Got Shocked Today

[360Youth]

Had the craziest thing in some time happen today. We had added a couple of circuits to a small remodel job. One is for a small wall heater in a bathroom. It is one a timer switch in the same box as switches for a fan/light combo. The fan/light is hooked up to the breaker and I am stripping out the new new circuit for the heater at the panel and when I pull the sheathing off the wire I got lit. Quick scan for nicks or something else I touched and I see nothing. Put my touch tester up against the bare ground and it lights. When I turned off the lighting circuit the touch tester goes off. I thought maybe I did not tuck the ground away good in the switch box and it is hitting a screw for the fan/light. Checked the box and it was good. At one point I had 25 volts from ground (of the heater circuit) to neutral at the panel. I check again and get no readings. I hook everything up just to see what it does when I turn the lighting circuit back on. All mysterious voltages go away. I never did find any nicked or stray wires touching anything they should not.

 

[chris kennedy]

It is one a timer switch in the same box as switches for a fan/light combo. The fan/light is hooked up to the breaker and I am stripping out the new new circuit for the heater at the panel and when I pull the sheathing off the wire I got lit.

Wiring to the fan/light was good? Someone didn't use a 2 wire with the EGC as a grounded conductor.

 

[electricalperson]

didnt see you checked for grounds touching in the box

 

[iwire]

It is one a timer switch in the same box as switches for a fan/light combo.

What kind of timer switch?

Some use the EGC as a conductor.

 

[360Youth]

The wiring in the switch box is new. I had to tie new wiring to old in attic j-boxes during the rough-in part about a month ago. Some of the circuits were wired with no grounds, but I saw no signs or "creative grounded conductors." I did not think to climb in the attic to double check those boxes. Must be internal aversion to attics in July. :roll: . I am not sure which is the greater mystery, the initial shock, or the sudden disappearence of the 25 volts.

 

[360Youth]

What kind of timer switch?

Some use the EGC as a conductor.

It is a basic Intermatic 60 minute timer. Not even an EGC screw on. It is a molded plastic switch with set screws for line and load.

 

[tajaj]

you hit your funny bone and just think you got shocked. i do this all the time. the 25 volts was due to your excited state and never was there you just convinced yourself it had to be there so you saw 25 volts just go on and watch that funny bone.

 

[360Youth]

you hit your funny bone and just think you got shocked. i do this all the time. the 25 volts was due to your excited state and never was there you just convinced yourself it had to be there so you saw 25 volts just go on and watch that funny bone.

Would that it were the case, but I have learned the difference between those two feelings. Although I still fall for it once in a while.

 

[SiddMartin]

you hit your funny bone and just think you got shocked. i do this all the time. the 25 volts was due to your excited state and never was there you just convinced yourself it had to be there so you saw 25 volts just go on and watch that funny bone.

done that before, makes ya feel kinda stupid:roll:

 

[electricalperson]

only thing i can think of is there was something touching the ground wire of that circuit slightly. maybe a screw or bare wire from under a wirenut

 

[220/221]

I hook everything up just to see what it does when I turn the lighting circuit back on. All mysterious voltages go away

It didn't go away. it just took a different path, straight to the neutral/ground bus.


My guess is that the fan/light circuit has an open or partial open neutral combined with a bootlegged ground somewhere sending some current thru the new heater ground (which was likely tied to the fan/light grounds)

 

[Cow]

done that before, makes ya feel kinda stupid:roll:

Especially when I do it in front of the customer.:roll:

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

There may have been a loose connection somewhere. When you moved conductors around you may have opened the "incidental contact" that was being made...just a guess, adding to the other comments.

 

[GUNNING]

Is that a ground or a neutral?

Is that a ground or a neutral?

My guess is a bootleg ground. If the customer is up for it you really should find it. It might mess up the GFCI from working. Trace it back from the j box. It is a bathroom.