Scarborough go boom | Page 4 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Scarborough go boom

crankcall said:
The one in my garage I changed last week was snapping and sizzling and produced a very acceptable spark.
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I would be more concern about your entire house electrical wiring then just that switch How old is the house, what type of wiring is used. Aluminum if not connected properly can start a fire if the connection becomes loose. This is something I didn't know until recently. It was explained by an electrician friend, and it was an eye opener.
 
crankcall said:
changed it last week, when the old one come out it was very brown/black inside.
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So that definitely wasn't a normally operating switch lol
 
backmarkerducati said:
Without the spark switches how are they going to know if they have a gas leak?
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We had a gas leak at the old house, the fully certified and no doubt very clever gas tech changed out meter but left the old rubber seal washer in and installed a new washer seal, as a result it was leaking, fortunately outside the house. I could smell gas standing in the yard. The gas tech when he came over mentioned there was no danger and he was probably right. I asked since he was there a month ago and was the same guy that changed the meter and the gas leak was on my side of the meter, meaning it was my gas spewing into the air, how much gas was missing? he told me that would amount to about .50cents, and asked if I had change for a buck?
I thanked him for his professionalism , my world was safer with him in it......
 
Slim Jim said:
I would be more concern about your entire house electrical wiring then just that switch How old is the house, what type of wiring is used. Aluminum if not connected properly can start a fire if the connection becomes loose. This is something I didn't know until recently. It was explained by an electrician friend, and it was an eye opener.
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The big danger with aluminum isn't actually from loose connections, though connections to aluminum tend to 'creep' more than copper (especially if incorrect fittings are used), but rather due to nicks in the wiring itself. The resistance of aluminum rises faster with changes in diameter than it does with copper. As a result a nick in aluminum wire causes a hot spot, that in extreme cases can get hot enough to ignite flammable materials.

Slim Jim said:
I've never seen a switch spark when turning on a light switch, in sure like everything else they become faulty. I've even tried to make a switch spark but rapidly turning them on and off, I've used a thermal camera to check any energy released from a switch. Natural gas requires an ignition temperature of approx. 1200 F to ignite. On top of that the mixture has to be within the explosion range of the gas. Getting to that range by normal leak is next to impossible. I walked into a house on a call years ago and I could smell the gas at the front door, the leak was at a union in the basement, work performed by the owners brother six months previous, who was not licensed. They had AWH, CHS, clothes dryer and a range in the house and not even close to the LEL. Every year we issue thousands of red tags for leaks in the GTA, yet explosions are extremely rare. I don't know of any Nat gas exploration that was the result of a normal leak, like I said usually they are deliberate, or the result of pressure gas filling a building.
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I have and a 120V spark from a 15A run is quite sufficient for ignition. If I can see the spark through the switch itself, then it's a substantial spark. Whether the leak is "normal" or the result of tampering is rather immaterial, when the house is raining down on the neighbourhood.
 
Rob MacLennan said:
The big danger with aluminum isn't actually from loose connections, though connections to aluminum tend to 'creep' more than copper (especially if incorrect fittings are used), but rather due to nicks in the wiring itself. The resistance of aluminum rises faster with changes in diameter than it does with copper. As a result a nick in aluminum wire causes a hot spot, that in extreme cases can get hot enough to ignite flammable materials.



I have and a 120V spark from a 15A run is quite sufficient for ignition. If I can see the spark through the switch itself, then it's a substantial spark. Whether the leak is "normal" or the result of tampering is rather immaterial, when the house is raining down on the neighbourhood.
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Actually it's not immaterial, you will never get an explosion from with a normal gas leak, because it will not get to the lel. You have no idea how many leaks are in houses, buildings etc. A deliberate explosion will be ignited by a pilot light, or the person will have rigged an ignition source.
 
Slim Jim said:
I've never seen a switch spark when turning on a light switch, in sure like everything else they become faulty. I've even tried to make a switch spark but rapidly turning them on and off, I've used a thermal camera to check any energy released from a switch. Natural gas requires an ignition temperature of approx. 1200 F to ignite. On top of that the mixture has to be within the explosion range of the gas. Getting to that range by normal leak is next to impossible. I walked into a house on a call years ago and I could smell the gas at the front door, the leak was at a union in the basement, work performed by the owners brother six months previous, who was not licensed. They had AWH, CHS, clothes dryer and a range in the house and not even close to the LEL. Every year we issue thousands of red tags for leaks in the GTA, yet explosions are extremely rare. I don't know of any Nat gas exploration that was the result of a normal leak, like I said usually they are deliberate, or the result of pressure gas filling a building.
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Next time I'm at the Esso refinery I'll tell them they're wasting money on all those explosion proof light switches.

While I don't argue your statistics (Can't be bothered) it is totally irresponsible to ignore light switch arc. You make a blanket statement ignoring load and other factors such as circuit impedance. The switch doesn't have to be faulty to make an arc.
 
Slim Jim said:
Actually it's not immaterial, you will never get an explosion from with a normal gas leak, because it will not get to the lel. You have no idea how many leaks are in houses, buildings etc. A deliberate explosion will be ignited by a pilot light, or the person will have rigged an ignition source.
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Presumably you missed the part where I said, "... when the house is raining down on the neighbourhood."
 
nobbie48 said:
Next time I'm at the Esso refinery I'll tell them they're wasting money on all those explosion proof light switches.

While I don't argue your statistics (Can't be bothered) it is totally irresponsible to ignore light switch arc. You make a blanket statement ignoring load and other factors such as circuit impedance. The switch doesn't have to be faulty to make an arc.
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You can't argue my stats because they are fact. I have explosion proof lights and switches in my machines. They are a waste of money but they are code so they have to be there, and I run over 3000 psi of gas.
 
Slim Jim said:
You can't argue my stats because they are fact. I have explosion proof lights and switches in my machines. They are a waste of money but they are code so they have to be there, and I run over 3000 psi of gas.
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Still "educating" I see. Good job, keep up the fight. :D
 
Slim Jim said:
You can't argue my stats because they are fact. I have explosion proof lights and switches in my machines. They are a waste of money but they are code so they have to be there, and I run over 3000 psi of gas.
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And why do you think the code requires them in hazardous locations?

Should we throw out the whole lot of electrical classification regulations just because YOU haven't had a fire or explosion?

Most of those regulations are written in blood. I prefer not to contribute to the cause.
 
Why stop here? Better get online and tell all the flour mills they're wasting their money on explosion proof switches, too.

The employes in the plants were acquainted with the causes by which
explosions can be produced,with special reference to the simple causes
within the control of the workmen, such as a lighted match, smoking,use
of open flames, careless use of electric lights, etc.

http://www.forgottenbooks.com/download_pdf/Grain_Dust_Explosion_Prevention_1000769345.pdf
 
Brian P said:
And why do you think the code requires them in hazardous locations?

Should we throw out the whole lot of electrical classification regulations just because YOU haven't had a fire or explosion?

Most of those regulations are written in blood. I prefer not to contribute to the cause.
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Some trades are over regulated.
 
FullMotoJacket said:
Why stop here? Better get online and tell all the flour mills they're wasting their money on explosion proof switches, too.

The employes in the plants were acquainted with the causes by which
explosions can be produced,with special reference to the simple causes
within the control of the workmen, such as a lighted match, smoking,use
of open flames, careless use of electric lights, etc.

http://www.forgottenbooks.com/download_pdf/Grain_Dust_Explosion_Prevention_1000769345.pdf
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I don't care about floor mills, I'm in gas, maybe since switches being so dangerous to gas, they should make explosion proof switches and lights in all houses mandatory.
 
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