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electric shock from outside tap

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misterroy

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Nov 29, 2011, 9:36:42 AM11/29/11
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Yesterday I was washing an aluminium pan outside. My right hand had a
hold of the pan, which was in contact with the wet path. I had wellies
on, and when I took a hold of the tap I got an electric shock, not a
big one, but big enough for me to let go everything in a hurry. I
later turned the tap on again, but no shock. I did not touch the pan
at the same time.
An electrician is at the house today, I am at work. He suggested it
might be because of the wet weather the fault has become apparent. On
a previous job he found the fault a couple of houses away from the
house where the fault was discovered.
Is the most likely cause a fault in my wiring which is then getting to
the earth? I also dont understand how I could be an easier path to
earth than the pipe?

Martin Brown

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Nov 29, 2011, 9:48:51 AM11/29/11
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Did you test the tap with a neon screwdriver to see if it was live?

If you grab live mains you usually cannot let go.

I would be more inclined to think your wellies allowed you to acquire a
decent static charge and the tap provided the path to earth.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Toby

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Nov 29, 2011, 9:50:47 AM11/29/11
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On 29/11/2011 14:36, misterroy wrote:
Do you recall if it felt like a mains shock, or a single sharp static shock?

The fact yo had wellies on would have insulated you from earth at your
feet, i am just wondering if you were also wearing man made fibre, and
had built up some static and then this discharged through the earthed tap.

I do realise you said you also had hold of the metal pot, was this with
bare hands, with a metal path to the wet path?

--
Toby...
Remove pants to reply

harry

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Nov 29, 2011, 12:58:03 PM11/29/11
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Not likely to be static electricity this weather.
You need to get your earthing sytem looked at urgently. This sort of
thing typically happens when there is corrosion on earth connections.
The wellies may have saved your life.
Do not try touching again until the problem is sorted out.

harry

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Nov 29, 2011, 1:02:03 PM11/29/11
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Your mains water pipe (and gas)may be plastic and not make a good
earth path at all.

misterroy

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Nov 29, 2011, 2:44:42 PM11/29/11
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The electrician came, did some checks and called the electricity
provider, they went up the pole and did something there. I'll phone
them tomorrow and let you know. I asked my wife what the electrician
said, and he only discussed the government and setting the world to
rights.

misterroy

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Nov 29, 2011, 2:54:22 PM11/29/11
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On Nov 29, 6:02 pm, harry <haroldhr...@aol.com> wrote:
the earth connection on the pole supplying the house had a loose
connection, fixed now.

Dave Liquorice

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Nov 29, 2011, 3:41:22 PM11/29/11
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On Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:02:03 -0800 (PST), harry wrote:

> Your mains water pipe (and gas)may be plastic and not make a good
> earth path at all.

The electrical earth shouldn't be relying on buried metalic gas or
water mains for its earth. That should be supplied by the DNO at the
main earth terminal at the company fuse. True all incoming pipes
should be bonded to the main earth terminal but that is to ensure
that the pipework is all at the same potential.

Plumbers are not sparks and sometimes do not realise that their
repair or modification with a bit of plastic(*) in a metal pipe
compromises the electrical integrity of the installation. All bits of
plastic joining bits of metal pipe should have bonds across them to
maintain the electrical integrity.

(*) Even a single pushfit connector.

--
Cheers
Dave.



harry

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Nov 30, 2011, 4:05:38 AM11/30/11
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> connection, fixed now.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Good!!

Brian Gaff

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Nov 30, 2011, 4:29:13 AM11/30/11
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Yes, often if there is a resistive path to live like this, when the tap is
dry just gently run your finger over it, if you feel a buzzzing tingle its
mains. I tend to suspect the static charge issue, but who knows what might
have happened, You should be safe as long as you are insulated if its mains.
Brian

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Brian Gaff

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Nov 30, 2011, 4:31:47 AM11/30/11
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Yes, one hand in pocket from now on.
Brian

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hugh

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Nov 30, 2011, 7:25:56 AM11/30/11
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In message <nyyfbegfubjuvyypb...@srv1.howhill.co.uk>, Dave
Liquorice <allsortsn...@howhill.co.uk> writes
New incoming water pipes haven't been metal for years and years.
--
hugh

harry

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Nov 30, 2011, 10:27:26 AM11/30/11
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On Nov 30, 12:25 pm, hugh <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:
> In message <nyyfbegfubjuvyypbz.lvga0y4.pmin...@srv1.howhill.co.uk>, Dave
> Liquorice <allsortsnotthis...@howhill.co.uk> writes
> hugh- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

True, but there are hundreds of miles of metal pipes still out there.

funkyoldcortina

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Nov 30, 2011, 12:06:34 PM11/30/11
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PME supply and someone disconnected neutral?


Andy Wade

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Dec 2, 2011, 9:05:08 AM12/2/11
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On 29/11/2011 20:41, Dave Liquorice wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:02:03 -0800 (PST), harry wrote:
>
> The electrical earth shouldn't be relying on buried metalic gas or
> water mains for its earth. That should be supplied by the DNO at the
> main earth terminal at the company fuse.

Or a proper earth electrode forming part of the electrical installation
can be used (TT system).

> True all incoming pipes should be bonded to the main earth terminal
> but that is to ensure that the pipework is all at the same potential.

This creates an equipotential zone indoors, but doesn't guarantee that
the electrical earth will be at the same potential as the soil outside.
Outside taps are best fed via plastic pipework or else a push-fit
plastic fitting should be inserted in the copper pipework near the tap.
This may not give complete electrical isolation, water being somewhat
conductive, but it will reduce the available shock current to a
non-lethal magnitude.

> Plumbers are not sparks and sometimes do not realise that their
> repair or modification with a bit of plastic(*) in a metal pipe
> compromises the electrical integrity of the installation. All bits of
> plastic joining bits of metal pipe should have bonds across them to
> maintain the electrical integrity.

There's no need for that at all, provided the requirements for main and
(where applicable) supplementary bonding are complied with, and that
boilers, immersion heaters, etc. etc., all have their own circuit
protective conductors.

--
Andy
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