Wiring Safety - Is Your House Protected?

satsugaiseyo — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:18:09 +0800

Hi guys,

I've been reading a lot on electrical safety recently as a friend of mine's house caught fire recently due to wiring faults (suspected to be caused by an irresponsible wiring contractor). In my reading, I have came to know of two safety devices:

1) ground fault circuit interrupters (link)
2) arc fault circuit interrupters (link)

Now I would not go into technical detail on how these two devices work (although I have provided links above for those of you who are interested to find out more), but basically, ground fault circuit interrupters help to prevent electrical shocks, so lets say your 5 year old kid stick a spoon into your socket, he won't be burned by electric shock.

Arc fault circuit interrupters help to detect arcing. Arcing is the main source of most electrical fires, and this device turns off the house electricity if it detects arcing. When you read on the news about houses on fire caused by "old wiring", it is in fact due to arcing. Old wiring is one reason why arcing occurs. Arcing can also occur if poor quality wires are used. To read more about arcs, click here: http://science.howstuffworks.com/electric-arc-info.htm

The only safety device used in most houses in Malaysia are fuses in the DB box, near your electrical meter. (distribution board). Although fuses help protect against high voltage electrical surges, it does not prevent electrical fires which are caused by arcing, nor does it prevent electrical shocks.

Now, do any of you LYNers use ground fault circuit interrupters and arc fault circuit interrupters in your homes? Houseowners in the United States are encouraged to install these devices into their homes, which could greatly reduce the risk of death from electrical shock or fire. I am also very keen myself to install these devices in my own home, but I have yet to find a contractor/electrician who knows what I am talking about!!

Please share your views, people!

GOOD GUITAR TEACHERS

satsugaiseyo — Sat, 29 May 2010 17:58:20 +0800

Hi all,

I am a beginner to electric guitar, and have started learning the instrument for a few months now. I have taken a few months off my work and wish to spend my time learning the guitar, and am practicing very hard everyday (up to 5 hours a day). I am not satisfied with my current guitar teacher (even though he has a Diploma in classical guitar from Trinity, and a Yamaha qualified teacher), what I am really looking for is an honest PROFESSIONAL guitar teacher who can really teach me and groom me as a guitarist, rather than trying to make a quick profit out of me.

I am a serious student, and I want serious teachers!! Not hobbyists, or part-timers, or music sales people trying to sell me stuff all the time. I push myself very hard, and feel sad when I see my teachers not being serious when they teach me. This is not surprising to me, as I am aware that such level of professionalism is lacking in Malaysia, especially with music teachers, so many of them out there but few are really dedicated to teaching their art.

I am just a beginner, but I push myself very hard and I hope to master guitar basics, and one day learn to play various styles of music like tremolo picking, metal, post-rock, grunge.

I am influenced by many bands, both mainstream and underground, from Boris and Electric Wizard to The Beatles, Hendrix, from The Vines, to Explosions in the Sky, to Dir En Grey, from Cannibal Corpse to Arctic Monkeys.

Any good teachers to recommend me? Please share your views, thanks!

PS: I heard theres a good guitar teacher named Sham (who used to be a sessionist for XPDC) although I just heard about him in passing, no one I knows has his number or knows how to contact him.

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Wiring Safety - Is Your House Protected?

GOOD GUITAR TEACHERS