Colombia Electrocutes Burglars

Quick Overview

The video concludes that the electrical wiring in Cartagena, Colombia, especially in older or non-standard installations like those found in Comuna 13, is dangerously inadequate, as evidenced by testing a hairdryer that drew only 10 Amps on 120V (1200W) instead of the rated 27.5 Amps (3300W), and finding an ungrounded outlet and a non-functional smoke detector in a Cartagena hotel room.

Key Points: The host tested a 3300W hairdryer in a hotel room in Cartagena, Colombia, finding it only drew 10.08 Amps (approx. 1200 Watts) on a 120V outlet, far below the expected 27.5 Amps for full power. The hotel bathroom outlet in Cartagena lacked a ground connection, testing as live but ungrounded, which is a significant safety hazard. A smoke detector found in the hotel room was non-functional, lacking a battery and failing the test button press. The video documented various electrical hazards across Colombia, including exposed, poorly insulated wiring in Medellín's Comuna 13 (08:04, 09:05) and dangerously exposed wires in Cartagena (06:08). The host concluded that while some modern installations in Cartagena were up to North American standards (120V, grounded outlets), older or less regulated areas often feature substandard and dangerous wiring. The video showcased several Colombian locations, including Bogotá (02:25), Medellín (08:46), Cartagena (24:11), and Guatapé (09:30), contrasting modern infrastructure with older, potentially unsafe installations.

Context: The video documents an investigation into electrical safety standards across different regions of Colombia, starting in Bogotá and moving through Medellín, Guatapé, and Cartagena. The host, Mehdi Sadaghdar of ElectroBOOM, uses specialized equipment like a multimeter and a non-contact voltage tester to check the wiring quality, outlet grounding, and presence of safety devices like GFCIs and smoke detectors in various settings, highlighting significant discrepancies compared to North American standards.

Detailed Analysis