Dos and Donts in Electronic Appliances

Concept
Fuse Box
FUSES ARE SAFETY GADGETS designed to cut off electric power when there is trouble in a
particular circuit.
Fuse boxes explained
A fusebox, now more commonly known as a consumer unit, should be easy to find and is
where the electricity in your home is controlled and distributed.
Its important that you know where your fusebox is in case you ever need to turn the electricity off
in an emergency. It contains three things the main switch, fuses and/or circuit breakers, and
Residual Current Devices.
A) Main Switch this allows you to turn off the electricity supply to your home. You might have
more than one mains switch, for example if your home has electric storage heaters. In this case you
may have a separate fusebox.
B) Residual Current Devices (RCD) these are switches that trip a circuit under dangerous
conditions, and instantly disconnect the electricity.
For more on RCDs please
C) Circuit Breakers these are automatic protection devices in the fusebox that switch off a circuit
if they detect a fault. They are similar in size to fuses, but give more precise protection. When they
trip, you can simply reset the switch. But make sure you correct the fault first.
Fuses (may be found in place of circuit breakers) rewirable fuses have a piece of special fuse wire
running between two screws. When a fault or overload current flows through the fuse wire, it will
become hot and melt. The melted fuse breaks the circuit, disconnecting the faulty circuit and
keeping you safe.
If your fusebox has a wooden back, cast iron switches, or a mixture of fuses it is likely that it dates
back to before the 1960s and will need to be replaced.

Dos Donts
Check if enclosure is sealed Replace the fuse with current flowing
Ensure that the fuse is tightly fitted Replace the fuse with different ampere
rating
Use flashlight when replacing the fuse Use metal objects when replacing the fuse
Use multimeter or live wire indicator Replace fuse barefooted

Extension Cords
Extension Cords are a basic example of a parallel circuit connection commonly used for house hold
appliances but can also be used on other applications.
According to Ask The Builder's Tim Carter, electrical cords are made by encasing conducting wire
(usually copper) of differing gauge in rubber. These wires conduct voltage from a wall socket
through the cord's prong end to the socket end. Along the way, it keeps the circuit flowing through
whatever appliance happens to be attached.
It's important to note that cord length, wire gauge and distance all contribute to the quality of
electricity that an appliance happens to receive.
Electrical circuit overloads happen when more amperage is put across an electrical wire or circuit than
it can handle. For instance, a #14 wire can safely carry 15 amps and should be protected by a 15-amp
breaker. If it happens to get connected to a 20-amp breaker instead, the breaker will allow 20 amps of
current to flow through a wire that can only handle 15 amps. The wire and breaker start to heat up
and could cause start an electrical fire.



Dos Donts
Check for damages Pull the cord
Place the wire path away from heat and
water
Place wires on or near cloth or rags
Use heavy duty wires and plugs Use as permanent wiring
Properly wound the wire before storing it Use octopus wirings

Light bulbs and fluorescent lights
1. An incandescent bulb uses heat caused by an electrical current. When electrical current
passes through a wire, it causes the wire to heat. The wire, or filament, gets so hot that it
glows and gives off light. Everydayincandescent light bulbs have a filament made of
tungsten.

2. In a CFL, an electric current is driven through a tube containing argon and a small amount
of mercury vapor. This generates invisible ultraviolet light that excites a fluorescent coating
(called phosphor) on the inside of the tube, which then emits visible light.
3. CFLs need a little more energy when they are first turned on, but once the electricity starts
moving, use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. A CFLs ballast helps
"kick start" the CFL and then regulates the current once the electricity starts flowing.
4. This entire process typically takes 30 seconds to 3 minutes to complete, which is why CFLs
take longer than other lights to become fully lit. CFLs with decorative covers like globe or
reflector shapes have a unique design challenge that results in the tradeoff of a slower
warm up time, which is why these CFLs take longer than bare spirals to reach full
brightness.

Dos Donts
Clean the case once in a while Leave it open when not used
Check if wattage is appropriate for the task Play with the switch
Use LED or CFL lights Avoid contact with mercury leak

Flash light and Emergency lights
How do all these flashlight parts work together?
When the switch of a flashlight is pushed into the ON position, it makes contact between two contact strips, which
begin a flow of electricity, powered from the battery. The batteries are connected in such a way that electricity (flow of
electrons) runs between the positive and negative electrodes of the battery. The batteries rest atop a small spring that
is connected to a contact strip. The contact strip runs down the length of the battery case and makes contact with one
side of the switch. There is another flat contact strip on the other side of the switch, which runs to the lamp (light
bulb), providing an electrical connection. There is another part connected to the lamp that makes contact with the
positive electrode of the top battery, thus completing the circuit to the lamp and completing the generation of
electricity.
When activated by electricity, the tungsten filament or LED in the lamp begins to glow, producing light that is visible.
This light reflects off of the reflector that is positioned around the lamp. The reflector redirects the light rays from the
lamp, creating a steady beam of light, which is the light you see emitting from the flashlight. A clear lens covers the
lamp on your flashlight so that the glass on the lamp does not get broken.
When the flashlight switch is then pushed into the OFF position, the two contact strips are physically moved apart and
the path for the electrical current is broken, thus ending the production of light, and turning your flashlight off.
All of the above parts must be connected and in place in order for the portable flashlight to work. Otherwise, you have
an open circuit and the electricity will not flow.

Dos Donts
Store your flashlight in a dry, cool location
that's convenient and easy to reach in an
emergency or power outage.
Store your flashlight in high
temperatures. This could accelerate
defects in your flashlight, including
possible battery leakage.
Replace the batteries in your flashlight or
lantern every few months if it isn't used for
extended periods of time. This insures that it
has fresh, working batteries and prevents
battery leakage.

Open batteries
Keep flashlights stored in multiple locations in
your house and car in a cabinet or drawer,
near your bed, and in your glove compartment
in case of emergencies.
Overcharge batteries
Reverse the polarity

LED light as live wire indicator








Parts:

1. An LED - 5mm or 10 mm of any colour
2. A diode, preferably 1N 4007
3. A resistor of 1 watt rating, of value anywhere from 20 kilo ohms upto 100 kilo
ohms.
4. A two pin male plug (hollow)

Lower resistor values will give more brightness and higher values will prolong
LED life. So choose the tradeoff, depending on requirement.

Lower wattage of resistor like 1/2 watt or lower will not do and may burn since
they are meant for 6v DC circuits, not for 220v AC Mains.

Assembly:

1. Connect black anode of diode to negative of the led.
2. connect the resistor to the positive of the LED.
3. Connect the free ends of the diode and resistor to the male pins.

Done. See the attached pic for clarity.

Another circuit with the diode connected "across" the LED is also attached. A
bulb base adaptor is used instead of a male pin.

It should work on 110v AC as well as 220v AC Mains systems.

DC Feature:

It will also work on any battery!!

Methodology
Introduce the item
Basic introduction of the appliance, what are the key components and how it works
Dos and Donts
After an introduction about the appliance, we now tell the dos and donts when using the appliance.
Gather insights
Ask the students what they understood and learned from the lesson
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4739776_extension-cord-work.html
https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls_about