From: DonRath@aol.com
Date: Thu Apr 13 2000 - 21:02:48 PDT
From: DonRath@aol.com Message-ID: <e.25438ae.2627f268@aol.com> Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 00:02:48 EDT Subject: r.e. Lighting a pickle demonstration? by Nancy Gronert
r.e. Lighting a pickle demonstration? by Nancy Gronert
Pinhole Digest #389 4/13/00
Hi Nancy --
A few years at TI ago we "upgraded" the safety of the pickle and hot dog
demos by plugging the demo apparatus into a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit
Interrupter) outlet wired to a three-wire extension cord. If you have a
built-in outlet already GFCI wired, then just plug the apparatus into that.
If you were to accidentally touch the pickle or part of the apparatus while
it's plugged in, the GFCI circuit will cut the power in something like a 40th
of a second, which should minimize the harm to you. The GFCI isn't a
guarantee that you'll be absolutely safe, but it's a lot better than not
having it. The literature with one GFCI outlet states that "When protected by
the GFCI you may still feel a shock, but the GFCI should cut it off quickly
enough so that a person in normal health should not have serious electrical
injury (infants and very small children may still be affected.)" Even with
the GFCI, though, I recommend highly that you do the demonstration rather
than having students do it, and that you still be very careful to unplug the
appratus before handling it.
GFCI circuits are the outlets with the test and reset buttons on them that
are required near kitchen sinks and in bathrooms by building code in many
locations. You can buy a GFCI outlet, a face plate for the outlet if it
doesn't have one, a plastic electrical box to mount it in, and a cord to
attach it to, at hardware or home improvement stores. It should come with
wiring directions and some information. If you aren't sure how to wire it,
find someone who can help you -- don't chance wiring it incorrectly!
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Don Rathjen
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Oct 19 2000 - 11:10:47 PDT