Unsafe in the closet! :(

[sandra-leigh]

Serious time:

Life "in the closet" can be dangerous to one's health.

This afternoon, I went to hide a few of my things in the rafters, a spot I have used before.

As I pushed the clothes bag into the cubby-hole, I felt a sudden sharp strong tingle.

Electrocution. Alternating current (AC).

Fortunately the rest of my body wasn't touching metal, and I wasn't grasping on to the wires (just brushing against them), so I was able to withdraw my finger quickly and with no harm done. It wouldn't have taken much of a change in circumstances at all for it to have been a major mishap.

To be blunt (with myself at least), this happened because I was trying to hide my items from my wife, whom I've never told. Trying to hide something can lead a person to take risks, some of which are foolish indeed in hindsight.


(Right after it happened, my thought was, "That could have been very embarassing" -- it sure would have been a lousy way for my wife to discover my bra and forms.)

[Kate Simmons]

I'm wondering why you have bare wires in the cubby hole. Better get it fixed, Hon. Sounds like a potential for fire here. Nothing to mess with, your "stash" notwithstanding. Ericka Kay

[LouiseCassell]

Serious time:

Life "in the closet" can be dangerous to one's health.

This afternoon, I went to hide a few of my things in the rafters, a spot I have used before.

As I pushed the clothes bag into the cubby-hole, I felt a sudden sharp strong tingle.

Electrocution. Alternating current (AC).

Fortunately the rest of my body wasn't touching metal, and I wasn't grasping on to the wires (just brushing against them), so I was able to withdraw my finger quickly and with no harm done. It wouldn't have taken much of a change in circumstances at all for it to have been a major mishap.

To be blunt (with myself at least), this happened because I was trying to hide my items from my wife, whom I've never told. Trying to hide something can lead a person to take risks, some of which are foolish indeed in hindsight.


(Right after it happened, my thought was, "That could have been very embarassing" -- it sure would have been a lousy way for my wife to discover my bra and forms.)

Sounds like you would not have been the only one to get a shock! :eek:

[Charleen]

You really get a charge out of your CDing don't you? Thanks for the electricfying account. Love and xxxx, Lily

[Snookums]

you look good in blue skin :eek:

[Jenny Beth]

I agree with Ericka, bare wires are a huge fire hazard. If I were you I'd be on top of getting it fixed because I sure as hell wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

[Petrina CD]

Dear Tess-leigh

I hapen to be an electrician and from what you say about getting shocked by reaching into your attic, there must be some exsposed wiring. You should not be able to touch anything that can shock you. I would say right now that you have a very dangerous fire hazard in your attic that can cause a lot more trouble than you wife finding your girlie things. Call an electrician and have it looked at right away.

Petrina cd

[Kathleengurl]

...that skirt was HAWT.. as were those heels.. maybe they're just too hawt for the closet... i better wear them out more often.

[angelfire]

You really get a charge out of your CDing don't you? Thanks for the electricfying account. Love and xxxx, Lily

And thank YOU for the bad puns :tongueout

[sandra-leigh]

I hapen to be an electrician and from what you say about getting shocked by reaching into your attic, there must be some exsposed wiring.

Thanks for the concern. It was basement rafters, not attic, and the wires are in a junction box (I don't know the exact term -- a metal box in which wires are joined); if I recall correctly, the box has to do with the furnance controls. So I'm not concerned about a fire -- but the wire ends should at least be wrapped. I'll have a closer look soon.

[Melinda G]

I'd pay to see that. How much girlie stuff can you cram into a junction box? They must be some very scanty items.:p

[Stephenie S]

Dear Tess,

Petrina is right, furnace controls or not, getting a shock means bare wires means fire hazard means danger to property and life. Get it looked at.

Furnace controls might be operating on low voltage, but you probably wouldn't have gotten a shock from low voltage wires.

Anyway, it sounds a little scary to me.

Steph

[sandra-leigh]

you look good in blue skin :eek:

It wouldn't be particularily surprising if some of my ancestors came from woad-using areas; we seem to have a touch of "the Scottish giants" from a branch of the family that had likely been Celts migrating over from Ireland. I wouldn't go so far as to claim a connection to the Picts, though (and if there was such a connection, it'd probably be a different branch of the family.)

[sandra-leigh]

How much girlie stuff can you cram into a junction box? They must be some very scanty items.:p

Heh. The junction box just happens to be mounted in the ceiling there; in fact, it's probably the reason that that particular access port is there in the drop ceiling.

In the past, I've used that portion of the drop ceiling to hold summer dresses, bras, skirts, and tops, all at the same time. When I started, it used to fit all of my stuff.
That was, of course, in my BS (Before Shopping) days; now I'd need two large dressers, at minimum.

[Robin Leigh]

What a close call! :eek: I'm glad your ok, Tess-Leigh. :hugs: Please get the electrician to fix that junction box ASAP.

Getting electric shocks tends to make me all shaky. I got a good one when I was 9 (240 volts for roughly a minute). My finger still bears the scar. Luckily my mother was there to remove me from the current source, once she realized what was happening. If only she wasn't such a motor-mouth, she might have noticed my paralyzed state earlier... :)

I got the shock when my finger inadvertantly slipped into the empty light bulb socket in a refrigerator. Ironically, this happened in my uncle's house, who was an electrician. I also got a few good DC shocks in my early 20s, while working in the electricity supply industry, in a job I got through the same uncle.

