if a 48V battery can be lethal, how about a 40V panel?
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MichaelK
Solar Wizard
Well, my solar strings are 8A at 120VDC, and I'm still here.
A 9V battery can kill under the right conditions…
But modest safety measures and panels can be dealt with… if you are worried about safety of voltage, your skills need to be up to date to understand how to handle the wiring.
Solar panels have shielded connectors, as long as the wiring is complete before panels are connected, you should be safe.
Be safe.
But modest safety measures and panels can be dealt with… if you are worried about safety of voltage, your skills need to be up to date to understand how to handle the wiring.
Solar panels have shielded connectors, as long as the wiring is complete before panels are connected, you should be safe.
Be safe.
It is all about conditions.
No… mehdi has NEVER shorted 170VDC across his body. He has a lot of in depth training, and he does things for show to teach what not to do… 24V can cause muscle contraction 40V can burn…
When he touches the 170VDC, he is doing so with dry fingers, inside a conditioned space… on a circuit he designed. The circuit is not a solar panel, with continuous output. The circuit is not a battery… he designed the circuit to test pain from voltage.
Agree on the dry conditions. But it is continuous output. No difference then a battery or a few solar panels in series. He did touch 170V DC across his body.
A 9v battery can't hurt you as the 9v voltage is not enough to overcome the resistance even in wet skin. Yep. Just licked a 9v battery and not dead.
A 9v battery can't hurt you as the 9v voltage is not enough to overcome the resistance even in wet skin. Yep. Just licked a 9v battery and not dead.
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MurphyGuy
It just needs a bigger hammer
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48 volts is not considered dangerous unless some very special conditions exist, none of which you are likely to encounter.
You'd probably have to immerse yourself in salt water and attach special leads so the current flows through your heart...
My off grid system consists of a 48 volt (51 volt nominal) 25kWh lithium ion battery.. (see photo). There is no place in that cabinet that a human can touch that would harm them. I have trained my wife and 8 year old on how to start the system and, because all that shiny copper can be intimidating, had them touch all kinds of things while one hand was firmly grasping the negative terminal..
The only real hard rule is "No metal on your body".. No rings, no watches, new jewelry..
The human body, like all other things, has resistance that must be overcome in order for any appreciable current to flow. While there are some people who claim they can feel 48 volts from a battery, I think it is a rare phenomenon involving very few people with some kind of genetic abnormality. The other 99.99% of us has little to no chance of feeling a 48 volt circuit unless we are dripping in sweat (Salt water).. and even then, its only a slight tingle.
You'd probably have to immerse yourself in salt water and attach special leads so the current flows through your heart...
My off grid system consists of a 48 volt (51 volt nominal) 25kWh lithium ion battery.. (see photo). There is no place in that cabinet that a human can touch that would harm them. I have trained my wife and 8 year old on how to start the system and, because all that shiny copper can be intimidating, had them touch all kinds of things while one hand was firmly grasping the negative terminal..
The only real hard rule is "No metal on your body".. No rings, no watches, new jewelry..
The human body, like all other things, has resistance that must be overcome in order for any appreciable current to flow. While there are some people who claim they can feel 48 volts from a battery, I think it is a rare phenomenon involving very few people with some kind of genetic abnormality. The other 99.99% of us has little to no chance of feeling a 48 volt circuit unless we are dripping in sweat (Salt water).. and even then, its only a slight tingle.
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Thinking 48V isn’t deadly is unwise.
Thinking 48V isn’t deadly is unwise.
Next to melting stuff (and that can be done at 6V), please explain how 48V is deadly.
I can feel a 9 volt battery, its just a tingle. Do be aware that certain places on the human body have a much lower resistance than most skin areas, no im not talking about sensetive skin either. Most areas of the body are about 50k when measured with a 10 megohm input impedance DMM .but your acupressure points are very much lower impedance by a factor of 10 or more. I can easily identify my acupressure points with a fluke DMM, mine are about 5k ohms and some points especially those korean accupuncture points along the inside of the fingers are in the 2 k ohm range.
Ok so I must now reveal another of my studies....I have done TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) for 30+ years now including electro accupuncture and have followed its evolution into Russian Cosmodic medicine where modulated electrical pulses are fed into the body to promote healing using the chinese mapping of the body meridans. I can absolutely stun you at 80 volts pulsed at the right frequency at the right point. You will not ask for that again....The whole human body is electric...western medicine has not got that yet. maybe one day
So saying that i do have extensive experience in many fields of electricity I warn that touching a 300 volt solar panel array with the current flowing from one hand to the other hand will most likely kill you. Not maybe.....if the current flow goes through the heart you are done for. No if’s and’s of butts....300 volts at 40 ma is quite more than enough.
Have you ever gripped your solar panel connectors one in each hand and pulled them apart.....if so you are fooling with death. Just a bit of water in there, throw in a bit of sweat......Smart installers have blankets they place over solar panels when connecting array’s. I keep a dozen U haul padded blankets just for that.
I got nailed with about 450 volts DC hand to hand while servicing a radio transmitter. I had to take the day off.....My employer gave me the week off......I will never do that again.
I will let it go at that....DC is far deadlier than AC....its always on. Touching high voltage DC is a death wish.
