Udon Thani: German pensioner electrocuted trying to do his own pump repairs

[dinsdale]

8 hours ago, Matzzon said:

That´s brilliant! Almost like pouring gasoline on yourself at the same time as lightening a cigarette.

The poor ol' fella died. Left a family behind. Comments like this really aren't needed.

[hugocnx]

10 hours ago, mercman24 said:

Thai electrics,??  no thankyou,

A circuit breaker does the trick. What is wrong with installing a breaker? The money == the brains probably.

 

[balo]

I will not touch anything electric in Thailand, Even when I change the light bulb I switch off the power in my condo, 

Always use a service man for any work that could be fatal. After all TIT. 

R.I.P

[Dumbastheycome]

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

But why did you flyboys need to go to the dunny though?

Fuel  quota.

[dinsdale]

22 minutes ago, hugocnx said:

A circuit breaker does the trick. What is wrong with installing a breaker? The money == the brains probably.

 

Again another toxic comment. Maybe someday somebody you know and love will die from an accident in front of you. Put yourself in his wifes place. Have you no respect and compassion for another human being. If your talking about stupidity then may I suggest peering into a mirror. Shouldn't take long.

[Dumbastheycome]

s was highlighted  at the start of this  topic  there is no necessity to insult the  dead. He made a mistake, perhaps unwittingly. It cost him  his life. How  many here not willing to admit  close  calls in some  event?

I have  several and humbly accept  flack from those  who know the  circumstance.

RIP to this man is all that is necessary.

 

[elliss]

12 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Germans are usually pragmatic in their approach to such things as turning the electric off I guess at 78 he failed to do the basic test ????

      Turn off , and test .

      Old age , takes it,s toll . RIP.

 

 

[elliss]

8 hours ago, nahkit said:

You must of started a run on them, Lazada says zero left in stock.

 

Even when I turn it off at the main fuse box, I have to admit that doing any work on the water pump scares the hell out of me.

 

      Water / Electricity,  is a fatal combination, effective isolation is a must have. 

 

[Youlike]

13 hours ago, Aachen said:

Police said he had not unplugged the pump.  - What does this say about Thai electrics ? Try to stay reasonable, if possible.

Water pumps don't have a connector one can pull out since they are placed outdoors.

 

And to find the switch of the breaker going to the pump you'll have to test the breakers because there are no labels at the breakers usually.

 

The pump was broken though so it's extra hard to find the breaker going to it and switch it off.

 

For our waterpump i have no idea how to close the watervalves...there are so many of them and i don't understand the whole system anyway...

[Benmart]

18 hours ago, Matzzon said:

That´s brilliant! Almost like pouring gasoline on yourself at the same time as lightening a cigarette.

Gasoline was not involved and the comparision is not brilliant. 

[freedomnow]

6 hours ago, Youlike said:

Water pumps don't have a connector one can pull out since they are placed outdoors.

 

And to find the switch of the breaker going to the pump you'll have to test the breakers because there are no labels at the breakers usually.

 

The pump was broken though so it's extra hard to find the breaker going to it and switch it off.

 

For our waterpump i have no idea how to close the watervalves...there are so many of them and i don't understand the whole system anyway...

Rubbish, you find outdoor weather protected flap covered wall sockets near water pumps. Not the best way but a common feature here.

[Fex Bluse]

21 hours ago, SammyT said:

I've always been surprised over here the general attitude to do it yourself fixing of electrical things. My landlord comes around and sorts out issues with fuse boxes, water pumps etc - stuff that back home we'd almost always outsource to a professional. A timely but sad reminder that some things are best left to those who are experienced. 

I think the issue is that Thai workmanship is usually so very poor and dealing with them so frustrating that it drives many expats to want to avoid them whenever possible. 

 

I've had houses built in several countries, and I had the most problems (and still do) in Thailand. Almost nothing they do is high quality, and too many things require regular "fixing".

[Just Weird]

22 hours ago, OttoPollmann said:

It says that no protection was installed. A simple RCCB could have saved his life. 

Where did it say that?

[SammyT]

Agreed. The paradox I have noticed about the expats who beat on about Thai women just wanting "lotto" etc is that they generally see themselves as smarter and more capable of higher thinking that Thais, but have also lost money/houses/assets to Thai bar girls who were clearly a lot more canny than them. 

 

People who generalise all Thai women and Thai/Western relationships as one of "she's only after his money" make my skin crawl. I have met many awesome Thai/Western couples and I've met a few terrible ones. No different to the western world really. 

[Rimmer]

Some troll posts and replies to them have all been removed.

[hugocnx]

16 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Again another toxic comment. Maybe someday somebody you know and love will die from an accident in front of you. Put yourself in his wifes place. Have you no respect and compassion for another human being. If your talking about stupidity then may I suggest peering into a mirror. Shouldn't take long.

Tell your righteous tales to the government, who is responsible for many death by electrocution. 

[dinsdale]

7 hours ago, hugocnx said:

Tell your righteous tales to the government, who is responsible for many death by electrocution. 

Lethal injection now I think.

All due respect to the deceased and family of this tragic, and yes, avoidable accident.

[gk10002000]

On ‎6‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 7:47 PM, sammieuk1 said:

Germans are usually pragmatic in their approach to such things as turning the electric off I guess at 78 he failed to do the basic test ????

That is one possible scenario

[Lee4Life]

18 hours ago, hugocnx said:

Tell your righteous tales to the government, who is responsible for many death by electrocution. 

That wasn't an accident now was it?

[Aachen]

11 hours ago, Benroon said:

Its a fair point - however I crap myself everytime I plug in the iron !

Do something on grounding and use the beforementioned unit for breaking power when there is flow of current outside its wanted wires ????

