Alan2005

Iron's don't typically have on/off switches (not that I would know as I don't bother with it)

JonboyE

It might be worth checking with the manufacturer. Some amps that seem to be single voltage can be used on 110V just by changing a fuse. Unfortunately, I don't know how or why or which ones.

Aviator

So then you would not leave it plugged into a wall socket all the time would you?

Alan2005

No - i never plug the thing in.

Aviator

So the only load would be on your arm when you move it out of the way to get to he cookie tin?

Alan2005

Well yes. My clothes go un-ironed.

There's always a spark when you make a connection if the power is high enough (it's not the voltage per se, i.e you plenty of sparks from a 12v car battery). The difference with electrical sockets that have switches is that the sparking happens out of sight.

Novocastrian

This is total balderdash. Perhaps your father was having a little joke at the expense of the family's weakest link?

fledermaus

I can tell you that Canadian electricity gives you quite an oomph if you are touching the plug connectors when you push the plug into the outlet. I don't do this anymore.

Steve_P

I would hope not.

I hope you weren't doing it deliberately in the first instance.

There are less dangerous ways to curl your hair.

fledermaus

No, not deliberately though there are days when it seems like a good plan. I was lying on the floor under the bed trying to plug the extension cable in. My finger hit the connector and the electricty hit me. Rather unpleasant but very luckily no lasting damage

jerry brewer

Hi
Maybe it's a BC thing,
But in the houses we have been in the front rooms have sockets covered by a switch, very handy for things like lamps etc..
Likewise the local council, will issue permits for '240v' sockets in the house.( apparently a lot of brits request them)

As to 'The higher the load the greater the spark', I tend to agree, try 'plugging' in an a item turned on with a 10A draw then try one with a 50A draw, the spark will be bigger..

Some 240 only equipment does work here, i.e. chargers, but they take longer to charge, and my boys scalextric set states 240v only but it works OK and has been for 3 yrs..
cheers
jerry ( where's the snow...)

Novocastrian

No. The breakdown voltage of dry air at STP is about 33kV/cm. So, at 240V you might get a spark about 0.08 mm long on plugging something turned on in. At 120V, it'd be half as long.

When unplugging a turned on device, surface imperfections on the contacts could cause a discharge (more likely to happen at 240V than 120V and independent of the current draw, i.e. independent of load at constant V), and this discharge, once established, could extend to larger scale lengths due to ionization of air providing a reduced resistance pathway once the spark is established.

NotTooShabby

I have also witnessed sparks when plugging things in. Also noticed the lights dimming when turning on the vacuum cleaner or hair dryer. Agree entirely about dodgy foreign electrics. Those stupid wire nuts would never be allowed in a civilised country.

Alan2005

More likely? Shorting a battery of any voltage will generate a spark which kind of indicates that load is a factor.

Novocastrian

Why?

Don't get confused with car batteries, which have an inductance (an autotransformer) in the circuit.