explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1780: Appliance Repair

2017-01-02T19:06:05Z

Jeanrenaud:

He took it apart because it's not working. It's not working because he took it apart. And so we are all a part of the Great Circle of Life. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.122.102|162.158.122.102]] 15:22, 2 January 2017 (UTC)

Reminds me of my Christmas present to my parents - a [https://www.amazon.com/Double-Socket-Electric-Sockets-Outlets/dp/B00S5ZJTY0 USB mains socket], and my time and work to install it. The old non-USB socket was working fine, but when I removed it, I couldn't get the new one installed due to some unusual wiring, and couldn't replace the old one either. This also cut the power to the fridge! We had to call an electrician to fix the problem - literally, that it wasn't working because somebody took it apart... [[User:Cosmogoblin|Cosmogoblin]] ([[User talk:Cosmogoblin|talk]]) 15:57, 2 January 2017 (UTC)

I added onto the transcript and description so it would be less barebones. If not, please add onto my work. Thanks. (It feels good to be back after so long. :)) --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 16:56, 2 January 2017 (UTC)
:Randall was right. :)) does look mismatched and wrong. How do you fix it?! --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 16:56, 2 January 2017 (UTC)

120V is a US standard - in the civilized world, or at least Europe, single phase domestic supply is 230V.

The three phases are 120 degrees apart. Wikipedia is over there.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.137|141.101.99.137]] 18:10, 2 January 2017 (UTC)

I removed all references to actual voltage values. I was thinking only for me... Canada also uses 120V (and 240V too, for house heating, clothes dryers, and ovens), along with another few countries.--[[User:Jeanrenaud|Jeanrenaud]] ([[User talk:Jeanrenaud|talk]]) 19:06, 2 January 2017 (UTC)

1780: Appliance Repair

2017-01-02T19:00:30Z

Jeanrenaud: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1780
| date = January 2, 2017
| title = Appliance Repair
| image = appliance_repair.png
| titletext = [holding up a three-phase motor] As you can see here, the problem is that the humidifier I took this from is broken.
}}

==Explanation==
Cueball is apparently running an appliance repair service. Although, he isn't doing much in the repairs aspect, as he is diagnosing problems with the appliances that he himself caused. Megan and White Hat (supposedly) call him over to have him fix a humidifier that isn't working. As most repairmen/handymen do, he takes apart the machine to find the root of the problem. However, it appears that Cueball does not know how to fix the machine, as he states the reason it isn't working is because he took it apart.

What Cueball is doing would be akin to a (really shady) doctor conducting an autopsy when you had the flu and saying the main problem with you right now is that you are dead. And your heart is not pumping because it came from a dead person.

Maybe the fact that Cueball is holding a three-phase motor (as shown in the title text) is part of the problem, because three-phase motors won't work on residential power; Residential humidifiers uses [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-phase_electric_power single-phase voltage] (unless the humidifier in the comic is part of an industrial process, which is not very likely by looking at its size), while three-phase equipment uses [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-phase_electric_power three-phase voltage] (obviously).

==Transcript==
[Megan and White Hat are standing in front of Cueball with a broken machine behind him. The machine is revealed to be a humidifier that was destroyed by Cueball.]

Cueball [facing Megan and White Hat, standing in the middle of a mess and holding a screwdriver]: After disassembling and inspecting the humidifier, I've determined that the main problem with it is that someone took it apart.

Title Text: [holding up a three-phase motor] As you can see here, the problem is that the humidifier I took this from is broken.

{{comic discussion}}

1780: Appliance Repair

2017-01-02T15:26:06Z

Jeanrenaud:

{{comic
| number = 1780
| date = January 2, 2017
| title = Appliance Repair
| image = appliance_repair.png
| titletext = [holding up a three-phase motor] As you can see here, the problem is that the humidifier I took this from is broken.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|barebones.}}
Cueball is apparently running an appliance repair service. Although, he isn't doing much in the repairs aspect, as he is diagnosing problems with the appliances that he himself caused. The main problem (it might have had other prior problems) with the humidifier he has taken apart is that it doesn't work because he has taken it apart.

What Cueball is doing would be akin to a (really shady) doctor conducting a necropsy when you had the flu and saying the main problem with you right now is that you are dead. And your heart is not pumping because it came from a dead person.

Maybe the fact that Cueball is holding a three-phase motor (as shown in the title text) is part of the problem, because three-phase motors won't work on residential power; Residential humidifiers uses 120V single-phase voltage, while three-phase equipment generally needs 208V (three 120V phases) or 600V (three 347V phases), where each phase is offset from the others by a certain amount of time.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

Cueball [facing Megan and White Hat, standing in the middle of a mess]: After disassembling and inspecting the humidifier, I've determined that the main problem with it is that someone took it apart.

Title Text: [holding up a three-phase motor] As you can see here, the problem is that the humidifier I took this from in broken.

{{comic discussion}}