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Posted by RBM on October 8, 2009, 4:53 pm
> Hi -
> I have a question about house electrical wiring. This is for a screenplay,
> so I don't need the details to be specific enough to do on my own, but I'm
> trying to write a scene as accurately as possible, and would love any
> descriptions you could provide.
> In the film, the power keeps going out in a house, with the the master
> breaker switch tripping. The main characters call in an electrician.
> What is the order in which he'd investigate the problem, and what sort of
> equipment would we likely to see him use? Assume that at each step,
> contrary to one's assumption, he does not find the problem, and has to go
> onto the next step.
> I.e.:
> 1) Checks breaker box with voltmeter. No problem there...
> 2) Checks outlets individually for short circuits,
> Etc.
> Finally, at what point would it start to get complicated?
> Thanks very much in advance. I hate when films get this sort of thing
> wildly wrong.
> Nick
If this is for a screenplay, you need to do what everyone else identifies
with, which seems to be a 60 amp double pole fuse disconnect. Then have him
hunt all over for a sizzling piece of lamp cord, and upon finding it, he
gets eaten by the creature
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Posted by Colbyt on October 8, 2009, 5:52 pm
> Hi -
> I have a question about house electrical wiring. This is for a screenplay,
> so I don't need the details to be specific enough to do on my own, but I'm
> trying to write a scene as accurately as possible, and would love any
> descriptions you could provide.
> In the film, the power keeps going out in a house, with the the master
> breaker switch tripping. The main characters call in an electrician.
> What is the order in which he'd investigate the problem, and what sort of
> equipment would we likely to see him use? Assume that at each step,
> contrary to one's assumption, he does not find the problem, and has to go
> onto the next step.
> I.e.:
> 1) Checks breaker box with voltmeter. No problem there...
> 2) Checks outlets individually for short circuits,
> Etc.
> Finally, at what point would it start to get complicated?
> Thanks very much in advance. I hate when films get this sort of thing
> wildly wrong.
> Nick
If you want drama you are going to need to get it wrong.
There is almost zero chance that any individual breaker could overload the
main.
It would take all the breakers in the box pulling about 50-80% of rated load
to do this. The individual circuits would trip long before they could trip
the main otherwise.If the breaker failed the wires would fry.
So if your alien is pulling power then it needs to be a distributed load
evenly across the individual circuits but exceeding the maximum load.
The most common cause of a main tripping would be a loose connection at the
pole or the panel or a bad main breaker.
So for fiction do it as you like.
Reply by email for where to mail my premier tickets. :)
--
Colbyt
Please come visit www.househomerepair.com
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Posted by windcrest on October 8, 2009, 6:29 pm
On Oct 8, 3:27=A0pm, nickcarr_at_gmail_dot_...@foo.com (3rdrate) wrote:
> Hi -
> I have a question about house electrical wiring. This is for a screenplay=
,
> so I don't need the details to be specific enough to do on my own, but I'=
m
> trying to write a scene as accurately as possible, and would love any
> descriptions you could provide.
> In the film, the power keeps going out in a house, with the the master
> breaker switch tripping. The main characters call in an electrician.
> What is the order in which he'd investigate the problem, and what sort of
> equipment would we likely to see him use? Assume that at each step,
> contrary to one's assumption, he does not find the problem, and has to go
> onto the next step.
> I.e.:
> 1) Checks breaker box with voltmeter. No problem there...
> 2) Checks outlets individually for short circuits,
> Etc.
> Finally, at what point would it start to get complicated?
> Thanks very much in advance. I hate when films get this sort of thing
> wildly wrong.
> Nick
The premise itself is wrong, main breaker tripping is highly unlikely
unless the main breaker itself is defective. Having the electrician
simply say something like this would suffice:
Scene...
A strapping young electrician is let in the door and led to the main
panel, he's wearing a tool belt, T shirt and jeans.
Electrician....
"Mamm, main breakers rarely ever trip unless the breaker itself is
defective, so I'll just replace the main breaker for you with a new
one. I measured all the branch loads and taken together they appear
to be within limit, so I think it has to be a defective main breaker
itself. Tell me, did anyone turn anything on the moment the main
breaker tripped?"
Housewife...
"Why no, nothing ever got 'turned on' around here lately, that's for
sure"
Electrician...
"Well looking at you, I find that hard to believe"
Housewife...
"Well sparky, its true, my husband and I have been mere roommates for
the last three years"
Electrician...
"OK, mamm the breaker is in, my company will send you an invoice. If
the problem re-occurs then this service call will be free and we will
try again to determine if the problem is more serious."
Housewife...