[billd766]

On 6/13/2019 at 12:26 AM, Youlike said:

Water pumps don't have a connector one can pull out since they are placed outdoors.

 

And to find the switch of the breaker going to the pump you'll have to test the breakers because there are no labels at the breakers usually.

 

The pump was broken though so it's extra hard to find the breaker going to it and switch it off.

 

For our waterpump i have no idea how to close the watervalves...there are so many of them and i don't understand the whole system anyway...

My Hitachi died recently and I know where the shut off valves are because I was the person that plumbed it in years ago. I has a power lead about 1 metre long so that it can be unplugged from the socket in my workshop.

 

I replaced it with a Vavo of similar power and took the time to place it on a table, 1.  because the lead is only 30 cm long and 2.  because I am old and my back aches when I bend down.

 

My Hitachi should be back from the repair shop next week so I will re plumb it after I replace the water filter. It should be good for a few years after that.

[RocketDog]

On 6/12/2019 at 10:30 AM, MadMuhammad said:

Oh man. Silly bugger. RIP 

 

NOTE: If you must do your own repairs please buy a cheap multi meter from HomePro or whatever. Learn how to use it: YouTube.

Test on a known power source, test your appliance or whatever you plan to work on/touch, then test your meter again. 

 

very simple process that WILL save your life. 

Agreed. I ALSO bought one of the cheap voltage detector pens on Lazada that sense the AC electric field of wiring without direct connection. So use that, also test with multimeter, and then finally make a quick flying touch with my fingers before assuming power is off. Triple redundant safety.

 

Just make it a habit.

[hugocnx]

15 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Lethal injection now I think.

All due respect to the deceased and family of this tragic, and yes, avoidable accident.

No, not lethal injection. All the people that get electrocuted because installations are not properly approved or maintained, being it in hotels, houses and in the street. That's a responsibility of the authorities.

We all know about people dying from taking a shower, pissing against a utility pole and lots of other thinkable reasons.

All electrical installations should imo have mandatory circuit breakers (maybe already declared a law).

If one doesn't have a circuit breaker installed, I think that one is playing Russian roulette and in my view that is stupidity. as is driving a motorbike without wearing a helmet. And the latter is controlled by the police.........

 

[Isaanbiker]

On 6/13/2019 at 2:37 PM, hugocnx said:

Tell your righteous tales to the government, who is responsible for many death by electrocution. 

What a ridiculous post. Why's the government responsible for the poor German man's death, when he forgot to pull the main fuse?

 

Accidents do happen, and they happen all over the world. ????-

[Isaanbiker]

1 hour ago, RocketDog said:

Agreed. I ALSO bought one of the cheap voltage detector pens on Lazada that sense the AC electric field of wiring without direct connection. So use that, also test with multimeter, and then finally make a quick flying touch with my fingers before assuming power is off. Triple redundant safety.

 

Just make it a habit.

Just don't work on stuff where you have got no idea of how dangerous it can get. And that includes brakes on cars, motorcycles, etc....

 

 

[Isaanbiker]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

My Hitachi died recently and I know where the shut off valves are because I was the person that plumbed it in years ago. I has a power lead about 1 metre long so that it can be unplugged from the socket in my workshop.

 

I replaced it with a Vavo of similar power and took the time to place it on a table, 1.  because the lead is only 30 cm long and 2.  because I am old and my back aches when I bend down.

 

My Hitachi should be back from the repair shop next week so I will re plumb it after I replace the water filter. It should be good for a few years after that.

Just don't forget to switch your power off! 

[RJRS1301]

1 minute ago, Isaanbiker said:

Just don't work on stuff where you have got no idea of how dangerous it can get. And that includes brakes on cars, motorcycles, etc....

 

 

Sounds sensible advise Isaanbiker, then you won't be singing " You light up my life" or Burn For You

[watcharacters]

On 6/12/2019 at 12:40 PM, dddave said:

Multi meter best for sure but every toolbox should at least have one of the pen shaped electrical field testers.  Just wave it near wires or an electrical device and it will buzz if there is a live wire.  Less than B200 at all hardware and home improvement stores or online at Lazada:

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/non-contact-electronic-digital-display-pencil-digital-test-pencil-super-safety-induction-pen-led-i262834774-s405288306.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlistcategory.list.50.548c37f8wUCH2Y&search=1

 

 

Most importantly, MadMuhammad  wrote "TRY IT ON A KNOWN POWER SOURCE FIRST"..

[hugocnx]

1 hour ago, Isaanbiker said:

What a ridiculous post. Why's the government responsible for the poor German man's death, when he forgot to pull the main fuse?

 

Accidents do happen, and they happen all over the world. ????-

See my ridiculous explanation just above your intelligent response. It is not about accidents that happen. No, these accidents can be avoided. Do you have a circuit breaker in your living area? Government should make them mandatory.

[RocketDog]

Just don't work on stuff where you have got no idea of how dangerous it can get. And that includes brakes on cars, motorcycles, etc....
 
 

I certainly agree with you as far as you go.

However, let me offer this bit:
If you are afraid of learning then you will always be ignorant.

I prefer to study, understand, and then fully informed of the technicalities AND dangers, I make a decision.

If I decide to make an attempt at the repair I carefully approach the situation with the right tools/knowledge and often seek further advice from others.

Sometimes I'm successful, sometimes not.

But I ALWAYS learn something I didn't know before.

Everything in life is a gamble. You can't learn to run if you are afraid to walk.

The more you know the more powerful you are when approaching new situations.

And what's actually perhaps the greatest reward for your troubles is that sometimes you can help others do simple things that they didn't know were simple.

"Teach a man to fish" and all that stuff.

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