6 Year Old Electrocuted by a 20 Amp Rigged Electrical Fence

[Junket]

Someone on the electrical forum I visit posted this.

[url]http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=9596894&nav=0RY5[/url]

[1averagejoe]

Why the hell would you set up a fence with that many amps?

I mean if it's to deter animals from entering your property you don't need much at all. It's all about high volts low amps. Enough to give them a shock but won't kill or injure.

I remember my neighbor set up a small wire across the top of his fence to keep cats from destroying his backyard. He plugged it into the wall but had it run off of an inverter so it would run on DC with a higher voltage and lower amperage.

We were young and stupid and actually touched the thing to see if it was real. My finger went numb for a few minutes.

It's sad that this happened though.

[Junket]

The guy was an idiot.

He either knows jack shit about electricity, and just hooked it up to the common 20 amp breaker in his panel.

Or just has a disregard for life and safety and wanted to fry anything that came in contact with it, rather than just deter.

[IndiReloaded]

What an asshole. This is why there are fence laws.

Stupid dick should have to pay a huge fine and do some jail time.

Ppl do stuff like this, tho. I had a neighbour whose buddy I found up our street pole one day (prob trying to steal cable). I asked him what he was doing & he told me to basically fcuk off.

I went and phoned the city right away & a truck came out. Guy took off. Neighbour was pissed but shrug. You don't mess w/shit like that, esp when its on shared property.

[Cbrider]

What an asshole. This is why there are fence laws.

Stupid dick should have to pay a huge fine and do some jail time.

Ppl do stuff like this, tho. I had a neighbour whose buddy I found up our street pole one day (prob trying to steal cable). I asked him what he was doing & he told me to basically fcuk off.

I went and phoned the city right away & a truck came out. Guy took off. Neighbour was pissed but shrug. You don't mess w/shit like that, esp when its on shared property.

Should have told him that if he grabbed both lines at the same time he would have an easier time hanging on.

That is very sad, 20 amps is way, way, way too much like others have said. Guy should be criminally charged...shouldn't have a fence up near children to start with.

The drama queen comment by the mother seemed a little off color in that article.

[IndiReloaded]

I think there's a lot of ignorance out there about things like electricity. "20" doesn't sound like much of anything to the average person, I bet.

Its funny, we are reasonably handy. I will do drywall, take apart drains, etc. But electricity just scares the shit out of me. And so much of it is done so shitty by do-it-ur-selfers. We basically gutted our house & had it professionally rewired to code+. It cost us thousands of $$, but it is worth it, I think.

[Aeradalia]

Hate to say it... but I've lived out in that area... and it's very, very common to overload the fences. Most will claim it's because the deer and such are too dumb to be deterred by a simple shock. Others are amused by the idea of a fence being that powerful. It's not right, it doesn't make sense... but in that area it's common knowledge that a lot of idiots with will most likely be overloading the electric fences.

I remember when I was a kid, they never told us that you'd be shocked by an electric fence... they said you would be killed by one. So we never even bothered trying to touch the fences at all.

There are a lot of dangers in such places... most of which are quite preventable. It's a wonder I didn't get hurt too bad growing up in such an area.

[doppelgaenger]

My drill is only 8 amps

[Cbrider]

Hate to say it... but I've lived out in that area... and it's very, very common to overload the fences. Most will claim it's because the deer and such are too dumb to be deterred by a simple shock. Others are amused by the idea of a fence being that powerful. It's not right, it doesn't make sense... but in that area it's common knowledge that a lot of idiots with will most likely be overloading the electric fences.

I remember when I was a kid, they never told us that you'd be shocked by an electric fence... they said you would be killed by one. So we never even bothered trying to touch the fences at all.

There are a lot of dangers in such places... most of which are quite preventable. It's a wonder I didn't get hurt too bad growing up in such an area.

Texas = Jurassic park fences.

[IndiReloaded]

I remember when I was a kid, they never told us that you'd be shocked by an electric fence... they said you would be killed by one. So we never even bothered trying to touch the fences at all.

I touched a cow fence as an adult for the first time. My husband (BF at the time) was with me. Him farm-boy, me burbs girl.

It was funny ha-ha until I flew back on my ass & started to cry from the shock.

Those things are dangerous, and should be surrounded by a second, unwired fence w/a warning.

[Aeradalia]

Texas = Jurassic park fences.

No T-Rex's here... just ostrich and emu's... wonder if that's close enough?

I touched a cow fence as an adult for the first time. My husband (BF at the time) was with me. Him farm-boy, me burbs girl.

It was funny ha-ha until I flew back on my ass & started to cry from the shock.

Those things are dangerous, and should be surrounded by a second, unwired fence w/a warning.

I agree... a sign and secondary fence would not detract from the fence's original purpose and would certainly give proper (and necessary) warning to anyone that strays too close.

[IndiReloaded]

TBH, there was a second fence (Canada, you know). But I had never touched one before & I was curious. I was warned, told it would hurt but I wouldn't die from it.

[Lipp]

And this is why we leave lethal means of protection to professionals, and not people.

[Only-virgins]

What was he trying to keep out? T-rex?

[tonikessler]

And should not some responsibilty lie with the Mother as well?....I mean HELLO?