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#1
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Slight shock after the power is turned off to circuit
I have an old house (1858) that was wired in the 30's with romex. I was
changing a light fixture. I turned the power off to the circuit removed the old fixture and while I was wiring in the new fixture I received a slight shock when I touch the metal box and one of the wires. Any ideas? |
#2
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Slight shock after the power is turned off to circuit
I have an old house (1858) that was wired in the 30's with romex.
Describe what you're calling 'romex'. It's very unlikely what you have there is the same thing considered 'romex' today. I was changing a light fixture. I turned the power off to the circuit removed the old fixture and while I was wiring in the new fixture I received a slight shock when I touch the metal box and one of the wires. Any ideas? All sorts of ideas. Most likely a miswiring of the circuit such that it's shared with another breaker. Half the leg going to one breaker and the other on another. Usually happens when someone tries tying in another switch or outlet inside an already crowded wall box (or they're just plain stupid). Test the other breakers to see which one is set up wrong. It may lead to an obvious solution that can be easily fixed. -Bill Kearney |
#3
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Slight shock after the power is turned off to circuit
rich wrote:
I have an old house (1858) that was wired in the 30's with romex. I was changing a light fixture. I turned the power off to the circuit removed the old fixture and while I was wiring in the new fixture I received a slight shock when I touch the metal box and one of the wires. Any ideas? If the "slight shock" was just a tingle, chances are there's just a little capacitively coupled current from an energized conductor running in close proximity parallel to what would otherwise be considered an "open" lead. Or, there could be a high resistance path created by dampness or through years of crud film accumulating between an energized circuit and something connected to the wiring you touched. If the fixture job is already finished, then that's that. But it's always wise to use a test light or voltmeter to make sure things which are supposed to be "off" really are. HTH, Jeff -- Jeffry Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE) "Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented." |
#4
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Slight shock after the power is turned off to circuit
Jeff Wisnia wrote:
rich wrote: I have an old house (1858) that was wired in the 30's with romex. I was changing a light fixture. I turned the power off to the circuit removed the old fixture and while I was wiring in the new fixture I received a slight shock when I touch the metal box and one of the wires. Any ideas? If the "slight shock" was just a tingle, chances are there's just a little capacitively coupled current from an energized conductor running in close proximity parallel to what would otherwise be considered an "open" lead. I guess that could be possible, but my experience is that it would take a very large capacitive coupling to do it. Or, there could be a high resistance path created by dampness or through years of crud film accumulating between an energized circuit and something connected to the wiring you touched. If the fixture job is already finished, then that's that. But it's always wise to use a test light or voltmeter to make sure things which are supposed to be "off" really are. HTH, Jeff -- Joseph Meehan Dia duit |
#5
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Slight shock after the power is turned off to circuit
The romex I have has 2 wires in it and the metal casing is used as a
ground. |
#6
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Slight shock after the power is turned off to circuit
rich wrote:
The romex I have has 2 wires in it and the metal casing is used as a ground. Does the metal casing consist of spiral wound interlocking metal tape? If it does you have armored cable which is commonly called BX. -- Tom Horne Well we aren't no thin blue heroes and yet we aren't no blackguards to. We're just working men and woman most remarkable like you. |
#7
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Slight shock after the power is turned off to circuit
In article .com, "rich" wrote:
The romex I have has 2 wires in it and the metal casing is used as a ground. That ain't romex. It's armored cable (BX). -- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com) It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again. |
#8
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Slight shock after the power is turned off to circuit
"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message ... rich wrote: I have an old house (1858) that was wired in the 30's with romex. I was changing a light fixture. I turned the power off to the circuit removed the old fixture and while I was wiring in the new fixture I received a slight shock when I touch the metal box and one of the wires. Any ideas? If the "slight shock" was just a tingle, chances are there's just a little capacitively coupled current from an energized conductor running in close proximity parallel to what would otherwise be considered an "open" lead. Or, there could be a high resistance path created by dampness or through years of crud film accumulating between an energized circuit and something connected to the wiring you touched. Or back feeding through a "leaking" neutral and then to ground. In other words, there might actually have some current running through it. In sound equipment it causes a buzz when equipment is plugged into different phases of the breaker box and there is a current between neutrals. If the fixture job is already finished, then that's that. But it's always wise to use a test light or voltmeter to make sure things which are supposed to be "off" really are. HTH, Jeff -- Jeffry Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE) "Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented." |
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