WARNING! - SHOCK HAZARD!
* What you need to know about shock hazards before work begins.
* Don't ignore the warning label on the back of your VCR.
* Any electrical appliance has the potential to give you a nasty shock when opened for service.
WARNING! - SHOCK HAZARD!
- What you need to know about shock hazards before work begins.
- Don't ignore the warning label on the back of your VCR.
- Any electrical appliance has the potential to give you a nasty shock when opened for service.
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There are hazards when working with A.C. voltage line connected household electronics. The big hazard is the A.C. voltage
itself. Home electronics products are safe until the covers are removed for service. The 120 volts that was safe inside is now
dangerously exposed and this is what you have to watch out for.
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Fisrt of all, a VCR is one of the safest of all AC powered home gadgets to work on. Unlike a TV, which can zap you with over 25,000 volts,
even when it's unplugged; and because of the picture tube, there is also an implosion hazard. A microwave oven is 10 times as dangerous as a TV!
A VCR on the other hand, will almost never shock you when it's unplugged and the most you can ever get when it is plugged in, is only 120 volts.
But never forget, under ideal conditions it can still kill..!
This page is not intended to scare you, but inform you of the danger and give you an excellent defense against it. The strategy is based on
the following: IDENTIFYING THE DANGER - The one place in a VCR where a major shock hazard exists is
on the 120 volt power cord as it enters the unit and connects to a small, close by circuit board. At the circuit board connection point, it will
usually go an inch or two through a fuse to a power transformer. THIS IS THE SPOT YOU WANT TO AVOID AT ALL TIMES.
Some VCRs have a metal cage or plastic to prevent you from accidentally contacting this area. You should make it a habit to locate this spot
every time you take the cover off before plugging it in. The power transformer effectively isolates the rest of the VCR from dangerous shock.
The number of connections with dangerous voltage is actually very small. For extra safety, you may want to take some electrical tape and cover
these points (be sure it's unplugged first). It may sound like overkill, but I can't emphasize enough, how important it is to know where this
spot is and to avoid it. If you can do that, you can fix it safely.
This is not just for VCRs, virtually anything that plugs into the wall has the same or greater hazards.
Nearly all homes made the last 35 years also have GFCI outlets in bathrooms and outdoor electrical outlets. The GFCI senses the electricity and
shuts off IMMEDIATELY if something is wrong. You can tell if your home has one by looking at the outlet
and seeing if it has a push-to-test button and a reset button on it. Other outlets may be daisey chained off the GFCI outlet, extending
protection to them. To find out if a certain outlet is GFCI protected, plug something like a lamp or radio into the outlet and turn it on. Then
press the push-to-test button on the main GFCI outlet. If the power goes off on the outlet you are testing, it is GFCI protected. If practical,
it may not be a bad idea to run a short extension cord from a GFCI outlet to your repair bench temporarily and plugging your VCR into it. Please
check local electrical codes first.
If your home does not have GFCI outlets, they are very inexpensive. Most hardware stores have them for as little as $6 each. An electrician can
inexpensively install one for you.
Additional guidelines would include:
- don't wear metal jewelry or metal watchbands while working
- don't work around dangerous voltages if you have a heart condition
- don't work alone
- don't work under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- don't work if you are tired
- always wear insulated shoes
Saftey Advice
www.fletchersite.com
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