Jeff Strickland

It turns out that I don't know how to use my own volt meter (the one I built
20+ years ago from a kit). Crap! I hate when that happens.

The bulb is toast and the transformer is fine. I order new lamps and
reinstalled the transformer.




"Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:6R27i.2970$J76.2363@trndny03...
>I thought I knew this stuff, but there is a nuance that I'm not getting.
>
> I have a fiber optic lighting system in my swimming pool. It takes a
> 24v/250A light bulb. The bubl does not light, but the filiment is okay.
> The power supply (transformer) does not put out any voltage, so I bought a
> new one.
>
> The new transformer is stated to provide 40VA, but the light does not come
> on. My guess is that a VA and a "regular" A are different. What's the
> difference?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Earle Horton

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:135rdttjusom641@corp.supernews.com...
>
> After all this back-and-forth about the problem, all I can add is that
> Jeff
> ought to not throw good money after bad, or incur further risk to himself
> by
> calling in a really good electrician (not the guy who can replace a wall
> switch) and leave it to him. We all think we know a little about
> electricity, and it's just enough to get a surprise in the form of a
> lethal or nearly lethal shock.

A nearly lethal shock will give you years and years of health problems, as
any survivor of being struck by lightning can tell you.

I have a garage that was wired without a single junction box, except where
required for switches and receptacles. The cables are just spliced together
in the middle of the air. A piece of extension cord material was used to
feed one room. It was of course wire nutted into a piece of romex and then
sealed into a wall. I lost no time in telling the seller of the property
and the guy who wired the garage that both were morons.

Either get a real electrician or a Time/Life diy book.

> I'd just as soon not read the news and find that Jeff Strickland was found
> face down with two wires in his hands. ....."let's see now, was that 250
> Amps or 250 Watts???"
> Stick to plumbing repairs. Lots of professional electricians have
> succumbed to electrical shock, but I've yet to hear of a plumber drowning.
>
There is an electric pipe thawer that could give you quite a jolt. I see a
lot of burned fingers from sweating copper tubing together.

Saludos cordiales,

Earle

Earle Horton

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:135rdttjusom641@corp.supernews.com...
>
> After all this back-and-forth about the problem, all I can add is that
> Jeff
> ought to not throw good money after bad, or incur further risk to himself
> by
> calling in a really good electrician (not the guy who can replace a wall
> switch) and leave it to him. We all think we know a little about
> electricity, and it's just enough to get a surprise in the form of a
> lethal or nearly lethal shock.

A nearly lethal shock will give you years and years of health problems, as
any survivor of being struck by lightning can tell you.

I have a garage that was wired without a single junction box, except where
required for switches and receptacles. The cables are just spliced together
in the middle of the air. A piece of extension cord material was used to
feed one room. It was of course wire nutted into a piece of romex and then
sealed into a wall. I lost no time in telling the seller of the property
and the guy who wired the garage that both were morons.

Either get a real electrician or a Time/Life diy book.

> I'd just as soon not read the news and find that Jeff Strickland was found
> face down with two wires in his hands. ....."let's see now, was that 250
> Amps or 250 Watts???"
> Stick to plumbing repairs. Lots of professional electricians have
> succumbed to electrical shock, but I've yet to hear of a plumber drowning.
>
There is an electric pipe thawer that could give you quite a jolt. I see a
lot of burned fingers from sweating copper tubing together.

Saludos cordiales,

Earle

Earle Horton

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:135rdttjusom641@corp.supernews.com...
>
> After all this back-and-forth about the problem, all I can add is that
> Jeff
> ought to not throw good money after bad, or incur further risk to himself
> by
> calling in a really good electrician (not the guy who can replace a wall
> switch) and leave it to him. We all think we know a little about
> electricity, and it's just enough to get a surprise in the form of a
> lethal or nearly lethal shock.

A nearly lethal shock will give you years and years of health problems, as
any survivor of being struck by lightning can tell you.

