer]

The correct fix now is to install a GFCI and apply the "no equipment ground" label.

[@StudPack]

Thx Scott 👍👊. Except behind something like a refrigerator. The GFCI receptacle must be accessible per NEC.

[@scott_meyer]

@@StudPack I guess it would be a pain to reset if it tripped.

[@StudPack]

Yep. I plan on doing a video about GFCI soon

[@jeffweber8244]

Could also replace the breaker with GFCI.

[@okaro6595]

A GFCI receptacle would have not prevented this. The should also use a plastic box to prevent current coming from the ground wire again. An important thing of GFCIs is that they protect only against failures that happen downstream from them. If the failure is upstream and causes hot ground a GFCI does not detect it.

[@josephlieberman3027]

My high school shop teacher spent the first week of metal shop class only teaching safety and showing slide show images of previous accidents which occurred, he even kept a box which contained any clothing items which had been shredded and or had dried blood, only after this several days of safety presentation then he allowed us to proceed and he then he familiarized us with the machines and processes. Almost 30 years later during covid lockdowns i had a notion to look him up, he was living in another state already retired many years, I dialed his number, I told him that i want to thank him simply because i still have all ten digits on my two hands,,, I realized after encountering skilled tradesmen who had lost a finger to a power saw, that perhaps they did not have the benefit of a wise dedicated instructor to impart the importance of safety into their mind. Every good teacher deserves thanks and appreciation,,,, I thank you as well for sharing your experience and knowledge.

[@edcctf]

Glad you are ok and that you prevented it from happening to the homeowner! Great video!

[@DranosCorner]

Here we have 240 Volts but we have a locking system in the sockets to prevent things going into the live and Neutral (UK)

[@joelhoffman7173]

How could 50 people not like this video! Very well explained and illustrated! Thank you, Stud Pack! :)

[@StudPack]

Thx Joel 👍

[@robdahlgren0506]

People failing to put in those connectors is a pet peeve of mine, and I see it all the time. I just can't believe someone will make a connection to a metal box without using a 20 cent part to make it safe.

[@furian7615]

This just reaffirms my feeling about never messing with electrical again. Trying to recharge watch batteries with tin foil and paper clips as a kid taught me that lesson.

[@jayytee8062]

Huh? That does not compute!

[@harcormor]

The bad thing is he wasn’t even doing electrical...this was a simple matter of poor technique from when the house was wired when it was built. There’s no telling how many more of these metal boxes in that house don’t have the connector in the back to keep the wires from getting cut through.

[@StudPack]

Exactly ! Thx 👍👊

[@reecenewton3097]

Don't be afraid of electricity. Understand it, be careful, and respect it.

[@steveloux4709]

Installing a grounded receptacle in this situation was a violation of the NEC. The 2-wire receptacle replacement was correct, or alternatively, installing a GFCI receptacle and a label indicating, "NO EQUIPMENT GROUND". But a GFCI receptacle would not have prevented this hazard unfortunately, as the current flow was around the receptacle - not through it.

[@okaro6595]

First on who realizes that. There has been several people to point the GFCI as if it was a solution. A GFCI breaker would have helped.

[@whattheschmidt]

Great explanation. I replaced my dishwasher in 2019 and when doing so found that the electrical outlet for the dishwasher, which was directly under the middle of it, did not have a ground connected to the metal box. So if something went wrong with water on the floor, that water itself could have been electrified dangerously! Good thing I fixed that before installing the new dishwasher.

[@PJBonoVox]

What do you mean? If the outlet is screwed into the box it's already connected to the ground.

[@whattheschmidt]

@@PJBonoVox the ground was only connected to the machine. This means the metal box right below it if it got a puddle of water could easily be electrified possibly without tripping the breaker. On its own, since water could contact the hot and puddle around the machine waiting to find a path.

[@larryroyovitz7829]

Great video, thank you for sharing. My first house was an ancient, built in 1921, with knob and tube wiring. This isn't related, but it had a 30 amp service with a wopping two 15 amp fuse spots. One fuse ran all the lights and one ran all the plugs. The house was small, about 650 square feet. There was a secondary service of 60 amps added (still fuses) for the stove plug and a few extra kitchen plugs). But when we moved in, the fuse for the outlets was a 30 amp fuse. So that was, who knows how long, prior residents running a 30 amp fuse on a 15 amp circuit on knob and tube wiring. I'm not even sure if that knob and tube was 14 gauge or not. At one point I had to replace a light switch (it was one of those ancient push button style switches) and the rubber on the wiring was turning to dust in my hand. I upgraded it all before I sold the house. That house's electrical scared me.

