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.

"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.

"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.

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.

"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.

"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!

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.

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.

"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.

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.

"RBM" wrote in message
...

stuff snipped

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.

Is it likely that's the cause of a problem that seems to have suddenly
occurred? How would your typical poster even know if he had a metallic or
non-metallic supply line? AFAIK, they're often underground and invisible.

This certainly strikes me as something a professional needs to examine
because there are so many different ways the pipes could have become
energized, including some that are external the house wiring.

It's a question of skill sets and experience. Adding new circuits or
replacing a breaker is child's play compared to determining what would
suddenly cause the house faucets to become (perhaps lethally) energized. A
situation like this is not really amenable to a newbie screwing around
looking for possible causes while his wife dies taking a shower. The
numerous technical answers given probably should have been phrased "When the
electrician arrives, some of the things he might look for are . . . "

Unless the OP is *very* skilled electrically speaking, and that's doubtful
from the little information he presented, he needs to consult a
professional because the worst case scenarios could be very bad. Fatally
bad.

As my grandma used to say, you have to determine what things in life are
real tragedies and which are just burned potatoes. This could be a real
tragedy if not handled correctly.

--
Bobby G.

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

"Nate Nagel" wrote in message

stuff snipped

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.

I suspect an electrician might also recommend either GFCI breakers or
outlets to cover any of the areas that are exhibiting shock problems. If it
were my house, that's what I would do (and did) although I learned the hard
way that I needed to run a separate, non-GFCI protected line to the
refrigerator. DAMHIKT. (-:

--
Bobby G.

On Sunday, October 27, 2013 5:22:03 PM UTC-4, Nate Nagel wrote:
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.


The breaker would only trip if:

A - It's a GFCI breaker
or
B - The fault current flowing exceeded the breaker rating.

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
..

"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

"gregz" wrote in message
news:829564673404614943.943667zekor-

stuff snipped

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.

Yes, it sure could have! From what I've been reading about the problem on
various websites, the shower scenario is typically the most lethal one. The
supply pipes, for whatever reason (and there are many possible ones) become
ungrounded and energized while the drain pipe for the shower still makes a
good ground. Your naked and wet body makes the circuit complete. OUCH!

That house was a 1960 model. Wiring code now is much better, but
connections are connections.

There are many possible causes and the water meter bypass is but one of
them. Older houses are more susceptible to the problem because of the
laxity of the older electrical codes and the possibility that any number of
previous occupants have done something stupid.

Fred, if you're reading this, unless you consider yourself very
knowledgeable about electricity, I would defer to a professional at this
point. While I like to encourage people in AHR to expand their horizons and
tackle tough jobs, this is one that is too risky to try to solve on your
own. I would watch what a professional does and ask lots of questions,
though, so I might be better prepared to deal with a similar occurrence in
the future. I bought a house that had been modified by a very amatuer
electrician and the surprises kept coming for years and years. )-;

--
Bobby G.

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...

A$$hole troll "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.

You forgot a third fault - the OP is a mental defective who thinks making
people believe that lives are in danger is entertaining. Hmmm, where have
we just seen this same sort of behavior before? In a moderated group he'd
be canned faster than a tuna.

Doesn't matter if one of our own is unbalanced enough to play on people's
good natured concern for their fellow man. To our troll's dismay, in the
end I think a lot of good came out of the discussion. I learned more NEC
stuff and so, I think, did a few others.

The best part is that I ended up getting the Sperry tester recommended by
Nate (Sperry VD6505 for $15 from Amazon and free shipping!) and I love it,
too.

--
Bobby G.

"Doug Miller" wrote in message

stuff snipped

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.

P.S. I forgot to add that in retrospect yours was the first and best
answer. As the thread progressed and we explored all the potential sources
for energized plumbing, it became clear this was a case clearly too complex
for anyone but an expert. The severe downside for guessing wrong (death)
made the best advice would be to get an electrician or even call the power
company.

Another lesson here is that it is probably always wise to assume the poster
knows less than more about 110VAC electricity and work your way up
suggestions when a knowledge level is established through Q & A. We should
have been more suspicious (and Tom R. was) when the answers to the questions
that were asked were not forthcoming very quickly, as they would if someone
were really getting shocked by their faucets.

--
Bobby G.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

On 10/27/2013 07:36 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
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.

I have actually seen people do that...

I always wanted to ask what they'd do if they actually found a leak.

