Electricity Myth and Fact in Our Socity

Electricity Myths Can be a Killer

There are lots of juicy myths on various subjects like earthquake, eclipse, etc. in almost every nation; but the fact is that electricity myths are not jukes or fun, just a little mistake can cause of severe electrical shock, burn or even death!!

If you don’t sure or without advice from electrician, do not believe any myth on electricity. To know the fact contact your nearest electricity utility company or any electrical professional or electrician.

Our post on electricity myth and fact may not be juicy or folky but will give you some important information that will help to use safe electricity as well as save your electricity.

Myths and Facts on Electrical Safety

Myth: Power lines are insulated, no chance to shock.                               

Fact: Most of the powerlines are not insulated and insulated powerlines also can be lost their insulation any time very easily.

Myth: This line is safe because it is not a high voltage line.

Fact: Actually high voltage is not required to kill anyone, ampere flowing through the body is enough to kill. Our house using about 100 ampere where the 1-ampere shock is enough to fatal heart irregularities.

Myth: Birds landing on electric wires, so wires are safe to touch.

Fact: No, Birds touching an only live wire and not touching any ground path to complete the circuit, that’s why birds are not electrifying.

Myth: The fallen conductor is shut off, no electricity presence.

Fact: Not true always, if it is fallen on poor conductive materials like dry earth or grasses, bitumen etc.

Myth: Live conductor make sparks; so no spark fallen wire is safe.

Fact: Actually sparks happen where there is loos contact, with firm contact sparks not happen.

Myth: As the ladder is not metallic, so it can rest on live electric line.

Fact: No, If you don’t know the material property and hazard risk level, don’t use ladder rest on powerline.

Myth: Bamboo and wood are not conductors.

Fact: Actually dry bamboo and wood are poor conductors, but witty or green bamboo and wood are conductive that may cause severe shock.

Myth: Rubber is an insulator, so rubber gloves and shoes are safe to touch electricity.

Fact: Only 100% pure rubber or especially electrical insulation type rubber is a good insulator, otherwise typically mixed materials used rubber gloves or shoes are not a good insulator.

Myth: Trimming the tree and touching on electric line for a short moment of time is not dangerous.

Fact: No, never do this. Call the nearest power utility department.

Myth: Digging a sallow/ few deep in the ground, no chance to reach an underground cable.

Fact: Underground cable may be in an upper layer than you are thinking, take advice from professional.

Myth: Electric shock become only for touching the live wire, close to it is no danger.

Fact: Closed to high voltage live line is as a danger as touching. Current can jump or arc. Keep a safe distance from the electric line always, at least 3 meters. 

This is not a myth

Myths and Facts on Electric Bill

Myth: It takes more energy to turn on the switch for the light bulb or fan, so better to keep it on to save the electricity bill.

Fact: No! there is no extra electricity used to switch ON/OFF. Turning the light/fan off saves the electricity consumes. Appliances consume a small amount of energy while on standby mode, better to unplug/switch off.

Myth: Keeping the AC running the whole day in the high setting is better than running at end of the day while the room is heated, this way saves energy.

Fact: Not a wise decision, cooling the hot room down takes less energy than running the AC the whole day in any setting.

Myth: The same device takes more energy in the 240V system than the 110V system.

Fact: No, the energy measured by a unit in watts comes from the multiplication of voltage and current. In an electrical system power/watt is always the same, if the voltage increases the current decreases proportionally and vice-versa. So, wattages remain the same and so does the cost.

Myth: Faulty wiring is the cause of paying more electric bills than that used.

Fact: Yes, if the wiring system with small leakage that will not lead your line to shut off, but some leakage current always passes out from the circuit even all the switches, that you have not used but counted on the energy meter for billing at end of the month.

Myth: Mis-wiring or using undersized wire causes more electric bills.

Fact: Yes, using undersized cable in house wiring is cause to pay more electric bill than that used. If the cable/wire size is not enough to carry the current safely, the wire becomes heated, and extra electrical energy uses as dissipated heat energy is the cause of the extra electric bill. 

Sponsored:

What is Electricity Kite?

Franklin wrote an article for the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1752, an article that tried to prove theoretically the existence of electricity. Franklin chooses a cloudy and stormy day to do his experiment, flying a kite to reach near lightning. Franklin's kite was silken, complete with the lightning road, a key sagging on the end of the string. When lighting struck the Franklin kite volt traveled through the string and charged the metal key. Franklin touching the key got shocked and proved the existence of electricity.

Last Line: Enjoy the myths but remember the fact before coming near to electricity.