16-09-2015, 11:37 AM
(16-09-2015, 07:48 AM)ppppenguin Wrote: I've been trying and failing to find a report online where an electrician died from an arc flash incident cause by using a cheap DVM on 208V busbars in the USA. I know I've seen it before. OK, you are most unlikely to get arc flash on a domestic installation however daft youu are but cheap DVMs are still not really safe to use on mains.
I wonder if it was this one: http://ecmweb.com/arc-flash/case-deadly-arc-flash
It's the one I usually quote...
As you suggest, Nick's situation is a low-energy one, so no risk of arc flash. But still plenty of risk, of course. I'm wondering if I should edit the opening post to include a brief note pointing out that he did a low-voltage test - any thoughts?
If you'd like a nice example of what can happen to cheap meters, try this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEoazQ1zuUM
About 6 minutes in, they show what happens if you accidentally have the meter set to resistance rather than voltage. That's the sort of "human error" that happens in the real world, but with a decent meter, there's no problem.
