help with shocking problem

Thread Starter

suemar6

Joined Jul 7, 2013
17
No close neighbors. I understand that the house is AC, but why would shocking from the ground or soil not be DC?

I will check several places tomorrow checking AC voltage.
 

DerStrom8

Joined Feb 20, 2011
2,390
No close neighbors. I understand that the house is AC, but why would shocking from the ground or soil not be DC?

I will check several places tomorrow checking AC voltage.
Current will not simply change from AC to DC around the house. That's not how electricity works. If this shocking is mains-related, in any way, it will still be AC.
 

gerty

Joined Aug 30, 2007
1,305
After reading all this, the only thing I can think of. that I witnessed, was the homeowners wife bought a bunch of new silk underwear. Static shocks were eating her up.
This was verified when she went to her mothers house and the shocks continued. The diagnosis came from a co-worker and I would have never guessed it myself, much less verbalize it to the customers wife.
She went back to whatever she used before and the shocks stopped...
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Current will not simply change from AC to DC around the house. That's not how electricity works. If this shocking is mains-related, in any way, it will still be AC.
Agreed, but the fact that DC was measured may be telling. If there was mains leakage, especially around the pool, I would think that a GFI would catch that, or that a breaker would be tripping. Perhaps a faulty appliance could be putting DC potential on the house in some weird way that I can't really understand.
 

Thread Starter

suemar6

Joined Jul 7, 2013
17
These are much stronger than static shocks. Just measured the AC voltage from hot tub water to dirt between concrete pads that the hot sits on, 24 volts. Measured the front flower bed, from dirt to metal porch column, 37 volts.
Will check the breakers in the pool/hot tub sub-panel later this AM. No breakers have ever tripped. Could faulty breakers in the sub-panel have anything to do with this problem?
 

chuckey

Joined Jun 4, 2007
75
I would guess you have a break in the neutral conductor between the transformer (where it is earthed) and your house ( where it is earthed), so the transformer is supplying current up the live conductor to your kit the current then flows back into the neutral wire then to your local earth, then through the real terra firmma earth back into the neutral terminal of the transformer.
repeat your last measurement and a, try and turn off as much kit as possible (so its a low current - low volts) and b, with as much kit turned on - oven, electric shower, so there is tons of current - should give high volts.
Frank
 

Thread Starter

suemar6

Joined Jul 7, 2013
17
Not sure I understand what you mean by the tern "kit". Have had the power company check the neutral connections behind the house meter twice. They also checked the connections at the transformer about 100 feet from the house meter.
If this is the problem, how would it be corrected?
 

Cap'nJim

Joined Jul 7, 2013
5
If your meter has an amp setting I would be curious to see the numbers when you check the dirt to porch. Also you have said this is a recent development and you also said that you had a heat pump installed last spring perhaps you have a problem with the way it was tied in to your system. Is your water heater electric? is this a wood frame home? Mobile home?
 

Cap'nJim

Joined Jul 7, 2013
5
while testing the dirt to porch post with meter on ac volts have someone flip breakers off one at a time and see if at any time the voltage changes on the meter
 

Thread Starter

suemar6

Joined Jul 7, 2013
17
OK, here are the latest test results. With most stuff off, 38 volts at porch. With AC, oven, pool filter and heater on, less than 1 volt.

Zero amps at porch.

All electric home built in 1982, all stone, with full basement, two electric water heaters.
 

tubeguy

Joined Nov 3, 2012
1,157
I am a new member and hope I am in the correct area. For the past couple of months, we have been getting shocked all around our house including the hot tub, pool fence, basement refrigerator, pool apron metal drain and water hose bib.
We have had the power company out twice and they have checked the grounding at the meter. We have had 2 electricians out a total of three times and they have not found anything. We have had the main water line ground wire added and two additional hot tub ground posts added. Still getting shocked.
Today my wife got shocked working in the front flower bed by working in the dirt and touching the porch metal column. We have no idea what the problem is or how to get it corrected. We have lived here for 9 years without any such problems. No new electrical work around the time of the start of the problem. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks
It appears the issues are related to the house to earth potential. If the neutral was loose or broken, you would likely have voltage imbalance on the 120 volt circuits resulting in (at the very least) lamps dimming/brightening and trouble with appliances etc.
If that is not happening, have the ground connections checked on the ground rod at the house and at the main electrical panel. It could be as simple as a loose ground lug at the main panel.
 
Last edited:

studiot

Joined Nov 9, 2007
4,998
Let us all remember there may be something wrong with the protection wiring, but this voltage must have a source.

Sue, if you are convinced there is no other source of electricity near your property (the reason for my earlier question)

The source must be your electricity supply.

Tell us how it is configured, not just at your distribution board but right from the main supply into the property.

Something is leaking somewhere.

Since something is leaking have you noticed any sudden increase in electricity bills?
 

Thread Starter

suemar6

Joined Jul 7, 2013
17
No change in electric bills and no problems with appliances or dimming of lights. No nearby source of electricity, nearest neighbor is several hundred feet away.
Will check each breaker and change of AC voltage in front flower bed/porch column.

Power lines come on to the property and up to the transformer that is about 75 feet from the house. The meter and transformer have been checked twice by the power company. They will not come into the house to check anything.

Electrician is coming on tomorrow and I intend to do the following:
- check all neutral connections in the main panel.
- check all breakers and neutral connections in the pool/hot tub sub-panel.
- totally replace the main panel neutral ground rod and wiring.

Any other suggestions? Thanks for all your help!!!!!
 

studiot

Joined Nov 9, 2007
4,998
If you have seen no increase in power consumption the leakage is the company side of the meter and (in the UK) therefore totally their responsibility.

They will not come into the house because that is your side of the meter, and your responsibility.

You may (and I stress may) have grounds for a suit against them if it is shown that the fault lies within their responsibility.
Mentioning that may stir them up to check their part. They can monitor and pinpoint losses quite accurately.

I asked about overhead powerlines earlier. That is because every year a few farmers think they can get away with running a cable beneath the line and leaking off 'free' power. They are always caught because the companies monitors register this at the source.

You say you have had a heat pump installed just before this started.

Is the pumped system loosing fluid (water?) or is your pool / tub loosing water?
 

Thread Starter

suemar6

Joined Jul 7, 2013
17
The power company has been out twice and have checked the grounding by removing the meter and checking the five, large cables coming into the house meter. They have tightened the connections and said there is no problem.
 
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