Ok so I must now reveal another of my studies....I have done TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) for 30+ years now including electro accupuncture and have followed its evolution into Russian Cosmodic medicine where modulated electrical pulses are fed into the body to promote healing using the chinese mapping of the body meridans. I can absolutely stun you at 80 volts pulsed at the right frequency at the right point. You will not ask for that again....The whole human body is electric...western medicine has not got that yet. maybe one day
So saying that i do have extensive experience in many fields of electricity I warn that touching a 300 volt solar panel array with the current flowing from one hand to the other hand will most likely kill you. Not maybe.....if the current flow goes through the heart you are done for. No if’s and’s of butts....300 volts at 40 ma is quite more than enough.
Have you ever gripped your solar panel connectors one in each hand and pulled them apart.....if so you are fooling with death. Just a bit of water in there, throw in a bit of sweat......Smart installers have blankets they place over solar panels when connecting array’s. I keep a dozen U haul padded blankets just for that.
I got nailed with about 450 volts DC hand to hand while servicing a radio transmitter. I had to take the day off.....My employer gave me the week off......I will never do that again.
I will let it go at that....DC is far deadlier than AC....its always on. Touching high voltage DC is a death wish.
48V in many circumstances can cause your muscles to react badly, and can cause death.
Sure, under many conditions, it will be painless, and not even shock you. But, in the wrong conditions, it can kill.
Be safe. Do not be AFRAID of voltage, be conscious of dangers, and use proper safety procedures.
Short_Shot
Solar Addict
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*casually grounds a 100,000v van de graaff generator through 30x 9 year old kids holding hands*
As stated it's about the conditions involved.
A 9v battery could stop your heart or a 100kv charge could make your hair stand on end and cause a giggle.
The point is that a 48v battery or a 40v panel with the right conditions could be the last thing you ever experience and should be respected appropriately.
No matter the voltage you should go out of your way to prevent accidental contact.
As stated it's about the conditions involved.
A 9v battery could stop your heart or a 100kv charge could make your hair stand on end and cause a giggle.
The point is that a 48v battery or a 40v panel with the right conditions could be the last thing you ever experience and should be respected appropriately.
No matter the voltage you should go out of your way to prevent accidental contact.
Follow safe voltage handling practices, and if you are afraid, get a pro.
I am all about being safe. I am the one that keeps bring up the none-code complaint inverter installs Will is showing, and everyone on this form goes "It's DIY, nobody is expected to follow code when you DIY.".
But a 9V battery, at 9V can't hurt you unless you eat it.
48V does not cause muscle contraction. I have a 48V fork lift FLA battery. Yes I have been sweaty and leaned on a grounded frame and touched the positive while cleaning it. It feels like you put your finger into a tack, or a bad pin prick. That is is.
Under 50V is low risk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_voltage
Electroboom above shows him touching 170V and 300V DC. He is not dead as he is still making videos.
But a 9V battery, at 9V can't hurt you unless you eat it.
48V does not cause muscle contraction. I have a 48V fork lift FLA battery. Yes I have been sweaty and leaned on a grounded frame and touched the positive while cleaning it. It feels like you put your finger into a tack, or a bad pin prick. That is is.
Under 50V is low risk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_voltage
Electroboom above shows him touching 170V and 300V DC. He is not dead as he is still making videos.
12VoltInstalls
life passes by too quickly to not live in freedom
I recall when I worked at a major ski area:
DC volts and hydraulic injection were two areas where people are ignorant and constantly ignored safety meeting protocols.
DC volts and hydraulic injection were two areas where people are ignorant and constantly ignored safety meeting protocols.
With several thousand amps in a battery bank, working around it with no regard for safety, thinking it cannot harm you.
Damp conditions, sweaty body, jewelry in contact, debris falling around, weak heart conditions, jerking into sharp objects etc… the point is, ANY voltage can kill. Work safely.
Damp conditions, sweaty body, jewelry in contact, debris falling around, weak heart conditions, jerking into sharp objects etc… the point is, ANY voltage can kill. Work safely.
The fatter you are, the lower the risk to die from solar panel electrocution.
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Is 48V DANGEROUS? Under most circumstances, no. With proper shielding, and insulation, no. With proper safety procedures, no.
But THINKING IT CANNOT HURT YOU IS INSANITY…
But THINKING IT CANNOT HURT YOU IS INSANITY…
Rednecktek
Solar Wizard
Well as an electrician on the big container ships built in Asia I've dealt with (and been lit up with) quite a few voltage ranges in my time and I can say:
9vDC : Tastes tingly
12vDC: Can burn if you hit it wrong
24vDC: I have welded with, don't lick it
120vAC: tickles
220vAC: stings
440vAC: Hurts!
600vDC: New swear words!
Having said that, I take the same precautions with the 12v battery systems that I do with the 440v stuff I work on. Doing all the other wiring I can before applying power (lock out/tag out), body placement (don't cross the terminals), insulated tools, etc.
If you get good practices in place for dealing with AND RESPECTING electricity, it won't really matter what voltage you're working with.
9vDC : Tastes tingly
12vDC: Can burn if you hit it wrong
24vDC: I have welded with, don't lick it
120vAC: tickles
220vAC: stings
440vAC: Hurts!
600vDC: New swear words!
Having said that, I take the same precautions with the 12v battery systems that I do with the 440v stuff I work on. Doing all the other wiring I can before applying power (lock out/tag out), body placement (don't cross the terminals), insulated tools, etc.
If you get good practices in place for dealing with AND RESPECTING electricity, it won't really matter what voltage you're working with.
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