[@StudPack]

Thx Larry. My mom’s house still has some knob and tube😳

[@sanityassassin8161]

That's something you see quite often: 30A fuses on 15A circuits. It's often how people manage a fuse that "keeps blowing," rather than finding out how they are overloading the circuit. What's even worse is when a so-called "electrician" does this just to save time and make a quick buck.

[@larryroyovitz7829]

@@sanityassassin8161 You ever hear of people putting pennies in fuses? I've never seen it, but I have been told stories of people putting pennies in there so it never blows. Scary stuff!

[@nortonnewmann3711]

When I sold our "no grounds 1923" house several years ago, we had several 3-prong outlets (obviously NOT grounded). An inspector told me it was a code violation to use grounded 3-prong receptacles in an ungrounded circuit. NOW I KNOW WHY!! 😳🤩 Thank you! Love your excellent content!

[@reecenewton3097]

Absolutely a violation. A user plugging in a three-prong plug into a three-prong outlet thinks he's got a safe appliance: but in that case the ground isn't hooked up to anything! Ungrounded outlets may be found in older homes. I've seen two-prong outlets used for 120V air conditioners where the current draw was so much, due to the old, corroded, and weak-springed outlet, that the outlet itself was crumbling from the heat produced. The consumer doesn't know to look or think anything about old loose connections on a high amp draw.

[@nortonnewmann3711]

@@reecenewton3097 Exactly! That's the "lesson" I learned (as a younger man) from the inspector. This is the reason there are electrical codes... so you don't create a potential death trap for an unknowing person. Follow the "rules", and no one gets hurt! 😊

[@StanSwan]

But you can put in a GFI and it is legal.

[@nortonnewmann3711]

@@StanSwan I had MANY (most in the entire 2-story house) receptacles like that... currently GFCI receptacles at Lowe's are $12, and they are a mechanical device prone to breaking. Foolproof tracing downstream outlets to avoid replacement of each and every outlet would have been a tedious task! A potential buyer of that house would also think "Why are there GFCI receptacles in the living room?? 🤔 Problem solved... I sold that house.

[@StanSwan]

@@nortonnewmann3711 Prone to tripping is the point, they are doing their job.

[@MikeDolanFliss]

Great video and explanation! I was a little confused at the end - you used a three prong adapter rather than replace the outlet with a GFCI (labeled as ungrounded)? Even ungrounded the GFCI should provide that hot shorted to ground protection. The three prong solution spooks me!

[@okaro6595]

A GFCI outlet would not have helped a bit when the voltage comes from the ground wire. Also it was a fridge so nuisance tripping could cause problems. The problem with the ground wire is that it can carry current either way. The adapter breaks the ground connection so it prevents the current coming in through the ground wire. One should use it even if one had a GFCI socket. Or one could use a plastic box.

[@jimmybrad156]

Our fridge was tripping the RCD, and the fridge guy ended up cutting the fridge's ground wire! Dodgy as. It must have needed some time to dry out inside somewhere or something, cause I reconnected it after I found out what the dodgy fridgey did, and it hasn't tripped the ground leak detector (RCD) since.

[@okaro6595]

Truly dodgy. It would have been better to remove the RCD.

[@Acein3055]

If it's not done already, that house needs a ground wire on every outlet to an outside metal stake. Especially the appliance outlets. Then that 3 prong to 2 adaptor can be removed from the fridge.

[@ryanmills8319]

yeah but with that adaptor what happens if the fridge has a fault to earth, it cant go anywhere so the case of fridge is hot, that's why i hate those adaptors as an electrician

[@sheldonwright2061]

I have spent the last couple of days watching your videos. I have been building/ remodeling houses for 30+ years. You are the first builder I have subscribed to. I love your video's and your explanation of why we do the things we have to do to make it right. Have even learned along the way. Keep up the good work. Look forward to seeing more from you.

[@rustyshakleford5230]

Worst shock I ever got was from an electric range with hot and ground reversed. Only 2 of the burners worked and when I was feeling for heat I touched the fridge and zap. That woke me up.

[@jstevens501]

yikes.

[@JFirn86Q]

Wow you were lucky. Whatever electrician that installed it like that, bare wires through a sharp metal box... shame on them. I know this is "back in the day" we are talking about, but it still was a mistake back then.

