John Grabowski wrote:
"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
"John Grabowski" wrote in message
...
:
:
:
: Are the ground and the neutral separated in the new subpanel or
are they
: bonded together?

CY: The grounds and neutrals go to different bars. Beyond that I
don't know.

The neutral bar should be insulated from the box. It is possible there
is a bonding jumper from the neutral bar to the box. Sometimes a very
visible strap. Sometimes a very non-obvious screw - usually green.


Do you have a good grounding conductor from the subpanel
: to the main panel?

CY: There is a conductor. But the fellow who runs the camp didn't
seem at all pleased with the electrician. So, it may not be good.

Is there a good ground at the main panel? By good
: ground I am referring to two ground rods and a connection to
the main water
: line.

CY: The panel in the shower building has no signs of ground. The
wire goes out to a cement box, which sits maybe 6 feet from the
building. I see no connection from the panel to the water line.

Not obvious if you are saying there is no grounding electrode at the
shower building. It is code required. Rods are notoriously poor, but the
easiest if an electrode is not now present. Code is 8' (as someone said)
and 2 are usually installed.

A slight possibility - if you have no grounding electrode and have a
neutral-ground bond in the panel, the shower ground wires would lift
from earth potential. Adding a furnace could provide a path from the
shower ground wires to the shower valve.

Earth potential is not as fixed as is commonly assumed either, though a
remote church camp one wouldn't expect much variation.

Around swimming pools (and buildings for animals on farms) the floor and
accessible metal are all bonded. The equivalent would be connecting to
the reinforcing mesh in the concrete floor when constructed and bonding
to the valve, shower head, ...

Bond everything and make sure you have a connection to the earth at the
remote shower (as someone else said).

Also not established - separate shower buildings for girls and boys?
Could explain why girls get shocks, not boys. As a temporary fix you
could have the girls shower with the boys.


I'm thinking that you need to get an experienced electrician to look over
the electrical system. There is obviously a hazard to human life. This is
not a situation for a do-it-yourselfer to play around with. You need to
make things right and soon! Get a professional electrician now! What ever
the cost it is still cheaper than a human life.


A competent electrician sounds like a real good idea.

--
bud--