Electrical Safety
92 episodes · Page 2 of 4
#5330: Who Actually Works on a Live 765kV Line?
Helicopter barehand work on a 765kV line is the top few percent of the trade — here's who gets there, and what it costs.
#5325: Selfie Sticks vs Drone Law: The 10-Meter Limit
A camera on a 10-meter pole isn't a drone — legally. But physics, power lines, wind, and police discretion all push back.
#5235: Wiring Smart Patio Lights Through Home Assistant
Picking a Zigbee RGB controller is the easy part — sizing the power supply and keeping mains water out is where patio lighting projects live or die.
#5125: Why Your Cordless Tool Dies While Plugged In
Power path management explained — why your Dremel can't charge and run at the same time, and what it would take to fix it.
#5112: AC vs. DC: What Actually Happens When You Get Shocked?
Voltage isn't what kills you. Current is. Here's what really happens when AC meets the human body.
#5110: Carabiner Load Ratings: What Can They Really Hold?
Carabiners are stronger than you think—but the real risk isn't the hook breaking. We break down load ratings, gate design, and trust.
#5106: Why a Jackhammer Still Wins Against Acoustic Windows
A quiet room isn't quiet when the noise travels through the building itself. We break down why acoustic windows fail against low-frequency percussion.
#5096: Vacuum Engineering: When Industrial Machines Beat Consumer Gear
Why a $500 Bosch industrial vacuum outperforms a $700 Dyson — and what happens when you take construction-site gear home.
#5057: Solar Self-Consumption: Is the Grid-Free Model Real?
Can solar power your home directly, skipping the grid round trip? Yes — but it requires a hybrid inverter and a battery, plus a regulatory reality ...
#5023: The Three Machines Hiding in "Get a Small Vacuum
Dust, fume, and static are three different problems. One word — "vacuum" — can't solve them all.
#5015: Plugs vs. Water: What Actually Keeps You Safe
Why bathroom and outdoor outlets fail, and what actually works to keep both you and your gear safe.
#4978: Can Your Wall Scanner Actually Find Live Wires?
Most wall scanners can't reliably detect live AC wires. Here's what actually works.
#4964: How SDS Bits and Rotary Hammers Really Work
Why your hammer drill bounces off concrete while an SDS rotary hammer powers through.
#4954: What Actually Starts House Fires — The Data
Cooking causes 49% of home fires. But heating and electrical are the real killers. Here's why.
#4866: How Aircraft and Skyscrapers Survive Lightning Strikes
How do planes and buildings take million-volt hits and keep working? The engineering is surprisingly different.
#4551: Decoding the Cable Aisle: What All Those Specs Mean
Installation cable vs. flexible cord, H-codes, and why 1.5mm² is your DIY sweet spot. We decode the label.
#4489: Fixing Your Monitor's Death Whine
Can an amateur fix a failing monitor? The surprising answer is yes—with the right parts and safety know-how.
#4385: USB-C Charging Station for Your Tool Belt
Can you build a custom charging station for your tool belt? We break down the electrical engineering behind USB-C Power Delivery.
#4362: Batteries vs. Wired: Smart Home Security for Renters
Coin cell batteries die silently. Here’s how to wire Zigbee sensors to mains power in a rental apartment.
#4345: HVAC Balancing for Renters: Cardboard, Coils, and CFM
Can blocking vents actually help a hot bedroom? The physics of airflow, coil freeze risks, and what renters can actually do.
#4335: The Tape Drawer Is a Graveyard — What to Actually Own
Painter's tape, gaffer vs duct, VHB, Kapton, PTFE — which tapes to own and why cheap costs more.
#4294: How to Fill a 6U Comms Cabinet: Shelf, Fan, Cable Guide
Empty box, no shelves, no instructions. Here's how to actually fit a modem, mini PC, switch, and NAS into a shallow 6U cabinet.
#4285: The Middle-Voltage DC Field Guide
When to use 24V vs 48V DC, how to distribute it, and what hardware you'll need.
#4284: Kill the Wall-Warts: Centralized DC Power for Your Rack
Ditch the brick sprawl. One power supply, one distribution panel, and a huge efficiency gain for your homelab.