Somehow soapy water seems like a better idea to me, but what do I know.

nate


--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
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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

On 10/27/2013 9:09 PM, gregz wrote:

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


After some thought, I suspect the OP has a bad neutral some where (maybe
in the panel box where it's easier to find). An appliance some where in
the house is neutral through the water line instead of through the white
wire.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On Mon, 28 Oct 2013 07:53:23 -0400, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

On 10/27/2013 9:09 PM, gregz wrote:

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


After some thought, I suspect the OP has a bad neutral some where (maybe
in the panel box where it's easier to find). An appliance some where in
the house is neutral through the water line instead of through the white
wire.
Stop and think about it Stormy - even if that WERE the case, the
water system is SUPPOSED to be grounded - and if it is properly
rounded there is no potential difference between the water system and
ground - and therefore no tingle or shock.

On 10/28/2013 2:49 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 28 Oct 2013 07:53:23 -0400, Stormin Mormon
After some thought, I suspect the OP has a bad neutral some where (maybe
in the panel box where it's easier to find). An appliance some where in
the house is neutral through the water line instead of through the white
wire.
Stop and think about it Stormy - even if that WERE the case, the
water system is SUPPOSED to be grounded - and if it is properly
rounded there is no potential difference between the water system and
ground - and therefore no tingle or shock.


Stop and think about it, Clare. If the OP wishes not to be
shocked, s/he ought to FIND the problem. As such, looking for
PROBLEMS like a bad NEUTRAL would help FIND and SOLVE the
problem. Improving the ground will NOT do much about the
SOURCE of the electricity.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

bob haller wrote:
turn off the main breaker, do you still feel the shock?

So you're suggesting he actually attempt to shock himself? That seems just
a tad irresponsible.

How about suggesting a meter instead of "do you feel the shock"?

....other irresponsible suggestions ending with "do you feel the shock"
snipped...


if not plug one thing in at a time.......

doing this preliminary work will save the electrician time and you money.


....or it could kill him.



in any case if in doubt get a electrician there ASAP which isnt wednesday.
THIS CAN KILL YOU

....yet you suggest he try some things and see if he "still feels the
shock".

Wow!

theres a possiblity the power source could be a neighbors malfunctiong whatever

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
..

"bob haller" wrote in message
...
theres a possiblity the power source could be a neighbors malfunctiong
whatever

There are so many possible causes it's time for a pro and maybe even an
alert to the power and water companies. The risk there is that if the power
people find a serious enough fault, they will disconnect your service.

--
Bobby G.

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.

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.

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.

On 10/27/2013 09:05 PM, Robert Green wrote:
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.



I'm guessing that it was only the basement because that's the only
faucet with metal handles in the house. Then he noticed it on a toilet
shutoff valve, older models of which also would have metal handles.
You'd think the kitchen faucet would as well, but some of them have
"chrome" plated plastic handles including some better brands.

I second the recommendation to just not touch the piping until the
problem is isolated. If OP has to take a shower I would check for
voltage on pipe with voltmeter and then turn off main breaker and verify
that issue has gone away. Yeah, you'll be taking a shower in the dark,
but it beats the heck out of being found electrified in a shower stall.

As others have said, CHECK with voltmeter or test light though. It is
unlikely but still theoretically possible that the problem may be
originating outside the house, or prior to the main breaker (which can
be really dangerous.)

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

"Nate Nagel" wrote in message

stuff snipped

I'm guessing that it was only the basement because that's the only
faucet with metal handles in the house. Then he noticed it on a toilet
shutoff valve, older models of which also would have metal handles.
You'd think the kitchen faucet would as well, but some of them have
"chrome" plated plastic handles including some better brands.

Good observation. I think what we're seeing is that when he's in contact
with metal touching the supply lines and touching something that might be
connected to the drain he's getting a shock.

It's far more likely the supply lines have been repaired and are no longer
in good contact with the ground than the drain lines got interrupted
somehow. Touching the J trap under the sink with your body while turning
the shut-off valve could present a live-to-ground circuit through Fred with
just enough current to tingle.

However, touching a metal shower handle or arm while one's feet are in
contact with the floor drain will pass current through the OP, too. For as
long as it takes for him to fall down dead.

)-:

I second the recommendation to just not touch the piping until the
problem is isolated. If OP has to take a shower I would check for
voltage on pipe with voltmeter and then turn off main breaker and verify
that issue has gone away.

Good idea. I would even check for current AFTER I turned off the main
breaker because we still don't know where the current is coming from.

Yeah, you'll be taking a shower in the dark,
but it beats the heck out of being found electrified in a shower stall.

Amen.

As others have said, CHECK with voltmeter or test light though. It is
unlikely but still theoretically possible that the problem may be
originating outside the house, or prior to the main breaker (which can
be really dangerous.)

There are SO MANY potential causes that it's really best to be safe, not
sorry. I would call the power company about this just to make sure that the
neighbors are safe.

--
Bobby G.