I have a garage that was wired without a single junction box, except where
required for switches and receptacles. The cables are just spliced together
in the middle of the air. A piece of extension cord material was used to
feed one room. It was of course wire nutted into a piece of romex and then
sealed into a wall. I lost no time in telling the seller of the property
and the guy who wired the garage that both were morons.

Either get a real electrician or a Time/Life diy book.

> I'd just as soon not read the news and find that Jeff Strickland was found
> face down with two wires in his hands. ....."let's see now, was that 250
> Amps or 250 Watts???"
> Stick to plumbing repairs. Lots of professional electricians have
> succumbed to electrical shock, but I've yet to hear of a plumber drowning.
>
There is an electric pipe thawer that could give you quite a jolt. I see a
lot of burned fingers from sweating copper tubing together.

Saludos cordiales,

Earle

Earle Horton

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:135rdttjusom641@corp.supernews.com...
>
> After all this back-and-forth about the problem, all I can add is that
> Jeff
> ought to not throw good money after bad, or incur further risk to himself
> by
> calling in a really good electrician (not the guy who can replace a wall
> switch) and leave it to him. We all think we know a little about
> electricity, and it's just enough to get a surprise in the form of a
> lethal or nearly lethal shock.

A nearly lethal shock will give you years and years of health problems, as
any survivor of being struck by lightning can tell you.

I have a garage that was wired without a single junction box, except where
required for switches and receptacles. The cables are just spliced together
in the middle of the air. A piece of extension cord material was used to
feed one room. It was of course wire nutted into a piece of romex and then
sealed into a wall. I lost no time in telling the seller of the property
and the guy who wired the garage that both were morons.

Either get a real electrician or a Time/Life diy book.

> I'd just as soon not read the news and find that Jeff Strickland was found
> face down with two wires in his hands. ....."let's see now, was that 250
> Amps or 250 Watts???"
> Stick to plumbing repairs. Lots of professional electricians have
> succumbed to electrical shock, but I've yet to hear of a plumber drowning.
>
There is an electric pipe thawer that could give you quite a jolt. I see a
lot of burned fingers from sweating copper tubing together.

Saludos cordiales,

Earle

Jeff Strickland

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:135rdttjusom641@corp.supernews.com...
>
> After all this back-and-forth about the problem, all I can add is that
> Jeff ought to not throw good money after bad, or incur further risk to
> himself by calling in a really good electrician (not the guy who can
> replace a wall switch) and leave it to him. We all think we know a
> little about electricity, and it's just enough to get a surprise in the
> form of a lethal or nearly lethal shock.
> I'd just as soon not read the news and find that Jeff Strickland was found
> face down with two wires in his hands. ....."let's see now, was that 250
> Amps or 250 Watts???"
> Stick to plumbing repairs. Lots of professional electricians have
> succumbed to electrical shock, but I've yet to hear of a plumber drowning.
>


I'm a handyman by trade, and applying Ohm's Law has never ever come up for
me in the past. Had I known the difference between VA and amperage, we would
not be having this discussion. I've added complete new circuits from the
fuse panel, replacing a light bulb ought to be a job I can handle. Having
said that, I did find it exceedingly difficult to get the correct
information from my meter, and I's still not sure if it was the meter that
was lying, or the idiot-in-charge pushing the wrong buttons.

And you should note that W and A are adjacent to one another on the
keyboard. While there is significant difference in 250A and 250W, the
keystrokes are nearly identical.

