Re: HV accident (Ceiling strikes) (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 05 Aug 2007 18:38:22 +0000
From: Jeff Behary <jeff_behary@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: HV accident (Ceiling strikes) (fwd)

Hey Peter,

A strange story that everyone can relate to.  When I first started coiling, 
I was experimenting in a small room off of the garage of my parents house - 
6 x 8 feet or so.  I made small coils, and avoided hitting walls and 
ceilings/etc.

However, there was a porcelian socket on the far wall that contained a 
typical 60W light bulb.
This lamp had burned out, and being daylight I didn't notice it and the 
switch remained in the "on" position.  On firing up a small Tesla Coil, a 
"BAAAAAAAAAM" came from the lamp, the glass envelope of the lamp was blown 
across the small room, the filament posts melted and fused, and the base of 
the lamp was half-fused to the socket (and half missing), and the wall was 
blackened surrounding everything.  The coil was on the same line, and this 
all happened instantaneous to turning on the coil and having the gap fire 
for only a fraction of a second.  It was literally,"switch on the Tesla 
Coil, wall explodes, everything quiet".  Except of course for my parents 
when they came outside to see what happened.

The inert gas in the bulb ionised from the coil and caused a direct short, 
likely a lot more current in that short burst than the 20 amp line that fed 
the socket.   Had to replace the wiring, the socket, the lamp, a section of 
wall, and (very nearly) the pants I was wearing!

Jeff Behary, c/o
The Turn Of The Century Electrotherapy Museum
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com

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