"You know sparky, thats a nice tool belt you have there, and looking
at how smoothly you inserted that breaker, I'll bet you're pretty good
with tools"
Electrician...
"Well mamm I do this all day, wish they were all this easy"
Housewife...
"Speaking of easy..."
etc....
Hope this helps
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Posted by Colbyt on October 8, 2009, 8:57 pm
On Oct 8, 3:27 pm, nickcarr_at_gmail_dot_...@foo.com (3rdrate) wrote:
> Hi -
> I have a question about house electrical wiring. This is for a screenplay,
> so I don't need the details to be specific enough to do on my own, but I'm
> trying to write a scene as accurately as possible, and would love any
> descriptions you could provide.
> In the film, the power keeps going out in a house, with the the master
> breaker switch tripping. The main characters call in an electrician.
> What is the order in which he'd investigate the problem, and what sort of
> equipment would we likely to see him use? Assume that at each step,
> contrary to one's assumption, he does not find the problem, and has to go
> onto the next step.
> I.e.:
> 1) Checks breaker box with voltmeter. No problem there...
> 2) Checks outlets individually for short circuits,
> Etc.
> Finally, at what point would it start to get complicated?
> Thanks very much in advance. I hate when films get this sort of thing
> wildly wrong.
> Nick
The premise itself is wrong, main breaker tripping is highly unlikely
unless the main breaker itself is defective. Having the electrician
simply say something like this would suffice:
Scene...
A strapping young electrician is let in the door and led to the main
panel, he's wearing a tool belt, T shirt and jeans.
Electrician....
"Mamm, main breakers rarely ever trip unless the breaker itself is
defective, so I'll just replace the main breaker for you with a new
one. I measured all the branch loads and taken together they appear
to be within limit, so I think it has to be a defective main breaker
itself. Tell me, did anyone turn anything on the moment the main
breaker tripped?"
Housewife...
"Why no, nothing ever got 'turned on' around here lately, that's for
sure"
Electrician...
"Well looking at you, I find that hard to believe"
Housewife...
"Well sparky, its true, my husband and I have been mere roommates for
the last three years"
Electrician...
"OK, mamm the breaker is in, my company will send you an invoice. If
the problem re-occurs then this service call will be free and we will
try again to determine if the problem is more serious."
Housewife...
"You know sparky, thats a nice tool belt you have there, and looking
at how smoothly you inserted that breaker, I'll bet you're pretty good
with tools"
Electrician...
"Well mamm I do this all day, wish they were all this easy"
Housewife...
"Speaking of easy..."
etc....
Hope this helps
ROTFLMAO
Colbyt
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Posted by DerbyDad03 on October 8, 2009, 8:52 pm
On Oct 8, 4:27=A0pm, nickcarr_at_gmail_dot_...@foo.com (3rdrate) wrote:
> Hi -
> I have a question about house electrical wiring. This is for a screenplay=
,
> so I don't need the details to be specific enough to do on my own, but I'=
m
> trying to write a scene as accurately as possible, and would love any
> descriptions you could provide.
> In the film, the power keeps going out in a house, with the the master
> breaker switch tripping. The main characters call in an electrician.
> What is the order in which he'd investigate the problem, and what sort of
> equipment would we likely to see him use? Assume that at each step,
> contrary to one's assumption, he does not find the problem, and has to go
> onto the next step.
> I.e.:
> 1) Checks breaker box with voltmeter. No problem there...
> 2) Checks outlets individually for short circuits,
> Etc.
> Finally, at what point would it start to get complicated?
> Thanks very much in advance. I hate when films get this sort of thing
> wildly wrong.
> Nick
re: I hate when films get this sort of thing wildly wrong.
You mean like the time on CSI when the construction worker got
electrocuted by a power tool and one of the investigators, holding the
plug in his hand said, "No wonder the GFI didn't save him. Somebody
cut off the grounding tab."?
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> I have a question about house electrical wiring. This is for a screenplay,
> so I don't need the details to be specific enough to do on my own, but I'm
> trying to write a scene as accurately as possible, and would love any
> descriptions you could provide.
> In the film, the power keeps going out in a house, with the the master
> breaker switch tripping. The main characters call in an electrician.
> What is the order in which he'd investigate the problem, and what sort of
> equipment would we likely to see him use? Assume that at each step,
> contrary to one's assumption, he does not find the problem, and has to go
> onto the next step.
> I.e.:
> 1) Checks breaker box with voltmeter. No problem there...
> 2) Checks outlets individually for short circuits,
> Etc.
> Finally, at what point would it start to get complicated?
> Thanks very much in advance. I hate when films get this sort of thing
> wildly wrong.
> Nick