[@reecenewton3097]

Yes. It was a careless adult who "should" have known better. A threaded box connector with two-screw Romex clamp should have been used, as well as 12-2+G cable back to the panel. Maybe the landlord was looking to burn down the place. He would have been good at that.

[@holtrussell]

Are most armored cables (metal conduit) connected to ground back at the panel? I thought many metal junction boxes are in fact grounded through the armored cable.

[@chriserickson4417]

I have been in Electronics Technology some 40 yrs. (not a Electrician, but Technician) and the worst shock I experienced was from a TV picture tube, and it scared the heck out of me. Thank you for the excellent video, as it may save someone's life some day.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Is that how you found out they hold quite the charge for days after they're off?

[@cward1954]

Attaching a hot jumper to a ground screw.... I've never done that in my life either. Makes me think of how many newer houses I have seen that have a 3 wire system, but have all of the ground wires either cut off where the sheathing on the Romex ends, or not connected at all... just a bare wire shoved back in a box.

[@jesperkronblom3125]

wrong connection, dangerous! Do it right!!

[@dfhgj1022]

So u can actually survive a 120v shock right through the chest, but not a 230v shock?

[@StudPack]

I was lucky. Plenty have survived much worse and plenty killed by much less

[@penguins9645]

In most jurisdictions, it is against code to install 3-prong receptacles on wiring systems without a ground wire, however there were clearly errors done in that install which resulted in your incident. Glad you survived, and thank you for passing on that lesson.

[@StudPack]

Thx 👊👍

[@turbot8er672]

That's crazy. I work on airplanes for a living and have never been real familiar with home electrical systems, but now I'll be paranoid of everything until I inspect it myself.

[@89G]

I had the same thing happen to me when I was about 10 years old. My Grandfather had a Snack Bar at his pharmacy, and I touched a freezer and a metal table (used for coffee makers) with each hand, and it shook me up pretty good. This experience really piqued my interest in electricity, actually. I'm not an electrician by trade, but I know my way around electricity now.

[@dienekes4364]

I'm living in a '94 trailer right now, and it had 2 fluorescent lights in the kitchen. The ballast went out in one of them and my wife said, "This is the perfect opportunity to change those horrible things out!" There were fluorescent lights in my office on my last house, too. None of them had proper boxes, they all just had wires coming out of a hole punched through the ceiling drywall and through the punch-outs in the back of the fixture with no grommets or anything to protect the wires. That is just baffling to me!!! When I tore them out, I installed proper round boxes and made sure the wiring was right on them all. It's crazy how builders will cut corners on the cheapest things.

[@smarro71]

Wow I'm shocked 😂 by your professionalism. Really great stuff.

[@StudPack]

Thx smarro71👍👊

[@dodgeguyz]

The worst shock I have ever gotten was when. Was wiring an outlet with a load in the circuit somewhere. I had a bad cold, let me tell you that shock cleared that cold up almost instantly. An hour later it was as if I never had a cold. I don't recommend that as a cure for the common cold! LOL

[@tedlahm5740]

Wonderful explanation. The nicked wire must of been there for some time. The duplex receptacle was probably replaced at that time from 2 prong to 3 prong. Very good video. very informative. thank you.

[@StudPack]

Yep that’s what I think too Ted 👊👍

[@vetsus3518]

that's pretty amazing that a) you lived, b) you were able to figure out why you got shocked, and c) the fact that you were able to effectively recreate that scenario for educational purposes without actually having to create and unsafe box in the home (at least nothing permanent) that you then had to turn around and fix. good job! love this stuff

[@wknowlesfilm]

Old house wirings are almost always super dangerous I’ve found!

[@yellowrose0910]

I LOVE the way he's constantly double-checking that he's safe before showing something or going forward. Doesn't even trust himself. This is really the way to go: instill safety as an instinct.

[@jlejustin1]

oh he trust himself.. he doesn't trust what hes working with :)

[@granvilles.wright6757]

Good Evening, Mr. Paul-Of/Stud-Pack, God Bless U Always In His Name, Thank God, That U Survived An Ordeal Which Could Have Put U In The Hospital, Thank U For-The-Safe-Electtrical-Tips, This Way, We Amateurs Can Call On All Of U--Professionals Who Have Gone To Electrical Schools,To Teach Us-Never-To-Wire Any Electricity Wrong, Under Any Kind Of Circumstance, Avoid-Mistakes NOW, AND IN THE FUTURE, PLEASE BE SAFE AT ALL TIMES!. Mr. Granville S. Wright, Admirer Of Mr./Paul, Electrician Of Stud Pack. Mr. Paul, Thank U For--The-Demonstration Of Being Safe.

