Safety Gloves?

[tomy2]

Looking for a link to gloves for hooking hi voltage panels together. Most the ones I see are so thick that you would lose all dexterity. Don't know how thick they have to be to avoid getting fried. Anyone use them and have a recomendation?

 

[timselectric]

No gloves needed. Because you shouldn't be connecting or disconnecting them under load.

 

[timselectric]

Keep disconnect off, until work is complete.

 

[RV10flyer]

I'm careful (no gloves) with the final MC4 connection during daylight hours, due to 376VDC OCV. Like Tim said, keep your PV Disconnect Off too, as some can backfeed and you won't get arcing upon completing your last connection or complete the circuit?. No current can flow through you unless you become the conductor between a Pv+ and PV-. Be careful measuring OCV on two or more panels wired in series. 90-100VDC doesn't feel good when your fingers touch the probe pins?. Better yet, make PV connections after dark. I have done that if timing works out.

 

[tomy2]

Keep disconnect off, until work is complete.

So if the disconnect is off, there is no power running in the wires between panels? I'm confused, if the sun is out, where does the power they are creating go when the disconnect is off?

 

[rodrick]

So if the disconnect is off, there is no power running in the wires between panels? I'm confused, if the sun is out, where does the power they are creating go when the disconnect is off?

If the sun is out there is power in the panel cables if you can’t hook them up at night tarp the panels to block the sun is a option dc voltage can be very dangerous when you go higher than standard 12 volt systems

 

[740GLE]

With the system open, there isn’t any power being generated only open circuit voltage.

Look up class 0, or class 00 gloves if you want some added protection from higher voltage. But yeah any electrical protection will take away dexterity.

Just imagine the work linemen accomplish with class 4 gloves (35kv rate), and yes some utilities require lineman glove 34.5kv lines.

 

[timselectric]

Current only flows in a completed circuit. If the disconnect is off, plugging panels together can't complete the circuit. The only way that you can get shocked is if you (your body) complete the circuit. A circuit is a circular connection coming from the source and returning back to the source.

 

[A.Justice]

Speaking from experience here, a pair of dry Crocs will electrically insulate you from ground. Just don't bump anything with another body part. ?

 

[Ampster]

There should be no exposed conductors on a MC4 connector. As mentioned earlier the worst risk of connecting them under load is the damage that the spark can do to the contacts.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

FWIW, for 6+ years I have worked on HEV batteries with resting voltages as high as 320VDC. I rarely wear any protection as dexterity is needed, and when I do, it's rarely more than 7mil nitrile gloves. There are certain cases where the batteries have high voltage where they shouldn't. In these cases, I always wear nitrile, but nothing more.

It's about understanding where the dangerous parts are, and how electricity flows. @timselectric summarized it nicely.

Electricity wants to return to the source (NOT ground). Stay out of its way. Don't be part of the path.

 

[SparkyJJO]

And don't work on this when tired or distracted. I might have an experience with the tired/distracted thing

 

[sunshine_eggo]

And don't work on this when tired or distracted. I might have an experience with the tired/distracted thing

This is an EXCELLENT point. My one close call was when I was hyper-fatigued and very foggy.

 

[timselectric]

And don't work on this when tired or distracted. I might have an experience with the tired/distracted thing

Been there done that, too many times.
The last thing I done, yesterday. At the end of a 13 hour day. Running on 1 hour of sleep, the night before. Was to start up the 500kw generator, and check all of my wiring. lol

 

[SparkyJJO]

I've zapped myself (lost count)
Hit myself on the head by accident (more than once)
Buried a utility blade into my thumb
Wrecked my shock absorber's pinch bolt when rebuilding my suspension on my truck
Ripped the top of the shock off on my other truck using an impact (dummy)
broken a water pipe (or two...)
dumped raw eggs on the floor
and punctured my beer

 

[RV10flyer]

I've zapped myself (lost count)
Hit myself on the head by accident (more than once)
Buried a utility blade into my thumb
Wrecked my shock absorber's pinch bolt when rebuilding my suspension on my truck
Ripped the top of the shock off on my other truck using an impact (dummy)
broken a water pipe (or two...)
dumped raw eggs on the floor
and punctured my beer

Oh jeez, not the beer. ?

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Been there done that, too many times.
The last thing I done, yesterday. At the end of a 13 hour day. Running on 1 hour of sleep, the night before. Was to start up the 500kw generator, and check all of my wiring. lol

That's a big generator...

 

[timselectric]

That's a big generator...

And very loud, inside a metal floating building. lol

 

[32 volt boater]

An electric shock is like a toe stubbing, you learn for a wile to be careful.

I am a fan of safety glasses when messing with electric that can send a spark at my eye if I mess up.

Also one time I had a lead acid battery explode. I was starting a riding mower and the terminal by the missing vent tube was loose sparked off that H-O gas, louder then a backfire what the heck was that ? The top corner of the battery blew off. Had a heathy fear of batteries after that.

 

[A.Justice]

And don't work on this when tired or distracted. I might have an experience with the tired/distracted thing

Or drinking alcohol. It's disturbing to me how normalized drinking while tinkering has become.