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Can a neon sign transformer with an output of 12000V and 30mA kill you?
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Someone:

--- Quote from: Hero999 on February 01, 2016, 08:49:07 pm ---
--- Quote from: dfmischler on February 01, 2016, 08:17:26 pm ---If you grabbed one lead in each hand while it was running it could very well kill you, if it can actually achieve 30 mA in that situation.  Some people say that it "should" take more current to kill you, but there are a lot of variables including your own medical condition.


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Yes, there's a risk of death and serious injury such as burns and damage to the heart and nervous system.

An RCD my trip at 30mA but the current doesn't flow for long.

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The wikipedia article has some of the current vs time relationships:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IEC_TS_60479-1_electric_shock_graph.svg
But that is only for hand to foot conduction of AC, the limits are higher for DC.
filter4ever:
I know this is an old post but I was curious about the same thing and there's something important I needed to share

I have a Franceformer 15kV 35mA NST. On the secondary I figured it was isolated from ground but it is actually CENTER TAPPED to ground. This means you could get a 7.5kV shock on each side of the secondary on this particular transformer (with respect to ground).

I've seen Tesla coils made out of "pole pigs" which are always center tapped when installed (I don't have one unfortunately). Multiple kV that amount of current available - I don't think you'd get a second chance.

I've heard the most dangerous voltage is between 2kV and 4kV - the electric chair is 2kV for example. A MOT (microwave oven transformer) is usually 2 kV 500mA

I know any current over 5 mA should be considered lethal this is what GFCIs are usually set at. Everyone says "it's the current not the voltage that kills you" but since I = V/R a higher voltage with a current source greater than 5mA is more dangerous than a lower one.

Alternating current sources are usually given in RMS instead of Peak - to - Peak as well. A 120v sine wave current source would actually have a maximum voltage of 120/(0.707) = 170V (about) so this actually would be [15000 / (.707)] / R

At my previous job my boss saw someone fatally shocked wiring up a 240v dryer circuit while standing water. In the US, 240v circuits are actually 2 120v circuits (with respect to ground) it really shook me up. UK, Europe and other places in the world are mostly 230V with respect to ground

You can never choose which way the current will go through you accidentally. I also heard that as your skin is burnt from current R goes down which is not a good thing...

Have fun and stay safe 👍
AVGresponding:
It's a bit more complicated than just "it's the current that kills you". I thoroughly recommend watching this video, and just as thoroughly recommend you do not try anything you see in it:
--- Code: ---https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGD-oSwJv3E&t=10s
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jonpaul:
NST, MOT, and magnetic (arc lamp) ballasts  are magnetic shunt laminated transformers.

They are current limiting with an open ckt voltage, running voltage under a specified load current and a short ckt currtn.

j
ejeffrey:

--- Quote from: Florin on February 01, 2016, 08:41:01 pm ---But, for example, if a transformer will be limited to, let's say, 1 - 10 mA or even lower it will be safe regardless of the output voltage?

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1 milliamp AC should be relatively safe even if the open circuit voltage is high.  10 mA is still enough to cause a painful shock but unlikely to kill a person unless they have a underlying heart condition.  I still would treat it as dangerous, and who wants to find out that they have an underlying heart condition when an HV transformer shocks them?

With HVDC supplies you also have to worry that it might have a large output capacitor that can store significant energy.
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