I've almost done it a number of times! I'm glad you're okay.

I was digging a trench next to the pond so I could lap the liner over my cinder block edging and into the trench (plant border). I was using a pick-ax and slammed right into the water line feeding my garage/ utility room. Up came a "bubbling rude". A run out to the curb to shut off the main, a call for a plumber (of course, it was a copper pipe) and loosening of $100 from my pocket was my hard lesson learned.

I'm glad to hear you were not seriously hurt.

OMG, Jenny, I'm so glad you are okay. At least you got to enjoy some fireworks!!

Anne

"The sparks were very pretty." LOL!!! Jenny only a brave ponder can say those words after that close call. Thank God you are ok.

Lisa

I would guess there are at least a few of us who haven't managed to do something similar. I don't recall any posts from God though. I always try to make those events into a learning experience, once the adrenaline stops pumping. I have to say that I do expect a small amount of smarts and have come to the conclusion it is wrong. I once received a call from an employee doing a software fix on a customer's computer system. He said the customer complained the printer was not working. I said something to the effect of did you check the cables and the fuse? He said what fuse, where? I said behind the little door in the back. The next thing I heard was a very loud snap and a crash. Need I say more? He survived, the printer didn't. I will never, ever allow a software person to do a tech's job and never, ever not think twice or thrice about what questions or answers I give over a phone. Glad that angel on your shoulder is shock proof. Sandy

I think I put things very poorly. Let me try again.
If there is someone on this forum who has not done something like that I would be very surprised. I have even done it to someone else 65 miles away.
I should not expect someone to know you should unplug an electrical device before touching a fuse or anything else inside of it just because that is what I would do. It was my stupidity that I expected him to know what I know and his good luck it was only his pride that got burned. He did say he was surprised to find himself sitting on the floor.
I'm really glad you were not hurt. Sandy

You were one lucky lady. At the VERY least, you should hire an electician to come out and install a GFI circuit. Not a fail safe alternative, but it does make things less risky when involving electricity, and a close approximation to water.

One more reason however, to never ever, do pond maintenance in the buff.

GB1:

I was wondering about my GFCI outlets I do have them around the pond, but they didn't trip. I had to actually pull the half of the cord that was plugged into the outlet. They trip when something wet hits them though. When the seals on my winter pump went bad all four of them tripped. All four of the outlets are on one line, so if one thing comes into contact with water all four outlets shut off, but they all stayed on when I cut the cord.

Jenny

You need to call an electrician. It should have tripped. The outlet may have gone bad. They are supposed to trip whenever the circuit is interupted. And cutting into it would count for that.

If you are handy they are not hard to replace yourself. Just make sure you cut off current to the plug before starting.

Thanks GB1:

My friend is an electrician I am going to ask him to take a look at the outlets. I thought it should have tripped but wasn't sure.

Jenny

all: Electrical physics 101 for GFCI purposes by a geek.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter means literally a fault in the electrical circuit resulting in current flow to ground (the fault) causing an inetrrupt. In a standard 120VAC circuit, the black wire supplies current (outbound) and the white wire is intended to receive it back (inbound). The green third wire is a 'safety ground' connection - typically attached to the metal frame of an appliance.

Electrical physics are such that a magnetic field is generated when electrical current flows. So if the black wire generates a magnetic flux in say 'plus' direction, and the white wire generates an equal but opposite 'minus' magnetic field, they both have the same current flow but in opposite directions (no ground fault), so magnetic fields cancel and everything is fine. The GFCI basically uses a coil wrapped around the black and white wires together to sense the difference in magnetic fields. the trip level is 0.005 amps - pretty low - but enough to get a good tickle before the trip.

In the case of cutting through the wires - IF there was no ground fault (the flow was between only black and white wires), the GFCI will NOT trip. However - the circuit breaker SHOULD trip in this case.

Ok, anybody lost?