|
Shocked!
How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my
bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. |
Shocked!
"Fred" wrote in :
How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. You have at least two problems: a fault in your electrical system somewhere is energizing that pipe, and the pipe itself is not properly grounded. Get a qualified electrician out to look at this ASAP: this could be fatal. |
Shocked!
"Doug Miller" wrote in message
... "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. You have at least two problems: a fault in your electrical system somewhere is energizing that pipe, and the pipe itself is not properly grounded. Get a qualified electrician out to look at this ASAP: this could be fatal. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? -- Bobby G. |
Quote:
Notice if your phone rings when there's voltage in the pipe. Telephones operate on fairly low voltage... except when they ring. The ring signal to a telephone is a whopping 90 volts AC, which is enough to give you a pretty good shock. |
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On 10/26/2013 08:20 PM, Fred wrote:
How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. That is a *damn serious* situation and you need to have a certified electrician take care of it *at once*! 115vac *can* be fatal! Do not fool with it. It appears to be an electrical ground circuit connected to an ungrounded water pipe. -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS85K...ature=youtu.be |
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Robert Green wrote:
"Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? All good questions. Hopefully, the OP (Fred) will reply back. |
Shocked!
if OP has a electric hot water tank it could have a heater failing. energizing the water in the tank and line.
best to get this fixed FAST, since it could be lethal:( |
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On 10/26/2013 8:57 PM, Robert Green wrote:
"Doug wrote in message ... wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom& laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. You have at least two problems: a fault in your electrical system somewhere is energizing that pipe, and the pipe itself is not properly grounded. Get a qualified electrician out to look at this ASAP: this could be fatal. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. Usedta be grounded. Now there is PEX and PVC and whatnot. Its all the fault of them PEX nuts on this newsgroup. I agree the OP should figure out what is going on. Not stated - what the other 'contact' is, like a concrete floor. |
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You are getting zap or shock those are two different things
if you are getting zap it is what you are wearing you socks or you clothes some time I rub my touché on the chair approach my spouse put finger on her touché or boobs then I get few kind words from her "Fred" wrote in message ... How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. |
Shocked!
"TomR" wrote in message
... Robert Green wrote: "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? All good questions. Hopefully, the OP (Fred) will reply back. Thanks. I thought it was a bit premature to call in the cavalry because the word "zap" in the original post made me think "static shock" and not 110VAC. But it always pays to be careful and I think with the right questions (and perhaps some testing) we can help the OP determine what's going on. -- Bobby G. |
Shocked!
"Robert Green" wrote in message ... "Doug Miller" wrote in message ... "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. You have at least two problems: a fault in your electrical system somewhere is energizing that pipe, and the pipe itself is not properly grounded. Get a qualified electrician out to look at this ASAP: this could be fatal. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? -- Bobby G. No carpet in basement. There's a constant tingling, and the pipes are copper. This happens all the time, in fact, I just got shocked off the kitchen faucet, which is a first! The water heater is gas. The problem appears to be getting worse. |
Shocked!
"Robert Green" wrote in message ... "TomR" wrote in message ... Robert Green wrote: "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? All good questions. Hopefully, the OP (Fred) will reply back. Thanks. I thought it was a bit premature to call in the cavalry because the word "zap" in the original post made me think "static shock" and not 110VAC. But it always pays to be careful and I think with the right questions (and perhaps some testing) we can help the OP determine what's going on. -- Bobby G. Ok, this is way weird. I just was going to replace a toilet flapper. I went to turn the shut off valve, and got zapped, big time! |
Shocked!
Fred wrote:
"Robert Green" wrote in message ... "TomR" wrote in message ... Robert Green wrote: "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? All good questions. Hopefully, the OP (Fred) will reply back. Thanks. I thought it was a bit premature to call in the cavalry because the word "zap" in the original post made me think "static shock" and not 110VAC. But it always pays to be careful and I think with the right questions (and perhaps some testing) we can help the OP determine what's going on. -- Bobby G. Ok, this is way weird. I just was going to replace a toilet flapper. I went to turn the shut off valve, and got zapped, big time! It's not that weird. As has been pointed out, some malfunctioning appliance is grounded to your plumbing. As has been suggested, get a professional to isolate the problem before someone gets hurt! |
Shocked!
On 10/27/2013 01:57 PM, Fred wrote:
"Robert Green" wrote in message ... "TomR" wrote in message ... Robert Green wrote: "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? All good questions. Hopefully, the OP (Fred) will reply back. Thanks. I thought it was a bit premature to call in the cavalry because the word "zap" in the original post made me think "static shock" and not 110VAC. But it always pays to be careful and I think with the right questions (and perhaps some testing) we can help the OP determine what's going on. -- Bobby G. Ok, this is way weird. I just was going to replace a toilet flapper. I went to turn the shut off valve, and got zapped, big time! !!!I TOLD YOU TO GET A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN IN ASAP EVEN 115V CAN BE FATAL!!!!! -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS85K...ature=youtu.be |
Shocked!
