# Bonehead electrical wiring question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 7, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503 "2016-04-07T22:37:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/61 "2016-04-09T11:05:27Z")
And this is why I have a gas dryer.šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/62 "2016-04-10T04:16:07Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > And this is why I have a gas dryer.šŸ™‚ But your gas dryer takes 120 VAC. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/63 "2016-04-10T04:17:34Z")
> [@PoppaSan](#): > > Been there done that. 480 delta system so it was 480 to ground on the leg I touched. Buckled my knees and broke the connection. Hurt but not a long term zap. 120 is like ā€œOh yeah, I forgot to turn this off. I must be careful.ā€ Worst I got was 240 to ground. Could not let go until I started to blackout out and lost balance. Slipped off the ladder I was on (lowest rung.) Two holes burned into my fingers. Chest hurt like hell. Didnā€™t ā€œfeel rightā€ for about 24 hours afterwards. 480 Delta systems in a building are very rare these days. But it is still 277 to ground. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/64 "2016-04-10T12:12:53Z")
And the risk of fibrillation also depends on the frequency, for AC. As it happens, the highest risk is somewhere in the vicinity of 50 or 60 Hzā€¦ which is just what we use for our electrical distribution. A significantly higher or lower frequency would be much safer, though of course those run into other practical difficulties (lower frequencies need bigger transformers, and higher frequencies are harder to synch up and have greater radiative losses, IIRC). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/65 "2016-04-10T15:42:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And the risk of fibrillation also depends on the frequency, for AC. As it happens, the highest risk is somewhere in the vicinity of 50 or 60 Hzā€¦ which is just what we use for our electrical distribution. Edison was right! šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/66 "2016-04-11T22:23:06Z")
If the drier is working fine, you either did it right or you are about to be electrocuted in the near future. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/67 "2016-04-12T04:21:28Z")
> [@PoppaSan](#): > > Been there done that. 480 delta system so it was 480 to ground on the leg I touched. Buckled my knees and broke the connection. Hurt but not a long term zap. 120 is like ā€œOh yeah, I forgot to turn this off. I must be careful.ā€ Worst I got was 240 to ground. Could not let go until I started to blackout out and lost balance. Slipped off the ladder I was on (lowest rung.) Two holes burned into my fingers. Chest hurt like hell. Didnā€™t ā€œfeel rightā€ for about 24 hours afterwards. Iā€™m not an electrician but Iā€™ve replaced breakers and some electrical fixtures around the house. Iā€™ve always checked, even after turning off the breaker to the circuit, each wire with respect to ground and each other with a multimeter. Is that not standard practice working with electricity? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/68 "2016-04-12T09:28:09Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Iā€™m not an electrician but Iā€™ve replaced breakers and some electrical fixtures around the house. Iā€™ve always checked, even after turning off the breaker to the circuit, each wire with respect to ground and each other with a multimeter. Is that not standard practice working with electricity? Yes, just like it is the standard practice that interstate truck drivers always drive below the speed limit. But in both cases, there are economic incentives for the workers to take shortcuts to get the job done faster, even if they might be a bit risky. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/69 "2016-04-12T10:58:22Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Iā€™m not an electrician but Iā€™ve replaced breakers and some electrical fixtures around the house. Iā€™ve always checked, even after turning off the breaker to the circuit, each wire with respect to ground and each other with a multimeter. Is that not standard practice working with electricity? Familiarity breeds contemptā€¦ You, as an amateur, are naturally cautious. You also have no time constraints. Many professional electricians work with live circuits as a matter of course. If they expect the current to be off, they should really check it, but itā€™s easy to skip that, assuming that turning the breaker off has cut the power. If some amateur has wired it up badly and he didnā€™t noticeā€¦ Pow!! ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/70 "2016-04-12T13:22:08Z")
Thanks **engineer\_comp\_geek**! ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/71 "2016-04-12T15:08:43Z")
FYI - Appliances come with ā€œInstallation Instructionsā€ or you can get them from the manufacturer for older appliances. Those instructions cover 3 wire/4 wire installation. FURTHERMORE _specific_ appliances will require _specific_ amperage rated circuit breakers. For example various model kitchen ranges may need a 20, 30, 40, or 50 amp breaker depending on the specific model. Not following the recommendations and instructions of the manufacturer can result in electrocution or fire. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/72 "2016-04-12T22:42:37Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > If the drier is working fine, you either did it right or you are about to be electrocuted in the near future. I got it mostly right, and thanks to the vast reservoir of human knowledge that is the SDMB, my electrocution will not be forthcoming. šŸ†’ ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/73 "2016-04-12T22:52:39Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > I got it mostly right, and thanks to the vast reservoir of human knowledge that is the SDMB, my electrocution will not be forthcoming. šŸ†’ ā€¦unless youā€™re colorblind. šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503/74 "2016-04-12T23:53:35Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > ā€¦unless youā€™re colorblind. šŸ˜› Iā€™m not color blind. My mother had me tested. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonehead-electrical-wiring-question/751503.md?page=3)