[A/S] Re: GFI Resolution/CAUTION!

[dash7_@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Hi Gang,

I don't want to be an alarmist, but there is a potential danger in 
using this type of TV (or similar household appliance) outdoors or in 
a metal RV.

In the case of the TV and the Airstream, the leakage current is going 
to ground via the antenna cable shield and the antenna and/or the 
skin.  Suppose that the TV is plugged in and the antenna is not 
connected.  If someone touches the antenna jack on the TV with one 
hand and picks up the antenna cable with the other hand (or touches 
the metal skin of the Airstream), that leakage current is going to go 
through their body.  They could receive an annoying tingle, a severe 
jolt or even worse, depending on the amount of the current!  The same 
would happen if the TV was being used outdoors and someone touched 
the antenna jack while standing on the ground with bare feet! This 
condition may exist anytime the set is plugged in, not just when it's 
turned on.  If the set has a non-polarized plug, it could depend on 
which way the plug is inserted into the socket.

The problem is minimized in the home because there is no "ground" 
available to touch outside of the bathroom and the kitchen (faucets).
This is why most building codes now require GFI's in those rooms.
(The concrete floors and walls of a basement/garage are also grounds 
due to their moisture content.)

Appliances that have this risk usually, but not always, have "Not For 
Outdoor Use" written on the case or in the instructions. The metal 
part of an RV qualifies as "outdoors" for this condition.

Last but not least, when a GFI trips, please treat it as the Warning 
it is, not as an annoyance or one of those mysterious things that 
just happens.  Find out what's wrong and take corrective action.

Don (MI)