On 10/27/2013 2:47 PM, Fred wrote:
"Robert Green" wrote in message ... "Doug Miller" wrote in message ... "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. You have at least two problems: a fault in your electrical system somewhere is energizing that pipe, and the pipe itself is not properly grounded. Get a qualified electrician out to look at this ASAP: this could be fatal. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? -- Bobby G. No carpet in basement. There's a constant tingling, and the pipes are copper. This happens all the time, in fact, I just got shocked off the kitchen faucet, which is a first! The water heater is gas. The problem appears to be getting worse. If the water feed to the house is non metallic, you need to install or verify that you have a properly sized bonding conductor going from a 3/4" cold water pipe to your electric service neutral/ground bar. Also be sure you have proper grounding electrodes on the service. |
Shocked!
On Sunday, October 27, 2013 1:59:29 PM UTC-4, Robert Green wrote:
"TomR" wrote in message ... Robert Green wrote: "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? All good questions. Hopefully, the OP (Fred) will reply back. Thanks. I thought it was a bit premature to call in the cavalry because the word "zap" in the original post made me think "static shock" and not 110VAC. But it always pays to be careful and I think with the right questions (and perhaps some testing) we can help the OP determine what's going on. -- Bobby G. I'd say you have to be an idiot not to be familiar with static shocks and to mistake that for being shocked by your faucet. But the Bobby has that ground covered. The most obvious thing is that it would *not* be just the faucet that you get a static shock from. |
Shocked!
"Fred" wrote in :
Ok, this is way weird. I just was going to replace a toilet flapper. I went to turn the shut off valve, and got zapped, big time! Quit posting on Usenet, and call an electrician NOW before someone gets a fatal shock. Like I told you in my response to your first post, you have a fault in your electrical system that is energizing your water pipes -- *and* the pipes are not properly grounded. You NEED an electrician, and you need one YESTERDAY. This is potentially DEADLY. |
Shocked!
"Doug Miller" wrote in message ... "Fred" wrote in : Ok, this is way weird. I just was going to replace a toilet flapper. I went to turn the shut off valve, and got zapped, big time! Quit posting on Usenet, and call an electrician NOW before someone gets a fatal shock. Like I told you in my response to your first post, you have a fault in your electrical system that is energizing your water pipes -- *and* the pipes are not properly grounded. You NEED an electrician, and you need one YESTERDAY. This is potentially DEADLY. I got a call in to an electrician, they will be out Wednesday. Now you're making me nervous if I should even use the shower tonight or not. |
Shocked!
On 10/27/2013 02:47 PM, Fred wrote:
"Robert Green" wrote in message ... "Doug Miller" wrote in message ... "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. You have at least two problems: a fault in your electrical system somewhere is energizing that pipe, and the pipe itself is not properly grounded. Get a qualified electrician out to look at this ASAP: this could be fatal. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? -- Bobby G. No carpet in basement. There's a constant tingling, and the pipes are copper. This happens all the time, in fact, I just got shocked off the kitchen faucet, which is a first! The water heater is gas. The problem appears to be getting worse. If you're getting "buzzed" you need to be very careful around your piping and get it checked out ASAP. You've got at least two problems, one, the water piping system is (surprisingly) not properly grounded, two, it's getting AC voltage applied to it from somewhere. If it were properly grounded, the breaker would have tripped for the voltage source. nate -- replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply. http://members.cox.net/njnagel |
Shocked!
On 10/27/2013 03:19 PM, Bill wrote:
Fred wrote: "Robert Green" wrote in message ... "TomR" wrote in message ... Robert Green wrote: "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? All good questions. Hopefully, the OP (Fred) will reply back. Thanks. I thought it was a bit premature to call in the cavalry because the word "zap" in the original post made me think "static shock" and not 110VAC. But it always pays to be careful and I think with the right questions (and perhaps some testing) we can help the OP determine what's going on. -- Bobby G. Ok, this is way weird. I just was going to replace a toilet flapper. I went to turn the shut off valve, and got zapped, big time! It's not that weird. As has been pointed out, some malfunctioning appliance is grounded to your plumbing. As has been suggested, get a professional to isolate the problem before someone gets hurt! If you have a voltmeter or test light, measure voltage from a copper pipe to a good ground (usually the copper pipe *would* be a good ground, but in this case it is apparently not! Try a grounded receptacle.) I'm guessing you'll find there is some. Unplug any appliance that connects to water line one at a time (clothes washer, refrigerator with ice maker are the two obvious ones; water softener if you have it, etc.) until you find the faulty one. Leave that one unplugged until it's fixed. If you've unplugged everything and you still have voltage on the pipes, start turning off breakers one by one until it goes away. Then depending on your skill level you can find the issue or give a pro a good place to start troubleshooting (and be safe in the meantime.) Consider driving some ground rods, and bonding your panel and plumbing system so this doesn't happen again! nate -- replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply. http://members.cox.net/njnagel |
Shocked!