[@warrenbuchanan2718]

when i was about eight years old , i cut the end off of a small two-wire appliance cord , and i had a small metal plate like 1X4 inches that had two small holes in it , and i wrapped the bare ends of the cord through the holes and then plugged it in the wall outlet , and even though i was holding the plug and my finger was not touching the prongs , it shocked the crap out of me , in a flash i was laying flat on my back ( i was like kneeling when i plugged it in ) . it made me blink , i didnt even see myself going backwards but when my eyes opened i was on the floor . it didnt hurt i just kind of felt the electricity going through me

[@VengaboysFansiteEI]

Solution #2 Put a GFCI in!

[@scottcottontx]

Good video. Since most 3 light testers don't have a way to show a hot ground, I assume that if the tester shows the hot and neutral reversed, you can use a non-contact tester to see if the ground is hot in the outlet?

[@StudPack]

Thx Scott. Yep that should work but I would double check with a meter

[@rolandos64]

It’s important to note that while you have 1 lead inside the hot receptical, the other lead carry’s that power. Therefore you have live power coming out of that lead. You need to be very careful with that and what you touch with it. (At and around 4 minutes)

[@artomix7]

Not true, if that were the case then you would just be creating a short when measuring from live to neutral. There is a high impedance between the two leads in voltage testing mode. If he were in current testing mode then you would be correct, if that was what you were thinking of.

[@timscarbrough8931]

It"s Crazy you should mention.BECAUSE. you are just scratching the surface of DIY Hazards.

[@JeReMyIsMeNoTyOu]

Two things: 1) always verify your non-contact voltage tester is functioning properly by testing it against a known hot circuit, 2) test EVERYTHING before you begin work. Test hot, neutral, ground, and all metal - ALL metal. If you just assume everything is proper you're welcoming a potential disaster. Assume everything is hot until you verify it's not.

[@BitsofSkin]

In the UK its law to install an earth/ground cable. It's crazy how you guys in the US have houses with earth and houses without. If that was a 3pin plug for example (compulsory here). It would have tripped the breaker. Great video, its nice watching your videos to get a different aspect of how the US does it. From a sparky's point of view anyway. Also, our homes are 240v AC Thank You!

[@plumbbuild6517]

I had a similar experience was not good at all and I've been shocked several hundred times but the one where I was covered in sweat is the nastiest ever all the other's not to bad I don't ever cut the power when I'm wiring unless I get popped three times or if I'm covered in sweat. It's a nasty habit 🤪 but I'm hard headed. THANKS FOR THE AMAZING VIDEOS YOU BRING TO ALL YOU'RE VIEWERS

[@apctech1]

thats why i was taught to wire or in this case hook up a water line with one hand we were taught never do anything around power that puts one hand on a ground and the other on any metal surface my master had a saying wire with one hand in your pocket that way the power will never flow through one hand and out the other you are a lucky man it did not stop your heart.

[@samfredo8140]

Obviously the wiring was done by someone who doesn’t know what they are doing. Thanks for sharing

[@chrisE815]

They knew enough to get it working and dangerous!

[@jstevens501]

@@chrisE815 there are alot of those guys walking the earth. scary.

[@user-hi2oi1yh6q]

Thank you for making these videos. For you info, the black snap connector the pop into the box also come in a style that snap in inside the box. In Washington DC are the slag for them are ASSHOLE connectors because the orifice look. They are INNERS and OUTERS. I use them all the time with SO Cord or Rubber Clad or Extension cord. The slang is relive to your area.

[@Nonsense62365]

Wow! So glad you’re ok! That’s crazy dude! I have cheater plugs I’ve used with my old 2 wire outlets! They have a green ground wire coming out of them! I won’t use those again on 2 wire outlets! Also my bathroom was part of an addition on my house that was built in 1909, in the 1950’s to 1960’s they used a black jacketed Paraflex rubber coated wire with braided Cotten or rayon material [the rubber cracks over time!], (before Romex was invented?) I know this because I replaced some 2 Wire outlets in my basement a few months ago with 3 wire outlets and stripped away the Cotten/Rayon there wasn’t a ground! After watching this video I’m going to remove that Paraflex wire and install some additional Romex 12/2 back to the panel! because now I know it’s very dangerous and it’s in a metal box non Grounded Box! with Paraflex 12 gauge wire no Ground! and replaced old 2 wire outlets with 3 wire outlets around a mirror for the use with a hair dryer? I’ve gutted the walls in this bathroom and will remove the outlets and install new 14/2 Romex back to the panel with a GFCI for the use with a hair dryer in the future.

