Electrical question for Buttcheeks

[Fe 26]

probably ruined his hair

[Fe 26]

One of these? http://www.lowes.com/pd_292761-12704...uantity_sold|1

Probably.

I won't lie. I just do hilly billy shit and plug the amp in different outlets until the hum goes away.

I fully acknowledge that this is a dumb method and not safe.

[Josh]

I was blown off my feet and through the backline at a show I played back in 1999 by a death cap on a borrowed amp. My mouth touched the mic, and that's the last thing I remember for the rest of the night.

Do. Not. Fuck. Around.

punk rock points: I got up, shouted "one two three four!" and we started the song back up. I wish I could remember doing it... it sounds awesome.

[gamevet]

The ground prong and the netural side of an outlet are the same exact thing. If you opened up your break panel in the basement you would see they are wired to the same place, The idea is the ground wire is there in case something goes wrong with the neutral line someone in the house, the ground will act as an alternate path instead of using your body.

If you notice on those ground adapters there is a metal tab on the bottom, the idea is you are supposed to run a screw through the tab into the outlet where the coverplate attaches. Thats usually also "ground" so in the case the device plugged in does have some sort of failure, the ground prong is connected where it should be.

It's not quite like that. The neutral bar is attached to the earth grounding bus, but it's still carries current.

http://www.electricalknowledge.com/f...hives/1098.asp

First, you have to understand that the neutral is a current-carrying conductor, whereas the ground wire is not. As such, the neutral wires are insulated, the same as any other current-carrying conductor. The misunderstanding comes from the fact that the neutral wire is intentionally grounded at the main service panel only. The reason for this action is to allow ground-faults (or "short circuits" to ground) a return path back to the source of power, the utility transformer. Having the ground wires bonded to the neutral makes it possible for the circuit breaker to trip out easily under such conditions.

IF one were to connect the current-carrying neutral wire to the ground wires "downstream" then it's possible for some of that current to follow what is called a parallel path -- over the bare grounding wires -- instead of the insulated neutral wires -- as it finds its way back to the source.

Keep in mind that the metal outside frames of your utilization equipment --> appliances, furnaces, water heaters, etc. are connected to that bare ground wire, and you absolutely do not want those metal frames to be carrying any of that current in their normal course of operation. Such stray currents can have potential differences between them and a grounded surface, such as a concrete floor, or the frame of a different appliance connected to another circuit. Potential difference

I know it's pretty much Southern engineering, but he could run a ground wire (from a grounding rod) directly in from the outside wall of his house, to that electrical outlet. The phone company does that all the time with phone wires as well.

[Fe 26]

I want to point out that I suggest that you try to get a room close to the fuze box grounded because I figured that would be cheaper. There is no real technical reason for it.

[Vasteel]

Grounded outlet is fine, not a bit of hum or anything, and the amp has already been modded. I'm pretty sure that death cap is no more if someone bothered to switch out the power supply. Plus, I don't see it, and I do see the ground and neutral wires that replaced it. So that's good.

Still, I'm never comfortable not knowing shit, and I definitely need more competency in regard to electricity in general. I don't like having shit I can't fix myself. Time to do more reading on how a house is wired.

[Opaque]

I mean, shit dude... it's called the "Death Cap"

Why were these things installed in the first place if they need to be removed and are so dangerous?

I don't ask because I don't believe they need to be removed, but because, come on, to someone on the outside looking in it seems crazy.

It is in there to fix a problem with pre 1980s electricity. It has no positive benefit today.

I did read this, but I want to know what the problem was and how it fixed it. This is very interesting to me.

[kedawa]

The hardest part of wiring an old house is running new wire through the walls. The only electrical theory type stuff you need to understand is circuit continuity.

[Vasteel]

Why were these things installed in the first place if they need to be removed and are so dangerous?

I don't ask because I don't believe they need to be removed, but because, come on, to someone on the outside looking in it seems crazy.



I did read this, but I want to know what the problem was and how it fixed it. This is very interesting to me.

Buttcheeks or people who know this stuff, correct me if I'm wrong, but I have been reading up on this stuff for the last couple days and I wanna take a shot at this:

The death cap itself isn't actually what's dangerous. It's the voltage that will be dumped to chassis should the capacitor fail. The amp was designed before ground and fixed polarity were standard, hence the reversible polarity switch. Without a proper earth ground, the capacitor was absolutely required. But a proper ground will not fail. The capacitor can 'leak' power or fail altogether- this is somewhat unlikely but can be catastrophic, and your odds get worse seeing as these capacitors are about 40 years old now.

Am I getting this right?

[Fe 26]

Thats about right. I don't know if it was required. I've seen old shit without them. I forget the exact details right now but it was there to help compensate for old shitty wiring and electricity standards.

And that cap should still be treated carefully when you remove it. It can store a deadly charge or even blow up. It is less likely to kill you than line voltage going to the chassis, but you could still get thrown back and hurt.

removing them is really just learning how to discharge those old caps and learning to use snips.


I'll try to find a link later on about how and why that shit is the way is. I got 2 hours of sleep last night and don't feel like looking for it or typing something up myself.