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Joined: Feb 2004
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Story here

I remember a post on here a while back about a man who built a home near (possibly into) a POCO right of way and was experiencing something similar.

Has anyone on here dealt with any stray EMF/voltage issues similar to this?

Joined: Jun 2004
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These cases usually entail a stack of fools.

Since there is absolutely no real information in the link...

My first assumption is that a plumber removed the critical link in their GEC System -- using plastic, instead.

There are so many, many, ways to screw up a home's circuits -- it's impossible to say just where this situation went off the rails.


Tesla
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I agree with Tesla, they have a bonding/grounding issue there, nothing more. I wonder if these places use a Ufer GEC or they just have a rod. The word "beach" makes me wonder if those rods rotted off in salty ground water a foot or so below grade. We see that here.
That ground water level drops a few inches and you are just sticking a shorter rod in the sand.


Greg Fretwell
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Greg,

Many years ago when I was still working my business, a plumber calls me up and asks me to fix a leaking water pipe. I said, you are the plumber, why are you calling me. He said that he tried everything and still can't figure out why there are still pinhole leaks in the system. I checked out the whole electrical system and everything looked good, inside grounding, outside grounding, rods, wire, etc.

While standing in the basement and think to myself, I happen to spy a small plastic water filter near the back of the house. So I ask the plumber where the leaks originate from, the front or back of the house. He said, they are usually in the back. I told the homeowner to turn everything on in the house. I go to the water filter and put a meter on the pipes, I look for any type of voltage, or amperage, anything. I find nothing, but I put a ground strap over the water filter. He never had a leak in that house since that time.

My only conclusions is that something was intermittently shorting out to the water pipe system. ( Ice maker? Whirlpool tub? ) and current was flowing on the water through the pipe and causing pinhole leaks.

Joined: Feb 2002
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Greg,

Another story I have seen. Plastic (Fiberglass) in ground pools that seem to attract stray voltage. The first pool I have seen was installed with a ground ring around the pool. The ladder and filter was attached to the ground ring, but people were still getting shock a low voltage shock when getting in/out of pool. The EC called me and asked my opinion. He said that he checked everything and he also found that if he stuck his meter in the ground and went from the dirt to the wrought iron handrails on the front steps, he would also find voltage there. Around 10-20 volts, not much but he still could feel it. I don't know what the outcome is because I don't work that town anymore and the EC did most of his work in that town. If I see him again, I will ask him.

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From the CBS article:
"Simona Wilson filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison after suffering from low-voltage electrocution due to her shower-head becoming electrically charged."

If she was really electrocuted, she must have filed the suit posthumously.

rolleyes



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The real problem is "earth" is not always zero volts. When you have a source of voltage that is grounded you will see variants in the voltage from point to point.
When you have a plastic pool it is hard to actually get everything bonded to the same potential.


Greg Fretwell
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I've posted on this exact phenomena WRT factory built plastic encased hot tubs.

In both instances you're pumping ionized water past an electric field.(Plastic => unshielded -- no Faraday cage effect -- factory may not provide a current bleeder strap)

The introduction of mass-produced plastic systems that circulate water have got electricians, world-wide, running around looking for 'leaking electrons.'

Folks, these are de-facto feeble electrical generators (wavy DC) that pump juice directly into the (insulated by plastic) water -- ionized water, that is.

A L L water supplies are going to be 'ionized water'. Some level of (ionized) mineralization will exist. Typically, that mineralization is Calcium ion: Ca++.

When that happens, it's said that the water is 'hard.'

Galvanized pipes use Zinc (Zn) as a sacrificial metal to sheild Iron.(Fe)

Once DC current is induced into ionized water, the zinc is 'burned off' and then an attack against the iron begins. These show up as pin hole leaks because the electro-chemistry favors strees points -- especially where micro particles of Carbon interrupt the iron.

( Iron + Carbon = Steel; the ratio counts, huge.)

Last edited by Tesla; 03/20/13 06:56 PM.

Tesla
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Quote
In both instances you're pumping ionized water past an electric field.(Plastic => unshielded -- no Faraday cage effect -- factory may not provide a current bleeder strap)


I suppose that is why they want us to bond the water these days.

Quote
Galvanized pipes use Zinc (Zn) as a sacrificial metal to shield Iron.(Fe)


Who uses galvanized pipe these days? Copper is even hard to find around here. Everything is plastic.
We did have a "pinhole" problem across the river and they were suing everyone in sight but nobody really looked at a ground/bond issue and I always suspected that was the problem


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Jun 2004
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Galvanized pipe is the original Service pipe -- from back in the day -- and, obviously, is what is creating pin hole leaks.

The induced, wavy DC current, functions as reverse cathodic -- unprotection. The leaks never stop coming.


Tesla
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