Zapped by fuse

I was changing a 'cartridge' type fuse in my fusebox this afternoon, and as I was attempting to pull the block out, I heard a zap, and immediately got a massive hit in the chest.

I was leaning on the metal frame of the fuse box with my left hand, and pulling the block out with my right. My left hand aches a little (and tingles) where I was leaning on the box.

I assume I became the meat in a live to earth sandwich?

This frightens me a lot, as I would never imagine that such a thing could happen while pulling out a fuse block.

It all depends on what you touched, dont forget that one end on the fuse is still live even though the fuse has blown.

Al :o

You should turn the main switch off first before removing any fuses. As Al said one end is still live even when blown

I got a huge belt from a fuse once, I swear they must have heard me yell in the next suburb:o :o :o . The idiot who had last rewired the fuse had left the tail end of the wire poking out the top of the fuse. Instead of grabbing trhe fuse by its sides, where your meant to, but which is near impossible I'd grabbed it top and bottom. Nowadays I hit the main switch before touching anything.

Mick

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Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

I got a huge belt from a fuse once, I swear they must have heard me yell in the next suburb:o :o :o .

Mick

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Was that you? :o
I heard you all the way down here..

Al :U

I did this same thing :doh: a few years ago.

Poor old heart is still thumping away.

I agree you should turn the power off to change the fuse.

Another safer alternative is to purchase the breaker style that fits into the old fuse wedge. If the breker trips you can try for a reset on the breaker. No need to pull it out

Of course, turning off the main switch isn't always safe either:( The only other time I got a big belt was when I went to turn the power back on on a place that was being renovated. The painter had been earlier and turned it off as he had bleach washed the walls and hosed them down to prep for his work. Turns out that bleach leaves a conductive film on things as I found out first hand.:o

Mick

I was mucking about with an old battery charger when I was about 12. Wasn't going so flipped it over, and saw that the fuse was disloged. as it was a car type fuse, without thinking I pushed each end of it back in with 1st & second finger :oo: :oo: . i ended up about 2m away, and the memory of the 50Hz hum has never left me. I hated it, but lucky all the same. In this case I guess my hand completed the ciucuit, but some must be unlucy, as 240v claims many.

I remember as a squirt thinking it was wierd that the garden plants near the old mans shed would tingle your hands when you touch them. I told him about it, and he found a live wire was shorting to the corrugated iron on the shed walls. It in a way saved me or someone else copping a full 240 and max amps if they touched the actual tin.

I love kombies by the way.

you're correct about the fault to earth sandwhich.

fuse boards are nasty if they're not maintained properly, pity is not many are.

at work we've got to wear tons of safety gear to pull fuses, and we are no longer able to pull fuses from ladders, we now have to get a scissor lift instead.

if fuses regularly blow in your house try either getting a good pair of insulated pliers to hold the fuse wedges with, or plug in circuit breakers that take the place of the wedges. the plug ins are much safer than pulling them yourself.

I replaced the old porcelain fuse panel in my house with a 9 pole switchboard and all breakers for just under $60 an 2 hours labour.

Yes I did it myself.

My old neighbour came over one day due to them having no power to a series of power points. No worries I said...probably a fuse. Found the fuse box (60's porcelain fuses) and while trying to find the crook circuit got big tingle in my finger from just touching the porcelain fuse.

As soon as that happened...the circuit returned to normal. Pulled out the fuse to inspect cable terminations (loose/incorrectly terminated cables) and found nothing wrong. Put the fuse back in and have had no further problems.

I cannot explain getting a shock from the insulator or the circuit not conducting electricity when fuse was intact and everything in order.

Anyway thats my my only weird! experience with procelain fuses.

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Originally Posted by dazzler

I did this same thing :doh: a few years ago.

Poor old heart is still thumping away.

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Sounds like it is lucky that it is still thumping :)

When I was a kid and we were caravaning it in the backyard while dad finished off the house, I tipped over the old porcelin kettle in the van. The type where the element is and the water is live when you switch them on. Lucky I was the only one in the van and it wasnt until I stepped out of the van that I got a belt as soon as one of my feet hit the ground. Thank god these type of kettles are no longer around.
Dean

Well, cant say I have ever had a "bite" from porcelain fuse holders, but as a sparkie I tend to be bit more cautios in this regard I guess.
I can see where one could get a bite if some incompetent leaves wires protuding from the holder etc or if there has been some fluid contamination. Somtimes it may even be possible where a fuse holder has had many run-ins with overcurrent and you can get a layer of fused copper from the old blown fuses on the porcelain(hard to remove too). This could be a conductiive path if your pinkies hold the fuse in the wrong place.
One thing to remember when removing/replacing fuse of this or any type is to always just use one hand and keep clear of any metal where possible. Wearing rubber soled shoes or even standing on a rubber mat may also be a life saver.
Also I always put the fuse in my pocket if I am going to do any work on the wiring. You never know who may decide they want to watch tv just while you have the wires in your hand, and finding the fuse laying in the switchboard will plug it in.
What others have said is correct, the cost of the small plug in circuit breakers is minimal nowadays and dont need a sparkie to rewire your board. Just insert into existing fuse holders.