On 10/27/2013 04:12 PM, Fred wrote:
"Doug Miller" wrote in message ... "Fred" wrote in : Ok, this is way weird. I just was going to replace a toilet flapper. I went to turn the shut off valve, and got zapped, big time! Quit posting on Usenet, and call an electrician NOW before someone gets a fatal shock. Like I told you in my response to your first post, you have a fault in your electrical system that is energizing your water pipes -- *and* the pipes are not properly grounded. You NEED an electrician, and you need one YESTERDAY. This is potentially DEADLY. I got a call in to an electrician, they will be out Wednesday. Now you're making me nervous if I should even use the shower tonight or not. DO NOT use your shower why risk your life? I'd spend the extra money and get an electrician in tomorrow . SERIOUSLY this could be lethal, no one here is trying to scare you unnecessarily. -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS85K...ature=youtu.be |
Shocked!
turn off the main breaker, do you still feel the shock?
if not turn on main breaker and leave all other breakers off.... do you feel shock? if not turn on one breaker at a time till you find the one that causes the shock note whats on that breaker and unplug everything ..... do you still feel shock? if not plug one thing in at a time....... doing this preliminary work will save the electrician time and you money. do you remember when troops in iraq got electocuted showering? I wouldnt shower till this is fixed. although if turning off your main breakerstops the shock then only shower with all power off. most likely causes, a malfunctioning dishwasher or clothes washer, a garbage disposal, or other electric appliance that uses water. although a water line might be getting in contact with a power line. in any case if in doubt get a electrician there ASAP which isnt wednesday. THIS CAN KILL YOU:( |
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theres a possiblity the power source could be a neighbors malfunctiong whatever
|
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On 10/27/2013 2:47 PM, Fred wrote:
No carpet in basement. There's a constant tingling, and the pipes are copper. This happens all the time, in fact, I just got shocked off the kitchen faucet, which is a first! The water heater is gas. The problem appears to be getting worse. Call electrician, then a priest. -- .. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus www.lds.org .. |
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On 10/27/2013 2:57 PM, Fred wrote:
Ok, this is way weird. I just was going to replace a toilet flapper. I went to turn the shut off valve, and got zapped, big time! Hmm. Praying, while down there? Sounds dangerous. Please let us know, or have your next of kin let us know, how it works out. -- .. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus www.lds.org .. |
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On 10/27/2013 3:19 PM, Bill wrote:
Fred wrote: Ok, this is way weird. I just was going to replace a toilet flapper. I went to turn the shut off valve, and got zapped, big time! It's not that weird. As has been pointed out, some malfunctioning appliance is grounded to your plumbing. As has been suggested, get a professional to isolate the problem before someone gets hurt! I'd think more like neutral to the plumbing. -- .. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus www.lds.org .. |
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On 10/27/2013 5:12 PM, Fred wrote:
I got a call in to an electrician, they will be out Wednesday. Now you're making me nervous if I should even use the shower tonight or not. I vote no. Why risk further shocks? -- .. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus www.lds.org .. |
Shocked!
On Saturday, October 26, 2013 8:20:19 PM UTC-5, Fred wrote:
How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. Our OP has not said if he is barefooted, what else he was touching when he got the shock. But it does seem to NOT BE a static electricity thing since he states it is more or less continuous in one of his posts. |
Shocked!
On 10/27/2013 5:47 PM, bob haller wrote:
theres a possiblity the power source could be a neighbors malfunctiong whatever And sending power through the water pipe? I'd expect the neighbor's appliance to send power into the pipe, which would ground out between his house and Fred's. Be spooky if Fred was getting zapped by some thing in a neighbor's house. -- .. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus www.lds.org .. |
Shocked!