Jeff Strickland

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:135rdttjusom641@corp.supernews.com...
>
> After all this back-and-forth about the problem, all I can add is that
> Jeff ought to not throw good money after bad, or incur further risk to
> himself by calling in a really good electrician (not the guy who can
> replace a wall switch) and leave it to him. We all think we know a
> little about electricity, and it's just enough to get a surprise in the
> form of a lethal or nearly lethal shock.
> I'd just as soon not read the news and find that Jeff Strickland was found
> face down with two wires in his hands. ....."let's see now, was that 250
> Amps or 250 Watts???"
> Stick to plumbing repairs. Lots of professional electricians have
> succumbed to electrical shock, but I've yet to hear of a plumber drowning.
>


I'm a handyman by trade, and applying Ohm's Law has never ever come up for
me in the past. Had I known the difference between VA and amperage, we would
not be having this discussion. I've added complete new circuits from the
fuse panel, replacing a light bulb ought to be a job I can handle. Having
said that, I did find it exceedingly difficult to get the correct
information from my meter, and I's still not sure if it was the meter that
was lying, or the idiot-in-charge pushing the wrong buttons.

And you should note that W and A are adjacent to one another on the
keyboard. While there is significant difference in 250A and 250W, the
keystrokes are nearly identical.

Jeff Strickland

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:135rdttjusom641@corp.supernews.com...
>
> After all this back-and-forth about the problem, all I can add is that
> Jeff ought to not throw good money after bad, or incur further risk to
> himself by calling in a really good electrician (not the guy who can
> replace a wall switch) and leave it to him. We all think we know a
> little about electricity, and it's just enough to get a surprise in the
> form of a lethal or nearly lethal shock.
> I'd just as soon not read the news and find that Jeff Strickland was found
> face down with two wires in his hands. ....."let's see now, was that 250
> Amps or 250 Watts???"
> Stick to plumbing repairs. Lots of professional electricians have
> succumbed to electrical shock, but I've yet to hear of a plumber drowning.
>


I'm a handyman by trade, and applying Ohm's Law has never ever come up for
me in the past. Had I known the difference between VA and amperage, we would
not be having this discussion. I've added complete new circuits from the
fuse panel, replacing a light bulb ought to be a job I can handle. Having
said that, I did find it exceedingly difficult to get the correct
information from my meter, and I's still not sure if it was the meter that
was lying, or the idiot-in-charge pushing the wrong buttons.

And you should note that W and A are adjacent to one another on the
keyboard. While there is significant difference in 250A and 250W, the
keystrokes are nearly identical.

Jeff Strickland

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:135rdttjusom641@corp.supernews.com...
>
> After all this back-and-forth about the problem, all I can add is that
> Jeff ought to not throw good money after bad, or incur further risk to
> himself by calling in a really good electrician (not the guy who can
> replace a wall switch) and leave it to him. We all think we know a
> little about electricity, and it's just enough to get a surprise in the
> form of a lethal or nearly lethal shock.
> I'd just as soon not read the news and find that Jeff Strickland was found
> face down with two wires in his hands. ....."let's see now, was that 250
> Amps or 250 Watts???"
> Stick to plumbing repairs. Lots of professional electricians have
> succumbed to electrical shock, but I've yet to hear of a plumber drowning.
>


I'm a handyman by trade, and applying Ohm's Law has never ever come up for
me in the past. Had I known the difference between VA and amperage, we would
not be having this discussion. I've added complete new circuits from the
fuse panel, replacing a light bulb ought to be a job I can handle. Having
said that, I did find it exceedingly difficult to get the correct
information from my meter, and I's still not sure if it was the meter that
was lying, or the idiot-in-charge pushing the wrong buttons.

And you should note that W and A are adjacent to one another on the
keyboard. While there is significant difference in 250A and 250W, the
keystrokes are nearly identical.

XS11E

"Earle Horton" <earle@angloburgues.usa> wrote:

> Either get a real electrician or a Time/Life diy book.

The diy book might be safer, a good friend recently retired from his
job as a building inspector, he was a journeyman electrician by trade
before becoming an inspector so he knew the electrical code very well.

He said it was almost unbelievable the number of jobs done by
experienced, licensed, electrical contractors and/or electricians that
had to be ripped out and done over because of numerous code violations
and unsafe wiring done intentionally to save a buck.

You'd think it would be cheaper to wire a building correctly than to
tear it all out and do it over but the contractors lived with the
constant hope they wouldn't get caught... :-(


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