Electrics and the pet hamster (hammy)

[bob the plumber]

Hi, im a regularish poster on this site being a qualified plumber gas engineer/installer and im also part p defined scope qualified so if i put a boiler in ill happily wire it up. however having thought i had an idea of how electrics work the kids pet hamster has just gone and confused me. Having escaped 24 hours ago un-beknown to myself it had decided to up sticks behind the washing machine and for bedding had decided to help itself to the sleeving of the washing machine cable and also part enojyed a rite good nibble at the cold flexible hose. Thing that gets me is it had completley chewed through the neutral side of the wire and had freyed the cable......how the hell is my furry friend still alive?

 

[leelister6]

Hamsters are almost totally made from rubber with a coating of fur

 

[SimonJohns]

Theres no voltage on a neutral

 

[bob the plumber]

well i thought that, however it was on a ring main with other live appliances so is that completely true??

 

[SimonJohns]

I would of thought that the path of neural would have a less resistance than the hamster. So it would of all gone to neutral. Got no need to go thru the hamster

 

[WHPES]

You can get a slight voltage on the neutral if there is phase imbalance

 

[AWheating]

you can get a voltage on the neutral, you will not see it very well on your tester's because you are testing between neutral and earth which has the same potential. When you test for voltage you are testing for the potential difference between two points.

as for the hamster, luck little furrball.

 

[Kev the gas]

Max allowed between N and Earth is 15 Volts.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

maybe the hamster had rubber boots

 

[Kev the gas]

Thats the wonderful world of electricity , very weird.

"maybe the hamster had rubber boots"

If the hamster had chewed the live cable again prob would live to spin another wheel.

I visited a flooded property with water above the power points, the rcd had not tripped.

Apparently Rcd trip on rapid/ sudden faults to earth, not a gradual change in potential. As the water slowly rose the rapid change in potential did not occur. Scary.

 

[AWheating]

did you plug your wet and dry vac in to remove the water?

 

[bob the plumber]

no, i got the missus to mop it up

 

[russ026]

I had a hamster it was evil