On Sun, 27 Oct 2013 17:26:24 -0400, Nate Nagel
wrote: On 10/27/2013 03:19 PM, Bill wrote: Fred wrote: "Robert Green" wrote in message ... "TomR" wrote in message ... Robert Green wrote: "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? All good questions. Hopefully, the OP (Fred) will reply back. Thanks. I thought it was a bit premature to call in the cavalry because the word "zap" in the original post made me think "static shock" and not 110VAC. But it always pays to be careful and I think with the right questions (and perhaps some testing) we can help the OP determine what's going on. -- Bobby G. Ok, this is way weird. I just was going to replace a toilet flapper. I went to turn the shut off valve, and got zapped, big time! It's not that weird. As has been pointed out, some malfunctioning appliance is grounded to your plumbing. As has been suggested, get a professional to isolate the problem before someone gets hurt! If you have a voltmeter or test light, measure voltage from a copper pipe to a good ground (usually the copper pipe *would* be a good ground, but in this case it is apparently not! Try a grounded receptacle.) I'm guessing you'll find there is some. Unplug any appliance that connects to water line one at a time (clothes washer, refrigerator with ice maker are the two obvious ones; water softener if you have it, etc.) until you find the faulty one. Leave that one unplugged until it's fixed. If you've unplugged everything and you still have voltage on the pipes, start turning off breakers one by one until it goes away. Then depending on your skill level you can find the issue or give a pro a good place to start troubleshooting (and be safe in the meantime.) Consider driving some ground rods, and bonding your panel and plumbing system so this doesn't happen again! nate FIRST thing to check is the jumper pver the water meter - make sure the copper piping IS grounded. Once it is grounded there is a pretty good chance a breaker will "pop", telling you where the problem is. Just grab a booster cable to do the temporary ground - see if that fixes it. |
Shocked!
On Sun, 27 Oct 2013 14:45:41 -0700 (PDT), bob haller
wrote: turn off the main breaker, do you still feel the shock? if not turn on main breaker and leave all other breakers off.... do you feel shock? if not turn on one breaker at a time till you find the one that causes the shock note whats on that breaker and unplug everything ..... do you still feel shock? if not plug one thing in at a time....... doing this preliminary work will save the electrician time and you money. do you remember when troops in iraq got electocuted showering? I wouldnt shower till this is fixed. although if turning off your main breakerstops the shock then only shower with all power off. most likely causes, a malfunctioning dishwasher or clothes washer, a garbage disposal, or other electric appliance that uses water. although a water line might be getting in contact with a power line. in any case if in doubt get a electrician there ASAP which isnt wednesday. THIS CAN KILL YOU:( MOST likely is the electric panel is "bonded" to the water pipe, and the jumper across the water meter is open. - meaning you have an open ground and a "live" plumbing system. Leakage to ground in ANY electrical device will make the system live - not just a "water connected" device. However, IF you have an electric hot water heater and it's been a bit slow lately, you quite possibly have a blown heater element. Shut off the water heater to prove. |
Shocked!
On Sun, 27 Oct 2013 15:05:59 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote: On Saturday, October 26, 2013 8:20:19 PM UTC-5, Fred wrote: How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. Our OP has not said if he is barefooted, what else he was touching when he got the shock. But it does seem to NOT BE a static electricity thing since he states it is more or less continuous in one of his posts. He also says it is intermittent. Which points to a high possibility it is a water heater problem. |
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"Fred" wrote in :
I got a call in to an electrician, they will be out Wednesday. Now you're making me nervous if I should even use the shower tonight or not. Do you feel lucky? NO, you should not. It might be the last shower you ever take. |
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bob haller wrote in news:276d23a2-9ba4-484d-ab23-15e1ed94a724
@googlegroups.com: turn off the main breaker, do you still feel the shock? if not turn on main breaker and leave all other breakers off.... do you feel shock? if not turn on one breaker at a time till you find the one that causes the shock note whats on that breaker and unplug everything ..... do you still feel shock? You f*cking moron. You tell him to look for leaks of 120VAC current by feeling for them -- I bet you'd tell him to look for gas leaks with a match, too. Fred -- pay no attention to bob haller's advice. PLEASE. |
Shocked!
On Saturday, October 26, 2013 10:20:29 PM UTC-5, nestork wrote:
Fred;3139531 Wrote: How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. I would check for voltage between each of your plumbing pipes and the neutral terminal of an electrical outlet. On a polarized receptacle, the neutral will be the taller slot. Notice if your phone rings when there's voltage in the pipe. Telephones operate on fairly low voltage... except when they ring. The ring signal to a telephone is a whopping 90 volts AC, which is enough to give you a pretty good shock. -- nestork Our ring voltage was 90v for most of my lifetime but I found out from AT&T that it somewhat recently changed to 45v. I guess the new landline phones have a better ringer than the old rotary dial types. |
Shocked!
