Stuff you see and really want to buy (not!)

[pirate]

Maybe it's just me, but whenever I see a bargain...
not sure how to check the first one, but the second one is easy!
Imagine manufacturing,importing, packaging, distributing and stocking a top of the range electrical appliance like this for less than a fiver, and still making a profit...
On the other hand, why would you give the kids a plastic one when a real one is not much more?
Maybe it's the "small parts" warning?

 

[static zap]

Ok to fish toast out with a knife.
.... at least its not tempting DIY test gear , that could be connected to CU , bypassing most of fused protection !

 

[I2C]

In my opinion, if toasters where invented today using the same design as those we know ad love, I'm sure they'd be banned! I'm not sure if there's many other appliances which present such dangers as the common toaster. However, I do acknowledge that most people are bright-enough to avoid poking things into it.

Regardless, toasters are actually very simplistic and shouldn't cost much per-unit during mass-production, so I wouldn't be put-off by the low-price (especially from ASDA as a large-scale seller).

 

[The Ghost]

It is very simple...Children love to play and explore, now a toaster of the "pretend" type is of no value to the child. As when they grow up they may feel based on their experience with the play toaster that they can poke forks, knives or any other metallic probe without consequences or harm. However if you give them a real toaster it is not just for Christmas it's for life the lessons learned poking into a real toaster. We owe it to our kids to give them the fullest education we can afford. Oh oh honey I just electrocuted the kids.

 

[Pete999]

It is very simple...Children love to play and explore, now a toaster of the "pretend" type is of no value to the child. As when they grow up they may feel based on their experience with the play toaster that they can poke forks, knives or any other metallic probe without consequences or harm. However if you give them a real toaster it is not just for Christmas it's for life the lessons learned poking into a real toaster. We owe it to our kids to give them the fullest education we can afford. Oh oh honey I just electrocuted the kids.

Good point, but you're still a spoilsport, bah humbug

 

[Spoon]

It is very simple...Children love to play and explore, now a toaster of the "pretend" type is of no value to the child. As when they grow up they may feel based on their experience with the play toaster that they can poke forks, knives or any other metallic probe without consequences or harm. However if you give them a real toaster it is not just for Christmas it's for life the lessons learned poking into a real toaster. We owe it to our kids to give them the fullest education we can afford. Oh oh honey I just electrocuted the kids.

It's a toy toaster.. Your kids can play happily with them... even in the bath... It's a toy. Kids are not thick (well mine aren't) and they know the difference between a toy are the real thing.

 

[The Ghost]

It's a joke @Spoon

 

[Squid]

It's a joke @Spoon

Use this in future,

 

[telectrix]

if you look closely at the label on the play toaster, it's IP44, so safe to play with in the bath.

 

[Spoon]

It's a joke @Spoon

I know mate. My reply was meant to be sarcastic, but we don't have a sarcastic font.

 

[I2C]

if you look closely at the label on the play toaster, it's IP44, so safe to play with in the bath.

This is one of my most debated topics with other electricians I know, I'd like to hear others opinions.

If I sat in a bath and dropped a toaster into the water (with the toaster plugged in to the 230v mains), I'm confident that I wouldn't be electrocuted or harmed. My reasoning is that the majority of electrical current in a circuit will always take the path of least-resistance; being line-neutral in the toaster, or line-CPC via the earthed metallic enclosure of the toaster, rather than travelling through the water and through you, which would result in a higher-resistance detour and therefore an insignificant current-flow. Also, the RCD (if present on the circuit) would trip fast enough to save life regardless.

I've not attempted this experiment myself, as I'm not 100% certain. I am however 99% sure this is true and I'd like to hear other opinions.

 

[Wilko]

Is this what you're thinking about at 4am? Nearly as bad as me ... So my thought : you will have a watery connection to both the L and N from inside the toaster and so some current will flow through you. It would be a parallel current flow to the element and much smaller but still there. Current will also flow L-water-CPC and L-water-you-water-CPC. Hopefully that would trip the special location RCD. But this whole thing could be very bad in that the watery connection could be continuous around your chest and so I think a lot less than 30mA could be a big problem. Don't try this one

 

[I2C]

Is this what you're thinking about at 4am? Nearly as bad as me ... So my thought : you will have a watery connection to both the L and N from inside the toaster and so some current will flow through you. It would be a parallel current flow to the element and much smaller but still there. Current will also flow L-water-CPC and L-water-you-water-CPC. Hopefully that would trip the special location RCD. But this whole thing could be very bad in that the watery connection could be continuous around your chest and so I think a lot less than 30mA could be a big problem. Don't try this one

Yes, unfortunately at this time in the morning I'm searching for answers regarding life & the universe (providing it's electrical of course).

