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House circuit security?

Pexy

Feb 21, 2016
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Hy guys I caused a short circuit 3 times today when I tryed to fix a snaped cable pin conector with a new one. There are suposed to be black, blue and yelow/green(Europe style) wiers comeing from the device. But in my case there was 2 black and 1 blue so i guessed wrong 3 times and caused the main switch (feed fuse i think it's called) to go off and my parents weren''t verry happy about it. So is it possible to install something like that main swich(main fuse, feed fuse or what's it called) in my room that would cut of the power just in my room insted of the whole house when i short something out to keep the parents happy.
Thanks
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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If you need to guess, call an electrician.
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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if you need to guess *anything* with mains wiring.
 

Pexy

Feb 21, 2016
142
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if you need to guess *anything* with mains wiring.
I don't. All I need is to know if there is something i can install in my room that would cut off the power in my room if i cause a short circuit.
And if you have so little trust in me I will call an electrician, but thanks anyway.
 

ChosunOne

Jun 20, 2010
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I'm with *steve* on one point: If you don't have a good understanding of mains power wiring, you shouldn't be working with it. But you might have a way to plug a module into your outlet, without messing with the mains wiring.

Most homes in North America now have circuit breakers instead of fuses for the mains power. Fuses are fusible links, components that used strips/wires of a metal that melts quickly when it is heated with too much current. Fuses must be replaced when they melt. Circuit breakers can be reset instead of replaced.

So I don't know if we're working with a mis-translation, or if the mains in your country still uses fuses. I'm a little out of date, but last time I was in Europe, not all mains systems were alike. I'm pretty sure, for example, that the older parts of Sevilla in España still use 115V instead of the 220V used in the newer parts. I've been gone too long to know if they upgraded from fuses to circuit breakers.
((I certainly hope so. Circuit breakers are harder to bypass by careless people. Last time I was in Seville, staying in my friend's apartment, a fuse kept blowing---so his best friend helpfully showed him how to bridge the fuse clamps with a butter knife. I pitched a fit and made him take it out; then tracked the problem to inside an electric iron that had managed to get a screw caught between the terminals of the OFF/ON switch. I probably prevented a building fire that day.))


Anyway, someone having your problem in North America might be able to use a power strip, like these, that have their own circuit breaker.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...r+strip.TRS0&_nkw=power+strip+outlet&_sacat=0

I don't know if power strips are available in Croatia. You can search for that easier than I can. If they are, the power strip's circuit breaker might not pop open before your mains fuse blows (or before your mains circuit breaker pops open), but it's worth a try.

One other thing: If you can, work on your connectors with the power off, and test for shorts before you plug it back in. If you don't have a multimeter, it's a worthwhile investment.

EDIT: I just checked online and found there is a "European power strip" (with built-in circuit breaker), so I guess the electrical mains are more standardized than when I was there. Don't ask, it's depressing to me to think of how long it's been. :eek:
 
Last edited:

Pexy

Feb 21, 2016
142
Joined
Feb 21, 2016
Messages
142
I'm with *steve* on one point: If you don't have a good understanding of mains power wiring, you shouldn't be working with it. But you might have a way to plug a module into your outlet, without messing with the mains wiring.

Most homes in North America now have circuit breakers instead of fuses for the mains power. Fuses are fusible links, components that used strips/wires of a metal that melts quickly when it is heated with too much current. Fuses must be replaced when they melt. Circuit breakers can be reset instead of replaced.

So I don't know if we're working with a mis-translation, or if the mains in your country still uses fuses. I'm a little out of date, but last time I was in Europe, not all mains systems were alike. I'm pretty sure, for example, that the older parts of Sevilla in España still use 115V instead of the 220V used in the newer parts. I've been gone too long to know if they upgraded from fuses to circuit breakers.
((I certainly hope so. Circuit breakers are harder to bypass by careless people. Last time I was in Seville, staying in my friend's apartment, a fuse kept blowing---so his best friend helpfully showed him how to bridge the fuse clamps with a butter knife. I pitched a fit and made him take it out; then tracked the problem to inside an electric iron that had managed to get a screw caught between the terminals of the OFF/ON switch. I probably prevented a building fire that day.))


Anyway, someone having your problem in North America might be able to use a power strip, like these, that have their own circuit breaker.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...r+strip.TRS0&_nkw=power+strip+outlet&_sacat=0

I don't know if power strips are available in Croatia. You can search for that easier than I can. If they are, the power strip's circuit breaker might not pop open before your mains fuse blows (or before your mains circuit breaker pops open), but it's worth a try.

One other thing: If you can, work on your connectors with the power off, and test for shorts before you plug it back in. If you don't have a multimeter, it's a worthwhile investment.

EDIT: I just checked online and found there is a "European power strip" (with built-in circuit breaker), so I guess the electrical mains are more standardized than when I was there. Don't ask, it's depressing to me to think of how long it's been. :eek:
Thanks i will look it up. My house was built 18years ago and it has the circuit breaker system in it. Also now I know how's it called.
 

ChosunOne

Jun 20, 2010
480
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480
Glad I could help.
I've had to operate in a few foreign languages myself and I know how difficult it can be to find a word that's not used in normal "socializing" language. A few years ago, I was in Costa Rica and needed to buy a soldering iron downtown (without access to Google Translate)--I've spoken Spanish for almost 50 years (Spent a few years in Spain decades ago), but this was the first time I was doing any electronics work on the local market, and I had never learned electronic terms beyond "pilas/batteries". I had to describe its function to a friend and he told the word for it (cautín in Costa Rican dialect). You really need a helping hand when you're working in a foreign language. I did.
 

Pexy

Feb 21, 2016
142
Joined
Feb 21, 2016
Messages
142
Glad I could help.
I've had to operate in a few foreign languages myself and I know how difficult it can be to find a word that's not used in normal "socializing" language. A few years ago, I was in Costa Rica and needed to buy a soldering iron downtown (without access to Google Translate)--I've spoken Spanish for almost 50 years (Spent a few years in Spain decades ago), but this was the first time I was doing any electronics work on the local market, and I had never learned electronic terms beyond "pilas/batteries". I had to describe its function to a friend and he told the word for it (cautín in Costa Rican dialect). You really need a helping hand when you're working in a foreign language. I did.
Cool story I get u now. Hahaha
 
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