[@kipdon]

I got a question (for anyone willing to answer) I have an RV that, at certain places I visit becomes "electrified" (just like the fridge in this video did) After I'm plugged in to the power outlet they allow me to use -I sometimes get shocked when I touch a metal part of the RV (usually the door handle) If it's raining out or the ground around the RV is damp, BzzZap! that door handle is WAY more electrified! After watching this vid, was I wrong thinking there's only a "No Ground" issue at the receptacle the RV is in? To me, it sounds like in order to electrify that fridge (or my RV) two things have to exist. No Ground to the outlet -AND- the Hot/Neutral is frayed or touching against something (like the metal box the video showed) Thanks in advance for anyone's thoughts. BTW; since discovering this can happen an RV, I always have one of the kids open the door for me... (lol)

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Dumb point? Why not REQUIRE all appliances to have a non conductive back/finish? I never liked metal outlet covers for this reason, either. Saw a lot of janky wiring. At which point i say, Welp, time to go! This is over my pay grade. Non grounded outlets, aluminum wiring, boxes deep in the wall, over flush with it, fridges on those plug things to bypass the non-existent ground at the plug itself...and as I've now learned, fuse/branch switches from Joe Blow's electrical outlet and not the correct one for their ancient breaker box.

[@shinigamilee5915]

My dad and I are both engineers and he taught me when I was young with this repeated message throughout my life. You never want to be part of the path to the ground and this situation could be very dangerous, because you are not going to be saved by tripping the breaker. This is the reason why they require GFI circuits near water.

[@robertsetzer4566]

Tremendous video. Thank you for this helpful instruction. Great job explaining

[@Part_121]

I really enjoy these "shocking" videos! 🙂 The worst I've ever been shocked was at, of all places, Walt Disney World in Florida. I was there in the 1978 / 79 timeframe because I attended college nearby. That day I was at Walt Disney World, in some sort of arcade, playing a game that involved some sort of guy that had two handles. Only one of the handles had a "fire" button on it. It may have been some sort of "shoot-the-military-tank" game, but I really don't remember. Anyway, apparently this game was pretty easy, so in mid-game I decided to put the non-firing hand (my left hand) on top of the game. As soon as I did that I received a pretty healthy shock. I don't remember being thrown anywhere, but I instantly brought my hand down and left the game. Within the next hour I developed a pretty strong headache and was done for the day. It's interesting to me that I have no real memory of what occurred after, other than getting a headache. For example, I can't remember if I mentioned it to anyone, but I feel like I must have. Not sure if that is because 45 years have elapsed, or because of the shock! As I've looked back on this, over the years, I've never been able to figure out why / how that could have happened. I was already touching the game, and couldn't really change where I was standing while playing it, so all I did was move that left hand to rest it on top of the machine.

[@homemountain333]

Holy *$&%^$!! That's crazy. Thanks for the excellent video with very clear explanations for how and why this occurred. Scary for sure.

[@robertthomas5906]

Thanks for explaining that. My parents had a Sears freezer. Sometimes if you grabbed the metal handle it would give you a little shock. Not a static shock, a regular tingle. Maybe it was hot. House was wired correctly.

[@briankowald6465]

Great video. Catching up on some classic studpack while I’m waiting for the next house build video.

[@Quacks0]

7:02 That "let-go threshold" that he speaks of here is exactly what the famous/classic "juddering wild-eyed and screaming while gripping live electrical wires" scenario is about on old slapstick comedy shows --- the person has supposedly gotten "glued to the circuit", in that his hands have involuntarily clenched up from the electricity passing through his body and causing his muscles to tense up. :P P.S. That's also why you should NOT try to merely grasp and pull the stricken person off the wires, since you yourself could then get a paralyzing shock through his body and also get stuck --- what you should do is perform the "human cannonball" maneuver (i.e., a flying tackle) to actually KNOCK him off the circuit, so that your momentum will "carry you through" and release both of you from the power, even if you start to tense up yourself when you make contact.

