OT: Electrical Problem Question ???

• Google search: Stray Voltage

Today any metal at all, from the rebar in the concrete, is all grounded together on a dairy building with many lbs of copper wire.

You have a grounding problem, which is likely minor, but possibly indicates something serious with the nuetrals.

So what to do? Ground all the metal parts of the bathroom & it will be safe. Have an electrician check out your grounding/nuetrals to see if there is a bigger problem. About all you can do.

--->Paul

Fun chat for sparky type guys huh

John T

As been mentioned an electric water heater with a partial short in the element could cause the problem and the larger voltage may not show up on your test except when the thermostat has energized the element in the heater. Try your test again after you have run the hot water and the elements should be energized. Check your hot water line for a dielectric union that is an insulator to prevent electrolysis. You might have to put a bonding jumper around the union.

The reason that opening all the breaker had no effect is that the neutral and ground are NOT SWITCHED.

There are probably multiple problems here. If you're not familiar with AC power, I'd follow John's advice and get a professional out there. My guess is that you don't have any ground rods, or they're not hooked up properly. At one time, it was legal to use plumbing for ground, but that's no longer legal because plastic pipe doesn't conduct. If there's any non-conductive break in the metal plumbing, you won't get a proper ground. This could be caused by plastic pipe, dielectric unions or any other non-conductive part.

I charge you with the task of figuring this out n expect you to exercise diligence and all due dispatch lol

I dont think Id shower there in the meantime cuz it only takes like 50 milliamps through the old ticker to fib or defib or loose prime or whatever it takes to kill a body

John T

I figure there's a lot of ways the shower drain could get grounded. It could have metal plumbing; my house (built in the '70s) has copper and iron sewer plumbing. Another possibility is that the shower sits on a concrete slab; that would make a good enough ground. Also, since your sewer lines are usually coated with wet slime, I think even a plastic line might conduct a bit.

36 coupe brings up a good point; the voltage may not be the result of a bad ground; it could be that the service is properly grounded but the plumbing is not bonded to ground as well. That could allow stray voltage to show up in the plumbing, even if there's no physical connection to power.

If it still does it. I agree that it may be a loose or poor system ground and poor bonding.

Charles

Fun chat

John T

Ima thinkin a Neutral or a grounding problem buttttt its hard to say just where sittin here

John T long retired electrical engineer n pretty rustyyyyy on this stuff

Then in the house the neutral is connected to the plumbing for an additional ground. But the drain plumbing that used to be metal is also grounded by being buried, but isn't bonded to the same panel neutral. That way there can be a voltage between the drain pipe and the water pipe. 2 volts between the milker and the water bowl is enough to make a cow object strenously because both ends are wet. A person in a shower is also wet and can feel a few volts. It probably isn't enough current to cause a shock problem but a shower is a bad place to be suprised enough to jerk and then slip and fall. So it needs to be fixed. I say, hook a wire between the drain pipe and the water pipe, close to the shower if handy.

Gerald J. electrical engineer in Iowa.

I think you better get a master electrician to check out the grounding in your house.