Comments on: Progress on the blue canary night light project http://virtuallyshocking.com/2009/08/25/progress-on-the-blue-canary-night-light-project/ Not actually all that shocking. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:19:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: TMBG http://virtuallyshocking.com/2009/08/25/progress-on-the-blue-canary-night-light-project/comment-page-1/#comment-75191 TMBG Sun, 30 May 2010 23:44:52 +0000 http://virtuallyshocking.com/?p=1399#comment-75191 A blue canary in the outlet by the lightswitch!!!! A blue canary in the outlet by the lightswitch!!!!

]]> By: David Bourn http://virtuallyshocking.com/2009/08/25/progress-on-the-blue-canary-night-light-project/comment-page-1/#comment-74655 David Bourn Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:46:43 +0000 http://virtuallyshocking.com/?p=1399#comment-74655 The night-light looks awesome! Are you making different colors? Your electrical experience sounds exciting although it was not virtually shocking... The wife is like mine and usually much smarter about things like that... similar to when I had sparks shooting out of a wall that I was cutting through with a saw-zall... Anyway good job! --dwb The night-light looks awesome! Are you making different colors? Your electrical experience sounds exciting although it was not virtually shocking… The wife is like mine and usually much smarter about things like that… similar to when I had sparks shooting out of a wall that I was cutting through with a saw-zall… Anyway good job!

–dwb

]]> By: Brock Tice http://virtuallyshocking.com/2009/08/25/progress-on-the-blue-canary-night-light-project/comment-page-1/#comment-74654 Brock Tice Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:44:36 +0000 http://virtuallyshocking.com/?p=1399#comment-74654 Maria, sure lots of things, but I do frequently pick up little projects and whatnot. Kind of kills the electrophysiology focus of the blog, but so be it. Thanks for the compliment! Maria, sure lots of things, but I do frequently pick up little projects and whatnot.

Kind of kills the electrophysiology focus of the blog, but so be it. Thanks for the compliment!

]]> By: Maria http://virtuallyshocking.com/2009/08/25/progress-on-the-blue-canary-night-light-project/comment-page-1/#comment-74653 Maria Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:29:07 +0000 http://virtuallyshocking.com/?p=1399#comment-74653 Leaving the sparks part aside, is there anything you *don't* do??? (Beautiful night light. Lucky daughter.) Leaving the sparks part aside, is there anything you *don’t* do??? (Beautiful night light. Lucky daughter.)

]]> By: Brock Tice http://virtuallyshocking.com/2009/08/25/progress-on-the-blue-canary-night-light-project/comment-page-1/#comment-74652 Brock Tice Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:18:37 +0000 http://virtuallyshocking.com/?p=1399#comment-74652 OK, so my house has metal junction boxes, and the old switch was the normal kind, pretty narrow. The new one is a bit wider, having the receptacle and all. When I put the new one in, I noticed that one of the hot screws was pretty close to the side of the junction box, but it looked like it had clearance, and I figured it was normal. After all, it's a normal-sized box. So I closed everything up, turned on the breaker, and no problems. That is, until I started switching the light on and off to test something. I guess at some point my flipping the switch wiggled the assembly such that the screw touched the side, because it made a buzzing noise and sparks shot out from between the outlet and the faceplate. At this point I figured the breaker must have flipped, but the light was still on. So stupid as I am, I tried flipping the switch again with the same results. Finally I went downstairs (at the urging of my much smarter wife) and turned the breaker off. There's now a nice layer of electrical tape between that screw and the junction box, and a scorch mark inside the box as a testament to my mistake. Now I see why they've started making junction boxes out of plastic. OK, so my house has metal junction boxes, and the old switch was the normal kind, pretty narrow. The new one is a bit wider, having the receptacle and all.

When I put the new one in, I noticed that one of the hot screws was pretty close to the side of the junction box, but it looked like it had clearance, and I figured it was normal. After all, it’s a normal-sized box. So I closed everything up, turned on the breaker, and no problems.

That is, until I started switching the light on and off to test something. I guess at some point my flipping the switch wiggled the assembly such that the screw touched the side, because it made a buzzing noise and sparks shot out from between the outlet and the faceplate. At this point I figured the breaker must have flipped, but the light was still on. So stupid as I am, I tried flipping the switch again with the same results. Finally I went downstairs (at the urging of my much smarter wife) and turned the breaker off.

There’s now a nice layer of electrical tape between that screw and the junction box, and a scorch mark inside the box as a testament to my mistake. Now I see why they’ve started making junction boxes out of plastic.

]]> By: Pottle http://virtuallyshocking.com/2009/08/25/progress-on-the-blue-canary-night-light-project/comment-page-1/#comment-74650 Pottle Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:09:30 +0000 http://virtuallyshocking.com/?p=1399#comment-74650 Come on, Brock. You KNOW that if you post a teaser about a story, you really want to tell it. Spin the yarn; everyone will feel better. The nightlight looks great. I want one, just for atmosphere or something. Come on, Brock. You KNOW that if you post a teaser about a story, you really want to tell it. Spin the yarn; everyone will feel better.

The nightlight looks great. I want one, just for atmosphere or something.

]]> By: craig bonsignore http://virtuallyshocking.com/2009/08/25/progress-on-the-blue-canary-night-light-project/comment-page-1/#comment-74649 craig bonsignore Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:00:11 +0000 http://virtuallyshocking.com/?p=1399#comment-74649 detailed instructions on flamethrowing combo switches, please! detailed instructions on flamethrowing combo switches, please!

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