Near death experience

**jmur5074** · 08-14-08, 05:04 AM

So, being as it was 3:30 in the morning, and I wasn't able to get to sleep, I figured "hey, I might as well fix the ice maker" The ice maker in my freezer hasn't turned over and pour the ice into the catch basin in about a week. It just stopped for no reason.

So I get my handy dandy tool kit, and get to work. I take the face off, revealing a bunch of electrical wires, a motherboard of some sort, a drive train looking thing that turns the ice tray over...you know, the usual from a fridge that's as old as I am.

There were 4 metal looking "switches" that said fill, turn, delay, and stop. I took my screwdriver and kinda dragged it across them, to, you know...check for electrical current. Nothing happened. So I pushed down on the "Fill" switch with the screwdriver, and what do you know, water poured into the already full ice tray. I thought "well, this is a start. I'm sure if I just push the "turn" switch down, the tray will turn and the ice will pour out. At least I'm getting the dynamics down."

SO....I push down on the "turn" switch, again, with my screwdriver.

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!! An electrical CRACK rang out, waking my sleeping dogs. A shower of sparks rained upon me, my hand went numb and involuntarily flew into the air, sending my screwdriver flying across the kitchen while a high pitched girlish scream filled the room, presumably from me because I was the only one there...but I can't be sure.

I'm no electrician but I don't think I should have done what I did.

Scared the shit outta me!

**jmur5074** · 08-14-08, 05:13 AM

Rereading my above post, I see there were SEVERAL red flags that, to a normal person, would indicate "STOP...YOU'RE BEING DUMB"

"Metal looking switches"
"I dragged my screwdriver across to check for electrical current"
"electrical wires" that are in close proximity to water and ice
"A mother board looking thing" when I have no experience with such hardware

**Hannah87** · 08-14-08, 05:18 AM

Couldn't help but giggle, but glad you're okay!

**mack** · 08-14-08, 05:26 AM

have a new respect for electricity huh?

sweetpea has an electric horse fence, I was filling the water tub one day and water from the hose hit the fence, holy crap did I get kissed! My dog came up to me when I was closing the electric gate one day and went to touch my hand with her nose but missed and hit the wire just as I connected the gate, I never heard a sound come out of an animal like what came out of my dog! She ran off and I couldn't catch up with her, she thought I did it. Poor thing got zapped again when she was running and got hit right in the mouth, ran right into the wire mouth first. Needless to say she hesitates whenever she gets near it. I won't even go into when we were training the dogs to the invisible dog fence.

**JAYBIRD33081** · 08-14-08, 05:33 AM

well jmur if you couldnt sleep before that then you sure as hell wernt going to sleep after that.

**jmur5074** · 08-14-08, 05:36 AM

Originally Posted by JAYBIRD33081

well jmur if you couldnt sleep before that then you sure as hell wernt going to sleep after that.

Yeah I know. I am trying to feel tired. Not working.

I have court at 9 am friday, and tonight is screwing me up, for friday morning.

**JAYBIRD33081** · 08-14-08, 05:37 AM

oh yea once them sleep patterns get messed up your a done deal.

**Autumn2009** · 08-14-08, 05:38 AM

Glad you're still alive, haha.

**jcsdscott** · 08-14-08, 06:05 AM

So jmur, are you the guy who whizzed on the electric fence?

**Buttercup** · 08-14-08, 07:25 AM

You were very lucky - but I did giggle while reading what happened.

**CTR man** · 08-14-08, 07:37 AM

So......are these new adventures as to the redneck way of being tased? I thought the taser would be enough but evidently not.

Glad to hear that you both are ok but damn, that had to smart.

Joining the club of those who can't sleep, I have been doing various things around the house and computer. It is now 0430 and I have to be at work at 0700, ugh!!!

**Big Al** · 08-14-08, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by jmur5074

Rereading my above post, I see there were SEVERAL red flags that, to a normal person, would indicate "STOP...YOU'RE BEING a DUMBASS"

You said it well

**gopherpuckfan** · 08-14-08, 09:32 AM

HAHA! Glad you're ok though man.

**Pudge** · 08-14-08, 09:48 AM

LMAO...!! Don't feel bad Jmur, I once had a similar dumbass moment.

A long time ago I worked for a local appliance store delivering and installing appliances. We got the contract for a senior retirement village and had to install all of the appliances for the apartments.

It was the end of the day on a Friday, we were on the very last apartment and wanted to get outta there. I'm hooking up the washer and dryer when I realize it looked like I ran out of dryer cords. I search the truck and find one not in the package. Rather than counting the prongs and comparing with the memory of the nine million other dryers I had installed that week I took it in to compare to the outlet......

You guessed it, without it being hooked to the dryer, I took that sucker and plugged it right into the 212 outlet. Man those were some pretty lights.

**Ace** · 08-14-08, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by jmur5074

So, being as it was 3:30 in the morning, and I wasn't able to get to sleep, I figured "hey, I might as well fix the ice maker" The ice maker in my freezer hasn't turned over and pour the ice into the catch basin in about a week. It just stopped for no reason.

So I get my handy dandy tool kit, and get to work. I take the face off, revealing a bunch of electrical wires, a motherboard of some sort, a drive train looking thing that turns the ice tray over...you know, the usual from a fridge that's as old as I am.

There were 4 metal looking "switches" that said fill, turn, delay, and stop. I took my screwdriver and kinda dragged it across them, to, you know...check for electrical current. Nothing happened. So I pushed down on the "Fill" switch with the screwdriver, and what do you know, water poured into the already full ice tray. I thought "well, this is a start. I'm sure if I just push the "turn" switch down, the tray will turn and the ice will pour out. At least I'm getting the dynamics down."

SO....I push down on the "turn" switch, again, with my screwdriver.

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!! An electrical CRACK rang out, waking my sleeping dogs. A shower of sparks rained upon me, my hand went numb and involuntarily flew into the air, sending my screwdriver flying across the kitchen while a high pitched girlish scream filled the room, presumably from me because I was the only one there...but I can't be sure.

I'm no electrician but I don't think I should have done what I did.

Scared the shit outta me!

Thats what saved your life right there. Glad you're ok...

**Second Chance** · 08-14-08, 11:00 AM

I hate electricity and really hate it when it isn't working...............lol. That twang that happens right before you get zapped. ouch.

**sweetpea** · 08-14-08, 11:12 AM

OMG!!! jmur LMAO but glad you are ok.

**MacLean** · 08-14-08, 12:23 PM

**Xiphos** · 08-14-08, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by mack

have a new respect for electricity huh?

sweetpea has an electric horse fence, I was filling the water tub one day and water from the hose hit the fence, holy crap did I get kissed! My dog came up to me when I was closing the electric gate one day and went to touch my hand with her nose but missed and hit the wire just as I connected the gate, I never heard a sound come out of an animal like what came out of my dog! She ran off and I couldn't catch up with her, she thought I did it. Poor thing got zapped again when she was running and got hit right in the mouth, ran right into the wire mouth first. Needless to say she hesitates whenever she gets near it. I won't even go into when we were training the dogs to the invisible dog fence.

One of our K9 teams was on a track here recently and both got tangled in an electric fence someone put up around their garden. Ouch!