Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Can you be electrocuted by a shower?

Options
2»

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    adrian92 wrote: »
    No. You will not get a significant level of current from water. (pure) water is a poor conductor. However, if ones skin becomes wet from water then the natural (conductive) salts on ones skin become dissolved- making for a very good conductive path, in the event of one coming in contact with a live item.

    Hope this makes sense.

    The main reason wet skin conducts better is because the water forms a microscopic thin layer over a large area (large area compared to thickness or length). So if we take the water in cable terms, it might have a cross section area of 100mm square (skin contact area), but a length of only 0.1mm or far less (thickness of water between skin and live object). The shorter a conductor, the better it conducts, and the larger the CSA, the better it conducts. So the water is forming a large CSA with tiny length.

    Dry skin is very high resistance even compared to fresh water.
    The skin salts do of course add to it, which I think was mentioned earlier.

    So even wet hands are not the very good conductive path in electrical terms, they are just a lot better than dry hands. The same way water is a far better conductor than porcelyn, but that does not make water a good conductor.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 22,584 CMod ✭✭✭✭Steve


    Bruthal wrote: »
    when its likely in separate droplets rather than a nice clean unbroken stream.
    This is the clincher.
    However conductive the water is due to additives / contaminants, the fact that it separates into droplets means it cannot conduct a harmful current to a person in the shower.
    The other side of the coin is the shower head / taps becoming live due to a broken neutral (per a previous discussion) and ineffective earthing (for example a 'fixed' leak where copper pipe was replaced with qualplex and thereby isolating a section of pipework).

    My OP, whilst a bit sensationalist, is actually quite possible. :)


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 19 mikeoneil1000


    maybe so

    but does it actually separate into droplets?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 19 mikeoneil1000




Advertisement