FWIW, electric shock therapy has been used to try to cure gay & TG people. :(
Imagine if it backfired, and after the therapy you had amnesia for your male self & could only identify as your femme self. :)
Don't try this at home, kids. :D

Robin

[Shelly Preston]

Please ! Get this repaired NOW !!!!

For once we are talking life or death

[TexasBG]

Serious time:

Life "in the closet" can be dangerous to one's health.

This afternoon, I went to hide a few of my things in the rafters, a spot I have used before.

As I pushed the clothes bag into the cubby-hole, I felt a sudden sharp strong tingle.

Electrocution. Alternating current (AC).

Fortunately the rest of my body wasn't touching metal, and I wasn't grasping on to the wires (just brushing against them), so I was able to withdraw my finger quickly and with no harm done. It wouldn't have taken much of a change in circumstances at all for it to have been a major mishap.

To be blunt (with myself at least), this happened because I was trying to hide my items from my wife, whom I've never told. Trying to hide something can lead a person to take risks, some of which are foolish indeed in hindsight.


(Right after it happened, my thought was, "That could have been very embarassing" -- it sure would have been a lousy way for my wife to discover my bra and forms.)
I bump into household current often enough as I remodel houses. It's not a big threat as long as water isn't involved. It’s not the volts that will kill you, it’s the amps. Once you leave the panel, household current is pretty low amperage but still good for a "hello" when you ground it with your body.

"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will kill you." The Gospel of Thomas, Verse 70

[Kate Simmons]

Thanks for the concern. It was basement rafters, not attic, and the wires are in a junction box (I don't know the exact term -- a metal box in which wires are joined); if I recall correctly, the box has to do with the furnance controls. So I'm not concerned about a fire -- but the wire ends should at least be wrapped. I'll have a closer look soon.Still, Tess, even if you touch the metal box, you should not be getting a shock. It must mean one of the wiresin there(the "hot" one) is touching the box and shorting out. A dangerous situation. I know, I have tools to prove that with holes burned in them and that was only 110 volts. Don't want one of my sisters getting hurt. Ericka Kay

[sue ellan]

how are you going to tell your wife about your shocking experance? what were you doing in the attic? just a thought.
sue ellan

[sandra-leigh]

how are you going to tell your wife about your shocking experance? what were you doing in the attic? just a thought.

As mentioned, it was the basement, not the attic. It was the laundry slash furnance room slash tool storage room, so I'm in there more often than my wife anyhow (I'm more likely to start the laundry, for one thing.)


I've had much bigger shocks before, as a teenager. The clothes dryer used to melt one of the connectors right off (wire was too thin, I guess), and as we were on a restricted budget, I would fix it, wire in a new connector. I would always throw the circuit breaker and make sure the work area was dry and no metal laying around -- but I still got some real zingers from something or other internal. I never did figure out where the power was coming from back then, as I had it happen a couple of times even when I'd thrown the master breaker for the entire house.

The power behind this latest one was considerably lower than some of those in the past, but I wouldn't have had my hand in there at all if I could convince myself to Just Tell Her.

[Vieja]

Y better check that out. if an uninsulated wire shorts out to something it could start a fire. Find a safer place for your pretties.

Hugs Vieja

[julie w]

you had an electrifying experience .
bare wires = house fire

[Lilith Moon]

If you lived in the UK you would have had bigger problems. Our household supply voltage is 240 and the current can stop your heart instantly if it flows across your chest, from one arm to the other.

[sandra-leigh]

Y better check that out. if an uninsulated wire shorts out to something it could start a fire.

I had a closer look today and found that it was a wire junction in no danger of touching anything else (except when I put my hand up there!). But for some reason, there was no protective cap on the wires, and it looked to me as if there never had been one. I bought a cap and put it on there today, and I will get some electrical tape to be sure it stays in place. I'll also have a look at the other junctions.

[Billijo49504]

The old knob and spool wiring was safe, but not hand friendly...BJ

[sandra-leigh]

If you lived in the UK you would have had bigger problems. Our household supply voltage is 240 and the current can stop your heart instantly if it flows across your chest, from one arm to the other.

It isn't the voltage that is the problem -- if it were, then there'd be serious health problems with common static electricity, which is up to 12000 volts just by walking across a carpet.

Current is the bigger danger by far at household voltage frequencies. Canada and the USA use 15 Amp household circuits; the UK uses up to 13 Amps if I read the summaries correctly. The danger level is 60 milliamps, so the UK and US and Canada mains power are pretty much equally dangerous.

[Lilith Moon]

It isn't the voltage that is the problem -- if it were, then there'd be serious health problems with common static electricity, which is up to 12000 volts just by walking across a carpet.

Current is the bigger danger by far at household voltage frequencies. Canada and the USA use 15 Amp household circuits; the UK uses up to 13 Amps if I read the summaries correctly. The danger level is 60 milliamps, so the UK and US and Canada mains power are pretty much equally dangerous.

Ever heard of Ohms law ?

Voltage definitely is a problem because, in an electric shock situation, a 240V supply will drive more than twice as much current through the body as a 110V supply. The 60mA danger level will be achieved so much more easily with the higher voltage supply.

The reason that static discharges are not dangerous is that sufficient current is not available for any length of time, the stored charge is relatively small.

[Tina Dixon]

Its time to head out to the garage my friend, a lot more space:D

[MistyCD]

Hi, have it fixed by a licensed electrician before immediately...... then go to the Home Depot or Lowes and buy one of those plastic tool Lockers that you can put a lock on, and hide your items in it. They cost about $20. I've seen Linnens and Things carry them as well.
If the SO asks, they are for your tools (or other things)