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To: Slagle who wrote (65830)	7/3/2005 6:04:55 AM
From: maceng2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74559

I work with refrigeration units sitting on insulating bases, and the first thing I do is visually check there is a nice big copper conducting earth wire connected to it. If it's missing or looks like a faulty connection I don't go near the unit until it is switched off from the supply. There are too many ways 415 volt three phase can get you. The earth conductor is important for a number of safety reasons. OK an earth bonded chassis can be a danger to someone touching a live conductor who is also touching the chassis. However, more frequently, there will be case where there will be an electrical fault. The chassis goes live and that wooden floor of yours also goes live. There will be many more instances where people will be touching that live conductor of yours (semi insulating wooden floor) and touching parts that are nearer ground potential. The UK wiring regulations are up to the 16th revision since they were first published in about 1916 (somewhere about that time). They keep up to date with the available technology. iee.org Electricians complain about the changes, but I am happy with the UK electrical installations and equipment. Although I am not a professional electrician, I am qualified to be one, and wired up my first house at age 16 [I was in typical teenagers trouble and struck a deal to get out of it]. I have wired dozens of domestic and commercial properties since then. The USA wiring methods were peculiar to me in several respects. For example in Maine and elsewhere, the electrical supply is carried on wooden poles rather then underground. I thought this looked a bit unsightly and in addition unwise in a state like Maine. Several times during windy conditions I saw trees sway near the supply and big flashes from shorts occurred. Sure enough, every time there was a storm a tree would keel over somewhere and the whole city would have a power cut. It was like clockwork, in fact so predictable I bought a generator. The place where I lived was always one of the last areas of town to be reconnected and the typical power outage was three days. Long enough for the contents of the freezer to spoil. In winter the prospect of no heating was a real danger so I had a coal burning stove as another backup and kept a couple of tons of anthracite coal in the basement. Wood fuel used to spike in price during the winter and I always wondered why the residents of Maine never clued on to buying coal. You are right about the connections of wiring being the main source of trouble. Ohmic heating. In the UK all connections are of the screw type terminal. I noticed in the USA they still twist the wires together with an insulating conical cap. It maybe faster, but a safer arrangement would employ more electricians too. I am greatly in favour of RCD's and a solid earth on all electrical devices.

To: Slagle who wrote (65830)	7/3/2005 9:16:20 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 74559

HAHA! Spend all you want - greenspan will print more! stpetetimes.com The United States apparently has no peer when it comes to the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle. A.C. Nielsen says Americans are four times more likely than the Chinese or Mexicans to say they have "no spare cash" after covering essential living expenses. A whopping 28 percent of U.S. respondents claimed to have no extra cash in a recent survey of consumers in 38 markets around the world. Americans who said they have spare cash put debt repayment as their top priority. Asian consumers were two to three times as likely as Americans to say they save or invest their extra money.