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<blockquote data-quote="John Roberts" data-source="post: 30769" data-attributes="member: 126">Re: Electrical safety question (xposted from PSW)&nbsp;+1... count the amps in a lightning bolt... The up-strike ionizes a path, the down-stroke follows it back down with some serious current that makes a loud report just from heating the air nearby. That heat and sound is evidence of the current and power. That said, it takes significant voltage potential to support that ionized path. Arc welding is low voltage (but high current), and pretty much requires touching the metal to metal to strike an arc (been there, done that). Large inductive loads can cause arcing in relays that may interfere with opening, if the arcing generates enough heat to weld the relay contacts closed. This should be hard to do, but it happens if there is enough magnetic flux to keep the arc going long enough.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; JR</blockquote>

[QUOTE="John Roberts, post: 30769, member: 126"] Re: Electrical safety question (xposted from PSW) +1... count the amps in a lightning bolt... The up-strike ionizes a path, the down-stroke follows it back down with some serious current that makes a loud report just from heating the air nearby. That heat and sound is evidence of the current and power. That said, it takes significant voltage potential to support that ionized path. Arc welding is low voltage (but high current), and pretty much requires touching the metal to metal to strike an arc (been there, done that). Large inductive loads can cause arcing in relays that may interfere with opening, if the arcing generates enough heat to weld the relay contacts closed. This should be hard to do, but it happens if there is enough magnetic flux to keep the arc going long enough. JR [/QUOTE]

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