[@TheEngineerJason]

As an electrical engineer, please do not following this solution. Using a 2 to 3 prong adapter without grounding the ground tab IS NOT SAFE. The fault in the video was in the electrical box but if the fault is in the fridge, he just gave a false sense of safety because someone will get electrocuted anyway. He should've either installed a GFCI or ran a new cable. On a smaller note, he did not have enough electricity going through him to renovate a house. The resistance of skin doesn't allow much current to pass. Once it gets through skin it travels through your bloodstream which is low resistance. You can still die at 100mA but that's substantially lower than a 15 amp circular saw. Generally, the description in the video is very good but I take hard objection to the unsafe solution.

[@DrSteveMorreale]

Electricity is a big NOPE from me... electricians are worth their weight in gold, IMHO. It shocks me the type of shoddy work some people have put into things that could end up being life threatening because they are ignorant, overconfident &/or just trying to save some money. I'd rather pay an electrician to know that things are done properly and to ensure safety. But some people also attempt "minor" surgeries on themselves at home and self-diagnose all the time instead of seeing a physician. ;-)

[@bigvinstyle]

Did you have any physical problems after you got shocked?

[@frankhynes4514]

Great job on video along with details. Wish you talk more on PPE you were wearing while showing the circuit testing. Few dollars for PPE glove could save your life. I would like to seen GFI used rather than 3 prongs to 2 prong adapter In my education in Trade School/High School we had teacher / instructor talking about wearing wedding rings and keeping one hand in your pocket so you don’t complete circuit across your heart. I was so Lucky have Instructors the care about safely Year later training FSE in testing circuits with one hand in pocket Field Service Engineers (FSE )would LOL. They didn’t want take time and manually connect ( black lead ) to ground of Digital Volt Meter. In that way you only needed one hand on positive red lead to measure voltage in or on circuit or Power Supply We had FSENG slip a hit high voltage and toss him against wall he end up in Hospital for few days. We spent several weeks rewriting procedures using only one hand with wearing long sleeves shirts w/PPE gloves We lucky but took while to get FSE wear PPE gloves Keep up Good work

[@patrickarchuleta9594]

I'm so thankful for God Almighty watching over you👌👍🙏🙏

[@bellboy7534]

This story isn't about "house wiring" but it's about the MAIN FEED coming from Entergy company's service to the house (this is about my next door neighbor). In the neighborhood where I live in southern Louisiana, the utilities are "underground" and here's what happened. The land subsides around here. Lights were flickering on and off and getting worse by the minute. My neighbor went outside by his meter panel and kept hearing pops & crackling. It was a miracle that he was not killed when he opened the cover. One of the hot legs got pulled down so much (because of the land sinkage over time) that it was coming OUT of the lug and started energizing everything. Entergy came out immediately and disconnected the service for his house from their main box located in MY yard. He had to get a new service panel since most everything was burned up (he had a FUSE panel, not a circuit breaker panel). After that, I removed my electric meter to check on MY box for any issue like that. I was fine at that particular time. I would have liked to insert a couple of the pictures of it, but I don't think there's a way to do that on here.

[@garbo8962]

I retired after being a sparky for 50 years. Got hit with everything. 120 240 277 480 volts along with 500 & 1000 volts DC from meggers and 5000 volts from static elimantors. Worst shock was while working at a large slaughterhouse while an apprentice. Electrician did not want to spend the time to denergize the 240 volts on a cord. While standing in 4" of blood and soaked due to a hot humid day. I had one hand on one side of twist plug and other hand on female cord connector. Shock went thru both hands across my chest. Chest was still sore hours later. Best & only pratice is turn power off.

[@steveng.c.8524]

Great job illustrated.... I have a similar story that almost ended me, 277v lighting ckt, old school wiring, working in overhead, with conduit completing a hot wire to ground....when your jaw locks from the current flow across your heart, you know if God is real, really quick....

[@markb.1259]

115VAC provides more than enough potential to electrocute (lethal) an unsuspecting person. That was an electrical shock waiting to happen. Thankfully it wasn't lethal! You do what you do... but I thought it was rather unsafe to conduct that, "This is how it happened" and wire the case of the fridge with 115. Accidents happen. Personally I think the story could have been told without going live hot on the fridge. Stay safe Paul!

[@Nunya_Business_]

I have hit by 277 and 480, both minor, but the one that really hurt was in school, 360VDC, nearly broke my arm, and I didn't hit anything. DC is a mother...

[@WayneM1961]

Just goes to show, if an experienced electrician like you can get caught out, so could the "home DIY expert who THINKS they know what he/she is doing." But, I must admit, I found that quite frightening.