I agree that the current will surely still flow through you, albeit at a negligible value based on the resistance of the bath-water compared to the relatively low-resistance path between the conductors, which should provide enough current-flow from line-CPC in order to operate the RCD.

Honestly, I'm not intending on trying this experiment one anytime soon, at least not until I'm sure it's safe, then maybe. I've previously proved to other electricians that resistance DOES INDEED limit current, proving my calculations by touching the line and neutral conductors of a 230v mains supply, with a 100kOhm resistor in series which results in a current-flow of 2mA (still hurt). I've also wound my own home-made transformer (converting 230v 13A AC - 2.5v 1200A AC) in order to show other electricians that regardless of current, ELV voltages are safe to touch due to their voltage and the resistance of the human body.

It may seem strange, but I enjoy performing bizarre experiments which appear dangerous, in order to increase awareness of electrical safety while correcting common misconceptions.

 

[Spoon]

Didn't Myth Busters to something about electrical appliances falling in the bath and if they are dangerous...

 

[Pete999]

Didn't Myth Busters to something about electrical appliances falling in the bath and if they are dangerous...

Don't know Spoon, but these Guys have it sussed out

 

[Spoon]

 

[Wilko]

Great vid Spoon !
Summary "you can definitely die" ...

 

[Spoon]

Great vid Spoon !
Summary "you can definitely die" ...

I like Mythbusters. Yes, I wouldn't try it on yourself..

 

[Squid]

I like Mythbusters. Yes, I wouldn't try it on yourself..

Spoilsport..............

 

[Taylortwocities]

You can borrow my ex-wife, if you are doing any testing....

 

[Spoon]

You can borrow my ex-wife, if you are doing any testing....

I can see nothing going wrong with my missus seeing another woman in my bath......

 

[Squid]

I can see nothing going wrong with my missus seeing another woman in my bath......

You mean when she catches the other woman in your house with your loofah between her legs..............

 

[Squid]

That would go down as well as a double socket under the bathroom cabinet on here.

 

[Spoon]

You mean when she catches the other woman in your house with your loofah between her legs..............

I have to test everything mate... I'm thorough..

 

[Squid]

Never knew you could buy loofah with such a small aperture, everyday is a school day on here. ;o)))))

 

[sparkdog]

In the days of round 15 amp plugs my mother used to regularly blow the toaster element fishing the toast out with a knife.

 

[Spoon]

In the days of round 15 amp plugs my mother used to regularly blow the toaster element fishing the toast out with a knife.

That's a bit dangerous... flushing them out with water would have been better..

 

[telectrix]

That's a bit dangerous... flushing them out with water would have been better..

YUK. soggy toast.

 

[telectrix]

In the days of round 15 amp plugs my mother used to regularly blow the toaster element fishing the toast out with a knife.

was OK back then as knives all had insulated handles (bone/ivory/bakelite). not like the modern ones, all metal.

 

[Squid]

In the days of round 15 amp plugs my mother used to regularly blow the toaster element fishing the toast out with a knife.

Should of upped the fuse and got your inheritance earlier, at least you could have trained to be an optician instead of an electrician.....

 

[sparkdog]

The man at the local garage used to just wind on some more resistance wire to fix it.

 

[Squid]

The man at the local garage used to just wind on some more resistance wire to fix it.

The garage that burnt down?

 

[sparkdog]

That's the one!

 

[I2C]

Great vid Spoon !
Summary "you can definitely die" ...

That's not true, remember that the current will take all paths to ground, with the majority of the current flowing through the path of lowest impedance. Also using a bath as an example, everything that you're touching (the water around you) will be at the same voltage (or equipotential), meaning there's no potential-difference in voltage (or at least negligible).

Without diving further into electrical theory, a video is probably a better option...

 

[sparkdog]

If toasters were meant to be used in the bath they would have sails.