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Getting shocks at home all of a sudden.....

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  • 14-03-2017 9:39am
    #1
    tempnam
    Registered Users Posts: 491 ✭✭


    Can anyone help?

    Been living in the same house for the last 12 years. Nothing has been changed in terms of electrical appliances in the last 8 years.

    This morning we're all getting electric shocks! I was in the shower & touched the hose that connects to the shower head & got a mild tingling. Afterwards in the kitchen I touched the door of the cooker and the extractor fan (both metal) and got a shock from them too.

    The wife & kids are all being shocked too.

    This is happening when we're barefoot. When we put on runners/boots there is no shock when we touch things.

    Can anyone explain what's going on and why it would be happening all of a sudden when it never happened before?

    Thanks!


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    #2
    fepper
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,434 ✭✭✭fepper


    Its could be a earthing problem,get a electrician


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    #3
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,595 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    Simplified explanation of the issue:
    A live cable has made contact with something conductive such as a metal pipe or the metal enclosure of an appliance which as a washing machine. This makes that conductive part live. Wherever this has happened it is making other conductive parts live. When you touch something live and you have a good connection to earth a current flows through you, hence the shock. So far you have been isolated from earth when you wear runners so no current flows so no shock.

    This is potentially lethal.
    Get a competent electrician immediately.
    So far you have been lucky.

    Generally these problems are easy to find and quick to fix, so not too expensive.

    If you don't know where to get an electrician call RECI.


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    #4
    tempnam
    Registered Users Posts: 491 ✭✭tempnam


    Thanks, there's an electrician dropping in later on to take a look.

    As far as the live cable making contact with the metal part of the appliance, I understand that.....

    But - this happened in 3 separate places in the house, the shower, the extractor fan, and the oven/grill....

    It all only happened this morning. How could this have happened all at once?


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    #5
    Randyleprechaun
    Registered Users Posts: 876 ✭✭✭Randyleprechaun


    It could also be a fault in a neighbouring installation that's on the same transformer as you.

    I've seen it once only before where all earthed metal work in 3 neighbouring houses was giving shocks.

    The ESB narrowed it down to the installation in one dwelling and their electrician then found the problem there

    I never actually found out what the exact cause was


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    #6
    Luckysasha
    Registered Users Posts: 1,042 ✭✭✭Luckysasha


    Ask your neighbors if any of them are experiencing the same problems. If they are contact ESB immediately. It could be a transformer or group earth fault.


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    #7
    fepper
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,434 ✭✭✭fepper


    Happened here years ago,bulk milk tank and associated steel components in parlour starting giving off little shocks,esb came out and said it was their old line pole carrying electricity into house that wasn't earthed properly that caused it,no problems since


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    #8
    meercat
    Registered Users Posts: 4,745 ✭✭✭meercat


    Randyleprechaun wrote: »
    It could also be a fault in a neighbouring installation that's on the same transformer as you.

    I've seen it once only before where all earthed metal work in 3 neighbouring houses was giving shocks.

    The ESB narrowed it down to the installation in one dwelling and their electrician then found the problem there

    I never actually found out what the exact cause was


    Burnt out main neutral


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    #9
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,595 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    tempnam wrote: »
    But - this happened in 3 separate places in the house, the shower, the extractor fan, and the oven/grill....

    When a conductive part that should not be live becomes live it should automatically disconnect. This is generally achieved by a fuse blowing, an MCB tripping or another type of projective device operating. Clearly this did not work in your case. So what happens? Everything conductive that is in contact with the live piece of metalwork also becomes live. For example if the metal pipwork becomes live so will the stainless steel kitchen sink that is connected to the pipwork and so will earthed appliances such as the cooker because the pipwork is connected to the earthing system.


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    #10
    tempnam
    Registered Users Posts: 491 ✭✭tempnam


    OK so had an electrician out today. I wasn't here but he said the place was not wired up or earthed properly.

    He said that the house is dangerous in this condition and we need to get the whole house tested, certified and then have the esb call out to do something? (Like I said I wasn't here and the missus was trying to listen to him while dealing with 2 screaming kids and he just charged her €80 and left.....)

    He took a spotlight out of the ceiling and parts of it crumbled cos they had been overheating for so long. He also took a connector off the fuse board that connected to the new wiring and it was melted!

    We're currently without any lights in half the kitchen, the sitting room, hall & landing; and he left one of the kitchen light fittings just hanging out of the ceiling...

    Kinda worried now as I'm not 100% sure what we need to do or how much it might cost.

    Anyone offer any advice on what to do next?


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    #11
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    Randyleprechaun wrote: »
    It could also be a fault in a neighbouring installation that's on the same transformer as you.

    I've seen it once only before where all earthed metal work in 3 neighbouring houses was giving shocks.

    The ESB narrowed it down to the installation in one dwelling and their electrician then found the problem there

    I never actually found out what the exact cause was
    That's usually main neutral failure so the houses end up connected in star formation but with no neutral. Voltage in each premises will vary according to loads in each house. I checked a house on the parents road a few years ago where the owners had smoke from sky box amongst other things. Over 300v in their house L-N. A few appliances, TV etc ruined.


