mc wrote:

And adding a more conceptual point:

Voltage is not the flow of electricity. It is the force that makes
electricity flow (like pressure in a tank of compressed air). You don't
know whether it's actually flowing or not unless you measure current (amps),
which requires interrupting whatever it's flowing through.

There are ways to measure current that do not require interrupting the
circuit, and they are used quite commonly.


These mysterious 70 volts are probably not making any current flow at all --
until somebody grabs the wrong things and provides a path.


"mc" wrote in message
.. .

As someone else said, that voltage does not represent wasted electricity;
it represents DANGER. If the ground wire at one of your outlets is 70
volts above true ground, then when you grab onto the exterior case of an
appliance such as a washing machine, you may be grabbing onto something
that is 70 volts above ground and can shock you.

It sounds like some kind of ground connection is missing. Time to have
the electrician in. This does not sound like a major repair, but it needs
to be done by someone who can take a good look around and make sure
everything is connected right.








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