GFCI in bathrooms

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I have done these examples for my students in fact the time is coming up again this time I will record it. I also add salt to light a keyless. We go over voltage gradients.

In response to the OP think about an older cast iron tub and metal pipe. Then it would trip.
 
mdshunk said:
Where's it gonna flow to in your example? I offer this answer.. nowhere, unless you come in contact with a drain trim on a metallic drainage system, or the water spigot on a bonded metallic piping system.
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The current flow path would be from the hot conductor within the appliance into the water, via the water itself (and via the water pipe, if it is metal) to an underground point at which the pipe transitions to metal, via dirt to the building?s ground rod, via the GEC to the service panel?s ground bus, and finally via the main bonding jumper to the service neutral.

How much current can go that way? Hard to say; probably not much. How much of that (small?) current would pass through the hand of a person reaching into the sink (to retrieve the hair dryer from the basin of water), or pass through the body of a person taking a bath when the radio falls into the tub? Again, probably not much. But then, it doesn?t take much current passing through a person?s body to give that person a bad day.
 
smithacetech said:
If it flowed to ground it would trip the GFI. What Im saying is you could potentially become a parallel path from the hot to neutral. (very little im sure but over time who knows?)
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Supposedly Tesla used his own body to complete circuits in demonstrations without any ill effects. I'm very light on the theoretical end of things, but wouldn't the same principles hold true here? IOW, as long as no current is leaking through your body to ground, no problem... Intuitively, that doesn't sound right, but yet...
 
Marc,
With the electrical device in the water there is some current flowing in the water between the hot and neutral and I would expect that there is a voltage gradient in the water. It is my opinion that wet skin is a better conductor than is water, so there may be more current flowing on and through the person. This current may be enough to cause shock. This shock can occur without tripping a GFCI if there is no grounded objects in contact with the water or the person.
Don
 
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