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    #12
    JRant
    Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭JRant


    Sounds suspiciously like poor earthing is causing you issues. If the path to earth has too high a resistance the protection won't operate properly as it requires a low impedance path.

    A thermograph of the consumer board will show any hot spots. To be honest you need to get a few more tests on the entire installation done asap. You may very well need a rewire but there are a number of options that should be investigated first.

    "Well, yeah, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man"



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


    The last time i seen very similar to the op problem here with shocks from various items in house, it was a house where there was no neutralising connection. I turned up while the ESB were also there, to reconnect the neutralising link.

    With the earth bar showing at almost phase potential, i said i expect something to trip when the neutralising link is re-made. And it did, one of the lights mcbs. An outside bulkhead fitting had melted and so there was a phase to earth short.

    So while the house was missing the neutralising link for some time, a fault suddenly appearing showed it up.


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    #14
    Cerco
    Registered Users Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭Cerco


    tempnam wrote: »
    OK so had an electrician out today. I wasn't here but he said the place was not wired up or earthed properly.

    He said that the house is dangerous in this condition and we need to get the whole house tested, certified and then have the esb call out to do something? (Like I said I wasn't here and the missus was trying to listen to him while dealing with 2 screaming kids and he just charged her €80 and left.....)

    ?

    I would not be comfortable leaving wife and kids in the house with this problem.
    I would not hesitate to get a professional in to resolve the issues. This could well be a life and death issue.
    Do not wait. I would have expected the electrician to issue you with a notice warning of the danger and remediation needed.
    Hard to imagine a professional walking away and leaving the installation in a dangerous condition without covering themselves and indeed your family.


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    #15
    tempnam
    Registered Users Posts: 491 ✭✭tempnam


    Cerco wrote: »
    I would not be comfortable leaving wife and kids in the house with this problem.
    I would not hesitate to get a professional in to resolve the issues. This could well be a life and death issue.
    Do not wait. I would have expected the electrician to issue you with a notice warning of the danger and remediation needed.
    Hard to imagine a professional walking away and leaving the installation in a dangerous condition without covering themselves and indeed your family.

    He called what he did 'a temporary fix'. TBH I don't know the guy, he was the first one on the list that was available same day. The wife was having a bad day with kids acting up (one of them is going through a really bold phase at the min - but that's another story) - but she said she got the impression he just wanted to get out of there.

    Whatever he did has resolved the shock issue (albeit temporarily) and I've a company coming tomorrow to get it checked out properly.

    Wonder if I could claim on home insurance for this as I'm getting the impression it's gonna cost quite a bit to fix, and we're on our arse at the moment!


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    #16
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,461 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    tempnam wrote: »
    Wonder if I could claim on home insurance for this as I'm getting the impression it's gonna cost quite a bit to fix, and we're on our arse at the moment!

    You've been living in that house for the past 12 years, the problem with electric shocks only started recently, that means that it is a problem which has developed over time which your policy will not cover.


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    #17
    Tuco88
    Registered Users Posts: 1,051 ✭✭✭Tuco88


    Bruthal wrote: »
    The last time i seen very similar to the op problem here with shocks from various items in house, it was a house where there was no neutralising connection. I turned up while the ESB were also there, to reconnect the neutralising link.

    With the earth bar showing at almost phase potential, i said i expect something to trip when the neutralising link is re-made. And it did, one of the lights mcbs. An outside bulkhead fitting had melted and so there was a phase to earth short.

    So while the house was missing the neutralising link for some time, a fault suddenly appearing showed it up.

    A good example of not having a dependency on the Earth rod/ shows it may not do anything...


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    #18
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    Tuco88 wrote: »
    A good example of not having a dependency on the Earth rod/ shows it may not do anything...

    Neutralised setups use the neutralising link to keep fault path impedance low/fault current high, to operate protective devices quickly on L to E shorts.

    A TT setup uses an earth rod, or several, but it wont keep the fault path reliably low, so a main RCD is used.

    A single earth rod such as at a neutralised house, is part of a collective group of earth rods, particularly in an estate, while the neutralising link is intact. If it is removed, the earth rod is on its own, and will be unlikely to trip any MCBs even with direct L to E shorts.


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    #19
    TheBully
    Registered Users Posts: 876 ✭✭✭TheBully


    Where are you based? I'm an electrician and would be willing to help you out and at least make home safe for your family free of charge, if your in cork il call no problem


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    #20
    tempnam
    Registered Users Posts: 491 ✭✭tempnam


    Thank you for the kind offer.

    I'm in Dublin. The electrician I called on the day has made it safe. We have had another guy out to look at it and he is to come back to me to arrange a full check on the house.

    Problem is that my wife is ill at the moment and she (and the 2 kids) would likely need to clear out for the day while he's going round the house.... nowhere to go though while she's unwell!

    It never rains - it pours!


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