... and now, oddly, I can't recreate it...
After some advice: Mild tingle from shower when in use
- Thread starter TheGovernor
- Start date
That doesn't really surprise me. Whatever is going on is clearly very odd, and hence not necessarily going to be consistent. That, of course, could well frustrate attempts to diagnose the cause of the problem, no matter how competent the electrician.
Kind Regards, John
You're right, I'm just a bit frustrated as I thought I had a test I could keep doing and therefore being able to demonstrate to someone, but now I haven't... maybe it needs to be more damp/steam in that room to get it to happen reliably.
I've been going through in my mind, is anything on or off now, that wasn't this AM, but no.. is it possible I'm actually not picking up voltage but something else... I'm at a bit of a loss at the moment, I thought I'd made some headway this morning...
I have just had a similar case where I was contracted by a "shed" to install a electric hob, There was a potential voltage of 80 volts.
This took 2 skilled men 3 days to find the cause and 40 mins to rectify.
There is no way any time element can be estimated before hand.
What I would say at this point until you have the fault rectified Do not use the shower whether it be for normal use or demonstration purposes.
The cause of my problem was eventually found to be "EMF" and 3 time served electricians were unable to find the fault.
This took 2 skilled men 3 days to find the cause and 40 mins to rectify.
There is no way any time element can be estimated before hand.
What I would say at this point until you have the fault rectified Do not use the shower whether it be for normal use or demonstration purposes.
The cause of my problem was eventually found to be "EMF" and 3 time served electricians were unable to find the fault.
Agreed - but the worry, of course, is that the shower plumbing is probably (if the plumbing is copper) in electrical continuity with most/all of the house's plumbing system - so none of the taps/pipes/radiators etc. are necessarily any safer than the shower.
Apart from the obvious ('electromotive force', essentially 'voltage'), what do you mean by "EMF"?
Kind Regards, John
Years ago I was asked to check a socket in a kitchen as the kettle was " giving electric shocks". The fault was cable damage in the wall and the live conductor was exposed and in contact with the plaster. Damp plaster meant the wall was conductive and live. The person was only getting the shock when putting their hand on the wall when also touching the kettle.
That's it really, I can't condemn my whole house indefinitely for a fault I can't reliably demonstrate and nobody can find... despite knowing it's there...
I was also curious about the EMF comment.
bernardgreen - I am still thinking that I am somehow contributing to the problem, I did the tests this morning very shortly after getting out of the shower so I was still damp and not fully clothed and in bare feet (hello ladeez
) . Although the tests in the video was much later and I was fully clothed with socks and everything (sorry boys 
) There's a piece of the jigsaw missing here, I just can't see it...
The volt stick you were using does not rely on anyone holding it. It will work while being held in insulated grips.
Also the tip does not contact anything electrically and will work at a short distance away.
I should be interested, the next time you recreate the positive result, what the LED pen registers.
Remember - touch the mixer with the tip but do not touch the other end with your finger (not for safety reasons, that's just how they work).
Also the tip does not contact anything electrically and will work at a short distance away.
I should be interested, the next time you recreate the positive result, what the LED pen registers.
Remember - touch the mixer with the tip but do not touch the other end with your finger (not for safety reasons, that's just how they work).
This was caused by external forces, the water table outside the property was causing damp below the kitchen floor which then seeped up the adjoining walls, There was a local potential difference in earthing to the TNS head.There were 4 circuits in the consumer unit which had been installed 18 months previously by others, although while the integrity of the
earth was maintained this caused no problem as it discharged to earth.
however while testing circuits, every time 1 of these circuits was added back to the consumer unit this potential rose by 20 volts.
While I could understand the importation of this through the ring main because of metal back boxes in the walls I could not explain this on the hob and oven radials that were surface wired in trunking and into plastic pattresses, However this was confirmed by the NICEIC as being an magnetic influence,
earth was maintained this caused no problem as it discharged to earth.
however while testing circuits, every time 1 of these circuits was added back to the consumer unit this potential rose by 20 volts.
While I could understand the importation of this through the ring main because of metal back boxes in the walls I could not explain this on the hob and oven radials that were surface wired in trunking and into plastic pattresses, However this was confirmed by the NICEIC as being an magnetic influence,
EMF can also stand for Electromagnetic Field which can cause induced currents and voltages (ie induction)
How do you mean EFL? I don't have anything that shows a reading, just things that light up
Although I do have a multimeter...It can. Indeed it can stand for umpteen things (of which I would say that 'electromotive force' is probably the most common) - that's why I asked the question!
Kind Regards, John
I am interested to find out if the LED pen (middle picture) registers (lights) a voltage as it requires a direct contact with a conductor.
I have been playing with a volt stick (bottom pic) which I never use and it seems very erratic - sometimes lighting on a switch surface and sometimes not, sometimes a good two inches away.
If there were a cable under/near the shower mixer I thought the water may make it more detectable.
This does not alter the fact that you can feel it or that the hose has the same effect butI just wondered.
I have no idea how they work
Ah got you, I will be trying again tomorrow morning so will report back if I see anything.
I'm also going up in the loft in a bit to see if I can see anything obvious.
One more thing team I have a multimeter, is there any valid test you can think of that I can do using that? At the moment I am after any nugget I can give to an electrician that might steer him in the right direction...
I'm also going up in the loft in a bit to see if I can see anything obvious.
One more thing team
I have a multimeter, is there any valid test you can think of that I can do using that? At the moment I am after any nugget I can give to an electrician that might steer him in the right direction...