DIYbanter - View Single Post - Breakers compatible with Federal Pacific Stab-Lok Load Center

The Daring Dufas[_8_]

On 12/26/2013 10:02 AM, wrote:
On Tue, 24 Dec 2013 17:44:05 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 12/24/2013 4:16 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 24 Dec 2013 14:34:59 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 12/24/2013 10:54 AM, wrote:
On Tue, 24 Dec 2013 01:56:32 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 12/23/2013 11:20 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 23 Dec 2013 23:23:28 -0500,
wrote:

On Mon, 23 Dec 2013 19:46:02 +0000, Let's get it
right!

wrote:

replying to clare , Let's get it right! wrote:
clare wrote:

On Fri, 20 Dec 2013 18:44:01 +0000, Let's get it
right! You can easily overload a listed 10 amp
extension cord with a NEMA 5-15 plug even on a 15
amp breaker - You seem to be a very strong advocate
for "nanny state" interference at all levels of
life - the government has to protect everybody
because they are too stupid to protect themselves.
It's bad enough that way in Canada already. You
can't legislate intelligence, and you can't outlaw
stupid. And getting the government involved in
"protecting the people" against everything just
guarantees that "stupid" wins. Are you a lawyer, or
do you just play one on TV?????

This is called an "Appeal to Authority" argument
(Goggle it!).

No, I'm not a lawyer. However, I am a Licensed
Professional Engineer. I've engineered "Listed"
equipment, and designed branch circuit protection for
DOD facilities. I'm not aware of any fires/shock
hazards attributed to my works over the past
45-years.. However, I've determined the cause of
fires of several facilities .... all due to improper
branch circuit protection, and yet the "As-Built"
drawing, reviewed and certified by the local
regulatory agency as complying with NEC, didn't
comply!

If there we're accountability for improper branch
circuit protection, and the resulting fires and
shock hazards, this problem would be cleaned up. The
forum has really exposed the ignorance and arrogance
of the user's of NEC ... and at all levels.

I'm prepared to support my argument in court, as
I've done in the past! Would you?
A good friend of mine is working on an "intelligent "
power plug system that would read the power rating of
the load and program the protection level of the outlet
to match - but it cannot support an extention cord.

How does that work? Why not just fuse the plugs, as the
Brits do? Simple beats complicated all to hell.

I'm sure you know that a lot of gear has a fused IEC14
inlet on the back of the case. If the equipment short
circuits, the fuse blows and I would guess prevent an over
current on an undamaged power cord. ^_^

Sure, but that doesn't protect the cord. It's obviously not
a sufficient problem to get the NFPA's interest.

I seem to recall reading something about New York City not
allowing any power strips whatsoever. Those ubiquitous surge
arrester strips were not to be used by anyone and I found it
quite puzzling. If it's true and I'm not just remembering
things that aren't there, perhaps one of my Damn Yankee cousins
could set me straight. ^_^

When I was working for IBM, the normal commercial power strips
were forbidden. They had some "listed" ones that were used
sparingly. The strips mounted on benches were allowed, but pretty
well controlled. Extension cords were strictly forbidden for
anything other than a *temporary* installation. At my CPoE, I am
allotted *one* duplex outlet. That has to do for not only my
four computers (laptops), three monitors, and all of my lab
equipment (scope, power supplies, meters, etc.). I have power
strips plugged into power strips, three deep. Everyone is in the
same situation and some have even more equipment in their cubes.

When I worked as a bench tech at a repair depot, guys were bad
about pranking each other. Our benches had a master switch which
controlled the power outlets on the bench. One hapless victim came
in, sat down, flipped the master switch and it was as though the
sun suddenly appeared for one second because some prankster had
wired a bunch of 12 volt dial lights across the 120 volt supply. I
was always switching the contents of freeze spray and tuner wash in
the cans. I'd get an empty can for each then using my handheld
vacuum pump, pull as much of a vacuum as I could on the empty can
after which I simply plugged the small extension tube between the
spay nozzles and depressed them. Freeze spray into the tuner wash
can and tuner wash into the freeze spray can. When the victim tried
to spot cool a component, he got tuner wash all over his work. Of
course it evaporated in a few minutes. I wasn't so mean as to put
water in a can unless I was making a super squirt gun. ^_^

Forty years ago, we used to prank on each other at work, all the
time. One of my coworkers was a particular target. One time I took
the insulation off some coax (matching all the coax between
instruments) and ran it across the bench in back of his, under the
setup he was testing. When he put a cover on it to do temperature
sensing, I blew smoke through the tube.

One of the other guys filled the tech's pipe tobacco pouch with
pencil shavings and chopped up rubber bands. What was really funny
is that he didn't notice, though everyone else was running for the
doors.

I only prank those I like and and my pranks are never destructive of
property, unless I supplied the item to be destroyed. I don't prank
those people I don't like because I'm afraid I might become malicious
and I don't like to hurt people, even nasty people. I believe in Karma
and what goes around comes around. I've seen so many ambulatory turds
eventually get their butts nailed to the wall and it's well deserved. ^_^

TDD