On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:19:01 -0900, (Floyd L. Davidson) wrote:

"Stormin Mormon" wrote:
He's not talking resistance -- he's talking about a short circuit. Please be
sure of your terms before you call someone else names, and insult them.

I've known of houses with broken down insulation in the lead in wire,
creating a high energy bill. So, it's a real condition.

More total bull****. That would burn the house down
long before you got the bill. As Mike said, if the
connection where so hot it was shining brightly in the
daylight... and indeed that is what it would take to
create a high energy bill, and it *would* set fire to
something.

Really? Then according to your expert theory, my restaurant ought to have burned
down long ago.

http://www.neon-john.com/images/Wiring_overload.jpg

That photo is of what is left of the original 40s vintage 3 phase indoor meter box.
Long since bypassed as a meter base, it still passed up to 300 amps at times. That's
either #4 or #2 cloth covered, rubber insulated wire in the service entrance. #4, I
think. It's obviously been hot enough to slag the rubber insulation but somehow it
just keeps on truckin'. Of course, the wire is in rigid conduit and despite your
declaration to the contrary, steel still doesn't burn very well.

That conduit has been too hot to touch on occasion. I monitored it closely in the
summer time. I'd have loved to have replaced it but the city says that I can't do my
own electrical work and I'm not about to pay someone else to do it so... It's been
there since the 40s and it'll probably be there until the building is torn down.

Perhaps you ought to look at the other post I made in this thread about how to
compute irradiative losses from a hot object. The concept is simple enough for
someone even of your caliber to understand.

Maybe you ought to get your code book out too. At various places it discusses the
losses involved in various wire and cable temperature rises.

John

--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com -- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. -Marie Curie