OT: Computer's electrical outlet

[Mikkel L. Ellertson]

alan wrote:
> 
> The breakers in my old house were glass screw-in fuses.
> 
They were fuses, not breakers. Plug fuses to be exact.

> Not the worse case at that house...
> 
> [Digression warning]
> 
> I had all sorts of problems with light bulbs flickering and burning out,
> as well as other electrical problems.  After lots of ranting I got the
> landlord to bring in an electrician.
> 
That sounds a bit like an open neutral problem. Though without more
information, it could also be loose lugs, or a bad splice.

> He found that one of the 220 breakers was blown, so he replaced the fuse
> and threw the switch.
> 
> There was a flash across the room and the breaker popped immediatly.
> 
> He followed the 220 line from the breaker and found it clamped to a pipe.
> 
> A gas pipe.
> 
> When they replaced the electric stove with gas, instead of capping the
> electric line, they just attached it to a nearby pipe.  (Which happened
> to be the gas pipe.)
> 
> My landlord did not say much the rest of the day and I know we didn't
> have any gas leaks.
> 
You may have one after that - A short like that can burn a hole in a
pipe. But you have to understand that there is a big difference
between a fuse and a breaker. When a fuse blows, you have to replace
it. (Or replace the link in renewable link fuse.) When a breaker
trips, you can reset it - usually by moving the the handle to off,
and then on. There are advantages and disadvantages of both.

Mikkel
-- 

  Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for thou art crunchy and taste good with Ketchup!

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