This was during the good ol' days. Back then when I use to be the handsome lecturer in our one and only technical training center.
Electronics lab is located on the top floor where all the heat is absorbed to the cement walls and tiles. Without the A/C's that place is an oven at after 1000HRS.
One day after the session started at around 900Hrs, The A/C's went dead. Checked and found no power to none of 'em. Since me and another Indian Lady is currently running the whole section, I had to check the fault, since I handle most of the practical part.
I checked around found the 3ph 4 pole breaker tripped in one of the DB. Switched on and was back in class. After a few minutes they turned off, checked found it tripped, switched on again.
Another few minutes it happened. I have a class to finish and once they A/C's turns off, it didn't take too long for everyone to start to sweat. So I informed the electrical lab to check the breakers since I know the A/C's are not faulted as they were services very recently, all of 'em.
I also informed that I cannot continue the class sweating to the admin. The electrical engineer was out and there was nobody qualified enuf to change the breaker. I said the breaker is faulty since I can hear cracking sound coming from the breaker once they are on. Simple problem change the breaker and all is well.
But nobody turned up and I get blamed if I canceled a session. And believe me, If anybody is found canceling a class, we are in big trouble. The paycheck starts to reduce. I have to fill my contact times.
2 hrs passed and nothing. I decide to take the matter into my own hands, since things are like that around then.
I grabbed a screw drive and went, opened up the DB and looked around the breaker. There were two sets, the one I want was in front, I remember this part faintly. I was in a hurry and did not care to take the meter. It was 3 phase and now that I realize the two sets, one set in front one a bit up and back. One thing I did forget to take into account was how the heck the Indian guys have the incoming routed.
As most of us here does is incoming are connected below and outgoing is from the top. So I naturally acted to disconnect the outgoing after tripping the breaker. The one I wanted was in front. The color coding was there. The breaker was mounted in such a way tht the top connections of the front set lies just in front of the bottom sets lower connections. But the breakers were not in line, so to say a red phase lines with another when looked straight. Before I continue let me tell u now I realize the front set incoming was connected to top and the incoming to the back set was connected from below.
I tripped the front breaker, grabbed the screw driver and tried to loosen one phase from the top. Man it was tight. I grabbed the handle and gave a quick turn pushing the screw driver against the screw, I was on my knees and I remember the janitor behind me coming down from the stairs.
Then suddenly .....BAAAAAAAAAAANG!!, and a FLASH.!!
I S**T u not when I say that that was the loudest thing I ever heard in my entire life and the brightest flash with it.
I promise, when I came to my senses it was exactly 2 minutes after the super nova that just happened inches from my face. I remember not hearing anything or seeing for that matter, but just sitting there, motionless.
The first thing I heard was the janitor asking....what the hell was tht. He too was motionless. He cannot hear or see any thing same as me. Slowly I started to see. After a 15s or so after hearing him talk I started to see things clearly. There was no power what so ever from the entire university. Janitor was a bit wobbly and my screw driver has almost melted in two. Can't remember how the breaker looked, didn't care to look after this incident.
So, after the big bang everyone was asking about the sound, but the best part is, the Janitor has no clue what so ever what happened, cause he cannot hear or see anything for a while. So no witnesses .
There was no power and every one was asking everyone. I simply said the breaker shorted, so we have to check the transformer substation inside the uni. Me and the electrical guy checked and found 3 100A fuses melted. The fuses were like a feet big.
Fuses replaced, so was the breaker, and everything was back to the usual.
It was tht night I experienced the aftermath of the big bang theory.
I woke up middle of the night, but I cannot open my eyes for sec. They like as if they were on fire, hurt like hell, cannot see a thing, tears was running down nonstop.
I had to feel my way around the house to call mum and dad and tell them that I went blind.
So later that night after a trip to the hospital the doc gave some eye drops and said that to take a rest before starting to arc weld again.
As if.... kekekek
I got a week's vacation after the big bang.
