Guppy Guy Posted July 20, 2022 Share Posted July 20, 2022 (edited) I saw this video where a guy tested electrical appliances in water, and nothing happened. I thought it would be cool to share and discuss what happened. Here is the video. I will start off with saying I think he had no results because water on its own isn’t conductive; it has to have added metals and minerals (such as salt) to conduct electricity. That is why electronics are only cooled with distilled water. If it spills, it usually won’t hurt anything. The trace minerals in tap water aren’t enough to arc current underwater, but is enough to trip a GFCI. What do you think? Edited July 20, 2022 by Guppy Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted July 20, 2022 Share Posted July 20, 2022 pure water is not conductive, however 99.9% of water anybody will ever encounter is not pure, therefore it is conductive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flumpweesel Posted July 20, 2022 Share Posted July 20, 2022 Terrifying. In the UK water will short out mains plugs and appliances. I worked for a home emergency company for years and we were often called because a water spill had tripped a household ring. The only way to reinstate power is to find the affected socket remove the plug turn off the socket then the mains fuse should allow you to reset. Once the socket has had chance to dry out it can be put back into use but you may need to change the plug fuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppy Guy Posted July 21, 2022 Author Share Posted July 21, 2022 On 7/20/2022 at 7:37 PM, Flumpweesel said: Terrifying. In the UK water will short out mains plugs and appliances. I worked for a home emergency company for years and we were often called because a water spill had tripped a household ring. The only way to reinstate power is to find the affected socket remove the plug turn off the socket then the mains fuse should allow you to reset. Once the socket has had chance to dry out it can be put back into use but you may need to change the plug fuse. Do you all still use fuses in the UK? Or have you started using breakers? Here in the states, its breakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flumpweesel Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 We have a fuse in the appliance plug and breaker on the circuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppy Guy Posted July 21, 2022 Author Share Posted July 21, 2022 (edited) On 7/21/2022 at 1:52 AM, Flumpweesel said: We have a fuse in the appliance plug and breaker on the circuit. Oh, ok! Thanks! I have heard that fuses are more reliable then breakers since fuses are one and done, and breakers wear out and may not trip after awhile. I was reading about this sometime back, and the only reason breakers are the standard now is because people would shove aluminum foil in the fuse socket and wonder why their house burned down. I wish we did it the UK way here, with appliances on fuses, but those are never coming back, so we’re stuck with breakers. Edited July 21, 2022 by Guppy Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 On 7/21/2022 at 7:48 AM, Guppy Guy said: Oh, ok! Thanks! I have heard that fuses are more reliable then breakers since fuses are one and done, and breakers wear out and may not trip after awhile. I was reading about this sometime back, and the only reason breakers are the standard now is because people would shove aluminum foil in the fuse socket and wonder why their house burned down. I wish we did it the UK way here, with appliances on fuses, but those are never coming back, so we’re stuck with breakers. doesnt matter much which method is used for ckt protection, dummies will find a way to defeat it. the old screw in fuses, yup foil or pennies stuffed in them, or hey just stuff a 30A in instead of the 15 it should have. too many people on this planet that need protecting from themselves. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineSong Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 When I was a kid I saw a TV show where some guy killed his wife by tossing an electrical appliance into the tub while she was bathing....and as result I didn't plug anything in on my own until college. I would literally be the last person on earth to rig my fuses with tinfoil, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flumpweesel Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 On 7/22/2022 at 11:42 PM, PineSong said: When I was a kid I saw a TV show where some guy killed his wife by tossing an electrical appliance into the tub while she was bathing....and as result I didn't plug anything in on my own until college. I would literally be the last person on earth to rig my fuses with tinfoil, lol. No plug sockets in UK bathrooms. Maybe building standards saw the same film. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppy Guy Posted July 23, 2022 Author Share Posted July 23, 2022 On 7/22/2022 at 6:42 PM, PineSong said: When I was a kid I saw a TV show where some guy killed his wife by tossing an electrical appliance into the tub while she was bathing....and as result I didn't plug anything in on my own until college. I would literally be the last person on earth to rig my fuses with tinfoil, lol. I’m paranoid about leaving two batteries touching in the container, let alone jerry-rigging fuse sockets 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaylynnWall Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 (edited) Wow, that video sounds intriguing! Thanks for sharing your insights. It's fascinating how water's conductivity varies based on its purity. Reminds me of when I had a leak in my home, and water got into some electrical outlets. Luckily, no harm was done, but it made me realize the importance of understanding these things. Speaking of which, smarterbusiness.co.uk has some great resources on electrical safety and efficiency. Might be worth checking out for more insights! Edited April 9 by KaylynnWall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 On 3/28/2024 at 10:28 AM, KaylynnWall said: Wow, that video sounds intriguing! Thanks for sharing your insights. It's fascinating how water's conductivity varies based on its purity. Reminds me of when I had a leak in my home, and water got into some electrical outlets. yup, absolutely pure water will not conduct electricity. that fact will blow most peoples minds. many moons ago i was an interior communications electrician in the navy, i have some stories. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rube_Goldfish Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 And that's also how TDS meters work: measure the conductivity of the water and extrapolate that out to the "impurities" in the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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