What happens if you accidently spray a 600V line with water ?

Question

the warer comes out of a rubber hose. does this prevent the power from being transmitted to the person holding the hose ? What if the person is wearing latex gloves ? or rubber boots ?

Answer 1

The thin rubber or plastic hose, with boots and gloves, may prevent it from grounding through you. I sure woundn't bet my life on it though. It also depends on the water. Most people don't know that pure water does not conduct electricity well at all. When iron or other trace minerals are in the water-- then it becomes a super good conductor. Thats why water and electricity are highly unpredicable.

Answer 2

Depends on the water. Pure water doesn't conduct electricity. Only when salts or other metals are dissolved in water will it conduct electricity. Electricity flows on the path of least resistance, to short curcuit a power line, you need to provide a better path than the powerline already has. So it a) has to be a continuous stream of water (unlikely at any great distance b/c air resistance breaks up the stream into smaller "balls" of water" and b) it has to be more conducive than the power line.

As far as rubber gloves or boots? It's a nice thought, but let me share something we did in my college physics class. We were playing with a Van de Graff generator, and there was a girl in the class with long straight black hair. The Prof wanted to make her hair stand up on end, so he had her stand in a plastic rubbermaid tub to better insulate her from the ground. It worked initially, but when she built up enough of a charge, she got hit by the biggest spark I have ever seen. It was three feet long miniature lightning bolt, and jumped from the ground, outside of the tub, and her in the back of the calf. I was standing behind her holding a heavy yard stick, and at she though I hit her with the stick.

Answer 3

You'll proabably pop the breaker. The currect will take the path of lowest resistance.

Answer 4

Don't try to find out by experimenting.