Now..now no funny jokes...I mean it.
Electronics lab is located on the top floor where all the heat is absorbed to the cement walls and tiles. Without the A/C's that place is an oven at after 1000HRS.
One day after the session started at around 900Hrs, The A/C's went dead. Checked and found no power to none of 'em. Since me and another Indian Lady is currently running the whole section, I had to check the fault, since I handle most of the practical part.
I checked around found the 3ph 4 pole breaker tripped in one of the DB. Switched on and was back in class. After a few minutes they turned off, checked found it tripped, switched on again.
Another few minutes it happened. I have a class to finish and once they A/C's turns off, it didn't take too long for everyone to start to sweat. So I informed the electrical lab to check the breakers since I know the A/C's are not faulted as they were services very recently, all of 'em.
I also informed that I cannot continue the class sweating to the admin. The electrical engineer was out and there was nobody qualified enuf to change the breaker. I said the breaker is faulty since I can hear cracking sound coming from the breaker once they are on. Simple problem change the breaker and all is well.
But nobody turned up and I get blamed if I canceled a session. And believe me, If anybody is found canceling a class, we are in big trouble. The paycheck starts to reduce. I have to fill my contact times.
2 hrs passed and nothing. I decide to take the matter into my own hands, since things are like that around then.
I grabbed a screw drive and went, opened up the DB and looked around the breaker. There were two sets, the one I want was in front, I remember this part faintly. I was in a hurry and did not care to take the meter. It was 3 phase and now that I realize the two sets, one set in front one a bit up and back. One thing I did forget to take into account was how the heck the Indian guys have the incoming routed.
As most of us here does is incoming are connected below and outgoing is from the top. So I naturally acted to disconnect the outgoing after tripping the breaker. The one I wanted was in front. The color coding was there. The breaker was mounted in such a way tht the top connections of the front set lies just in front of the bottom sets lower connections. But the breakers were not in line, so to say a red phase lines with another when looked straight. Before I continue let me tell u now I realize the front set incoming was connected to top and the incoming to the back set was connected from below.
I tripped the front breaker, grabbed the screw driver and tried to loosen one phase from the top. Man it was tight. I grabbed the handle and gave a quick turn pushing the screw driver against the screw, I was on my knees and I remember the janitor behind me coming down from the stairs.
Then suddenly .....BAAAAAAAAAAANG!!, and a FLASH.!!
I S**T u not when I say that that was the loudest thing I ever heard in my entire life and the brightest flash with it.
I promise, when I came to my senses it was exactly 2 minutes after the super nova that just happened inches from my face. I remember not hearing anything or seeing for that matter, but just sitting there, motionless.
The first thing I heard was the janitor asking....what the hell was tht. He too was motionless. He cannot hear or see any thing same as me. Slowly I started to see. After a 15s or so after hearing him talk I started to see things clearly. There was no power what so ever from the entire university. Janitor was a bit wobbly and my screw driver has almost melted in two. Can't remember how the breaker looked, didn't care to look after this incident.
So, after the big bang everyone was asking about the sound, but the best part is, the Janitor has no clue what so ever what happened, cause he cannot hear or see anything for a while. So no witnesses .
There was no power and every one was asking everyone. I simply said the breaker shorted, so we have to check the transformer substation inside the uni. Me and the electrical guy checked and found 3 100A fuses melted. The fuses were like a feet big.
Fuses replaced, so was the breaker, and everything was back to the usual.
It was tht night I experienced the aftermath of the big bang theory.
I woke up middle of the night, but I cannot open my eyes for sec. They like as if they were on fire, hurt like hell, cannot see a thing, tears was running down nonstop.
I had to feel my way around the house to call mum and dad and tell them that I went blind.
So later that night after a trip to the hospital the doc gave some eye drops and said that to take a rest before starting to arc weld again.
As if.... kekekek
I got a week's vacation after the big bang.
Now..now no funny jokes...I mean it.
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