"Doug Miller" wrote in message
... "Fred" wrote in : I got a call in to an electrician, they will be out Wednesday. Now you're making me nervous if I should even use the shower tonight or not. Do you feel lucky? NO, you should not. It might be the last shower you ever take. Agreed. Now that we know a little more about the situation, if the supply pipes are energized and they are not grounded it's very likely the drain pipe IS grounded and taking a shower will complete the circuit to ground. Through you. If you can't get an electrician in on Monday I would consider calling either the electric and.or the water company. If *your* pipes are energized it could be very likely that your neighbor's are, too. It could present a hazard beyond your house and they have the proper test equipment to trace the fault. If you want to do something before help arrives, I might *look* (but not touch) for any clamps with wires that are attached to your water supply lines. Incoming phone terminals, CATV lines, the circuit box area and the furnace areas are places you might find a ground wire connection (no longer code). -- Bobby G. |
Shocked!
wrote in message
... On Sun, 27 Oct 2013 15:05:59 -0700 (PDT), " wrote: On Saturday, October 26, 2013 8:20:19 PM UTC-5, Fred wrote: How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. Our OP has not said if he is barefooted, what else he was touching when he got the shock. But it does seem to NOT BE a static electricity thing since he states it is more or less continuous in one of his posts. He also says it is intermittent. Which points to a high possibility it is a water heater problem. I don't see the water heater being a problem because I asked what type he had and he replied that it was gas. I would expect a current leak to come from an electric heater, but not a gas heater, but there is electricity going to modern gas heaters, so it's not out of the question. Just a lot less likely IMHO. Now that it seems to be clearly not a static electricity problem, I advise not touching the plumbing until it's resolved. Who knows why the copper pipes are energized? There are any number of reasons including events outside the house that could account for it. It does seem very odd that the problem appeared first only in the basement and seems to be spreading. -- Bobby G. |
Shocked!
"Fred" wrote:
"Robert Green" wrote in message ... "Doug Miller" wrote in message ... "Fred" wrote in : How can I be getting shocked off my faucet? This happens only in my bathroom & laundry tub downstairs. It's not all the time, but it's a good enough zap to make you jump. You have at least two problems: a fault in your electrical system somewhere is energizing that pipe, and the pipe itself is not properly grounded. Get a qualified electrician out to look at this ASAP: this could be fatal. It's probably a good idea to first determine whether this is a static electricity shock or an actual 110VAC buzz. I'm betting on the former because water pipes are *usually* grounded so it's hard to energize them to the point of getting a shock unless you're touching something that's an even better ground. If walking on a carpet has given your body a static electric charge then it could be easily dumped to ground when you touch a faucet or some other metal part of the plumbing. Fred, is your basement carpeted? Are we talking a sudden spark and a zap or is there a constant tingling when you touch the faucet? Do you have plastic water pipes or copper? Does this happen all the time or just when the humidity is very low? Do you have an electric water heater or gas unit? -- Bobby G. No carpet in basement. There's a constant tingling, and the pipes are copper. This happens all the time, in fact, I just got shocked off the kitchen faucet, which is a first! The water heater is gas. The problem appears to be getting worse. Tingling is much better than zapped. Depends on what part of your body is making the path, and what your wearing. When I was a lot younger, I started getting tingling in the shower piping standing on cement floor. Turned out to be bad bypass connection on water meter. Could have been bad for me. That house was a 1960 model. Wiring code now is much better, but connections are connections. Greg |
Shocked!
bob haller wrote:
turn off the main breaker, do you still feel the shock? if not turn on main breaker and leave all other breakers off.... do you feel shock? if not turn on one breaker at a time till you find the one that causes the shock note whats on that breaker and unplug everything ..... do you still feel shock? if not plug one thing in at a time....... doing this preliminary work will save the electrician time and you money. do you remember when troops in iraq got electocuted showering? I wouldnt shower till this is fixed. although if turning off your main breakerstops the shock then only shower with all power off. most likely causes, a malfunctioning dishwasher or clothes washer, a garbage disposal, or other electric appliance that uses water. although a water line might be getting in contact with a power line. in any case if in doubt get a electrician there ASAP which isnt wednesday. THIS CAN KILL YOU:( Feel the shock ? !!! Greg |
Shocked!
Our ring voltage was 90v for most of my lifetime but I found out from AT&T that it somewhat recently changed to 45v. I guess the new landline phones have a better ringer than the old rotary dial types.
The local phone companies have been improving their outside plant facilities, and the result is that there are fewer very long customer lines with high resistance wiring so that not as much voltage is needed to get the same voltage at the customer as before. Also, actual bell type ringers are non-existent any more, and the electronic-based ringers can work on much lower voltages. |
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