Significant Power/Voltage Even After Turning off Main Switch

[Deebee101]

I turned off the breaker to a light switch to work on the light switch but I was still registering a voltage on my tester and was getting shocks when I touch the wire.
I decided to turn off the main breaker to the entire house and nothing changed. My tester was still glowing and I was still receiving shocks.

What could be causing this?

 

[tortuga]

Your main breaker is likely faulty and stuck 'on'.

 

[Deebee101]

Your main breaker is likely faulty and stuck 'on'.

It doesn't seem to be the full voltage because the lights go off but there is enough voltage to make the tester glow and give painful shocks

 

[ptonsparky]

It doesn't seem to be the full voltage because the lights go off but there is enough voltage to make the tester glow and give painful shocks

Pictures...and more pictures.

 

[Deltaforce]

It doesn't seem to be the full voltage because the lights go off but there is enough voltage

May high resistance bridge breaker contacts causing voltage appear even breaker off position. To confirm measure voltage between line and load terminal of breaker off position some load on

 

[jim dungar]

Need all possible voltages.
Line side of breaker
L1 - L2
L1 - N
L2 - N
L1 - Ground electrode conductor
L2 - Ground electrode conductor
N - Ground electrode conductor

Load side of main breaker. Perform one set with all 2 pole breakers closed and one set with all 2 pole breakers open.
L1 - L2
L1 - N
L2 - N

 

[Joethemechanic]

How does grounding work in Ghana? Any chance of the breaker being in the grounded conductor? Old K&T in the US had lots of switched neutrals, and even fused neutrals

 

[Deebee101]

How does grounding work in Ghana? Any chance of the breaker being in the grounded conductor? Old K&T in the US had lots of switched neutrals, and even fused neutrals

Grounding in Ghana is TT. Basically there is no ground from the utility. You ground in your house and the utility grounds at the transformer

 

[Deebee101]

Need all possible voltages.
Line side of breaker
L1 - L2
L1 - N
L2 - N
L1 - Ground electrode conductor
L2 - Ground electrode conductor
N - Ground electrode conductor

Load side of main breaker. Perform one set with all 2 pole breakers closed and one set with all 2 pole breakers open.
L1 - L2
L1 - N
L2 - N

closed everything up because I was getting painful shocks and the people in the house needed power. didn't have time to even measure voltages, this is a 3rd world country so I can't risk any serious injury

 

[Deebee101]

Pictures...and more pictures.

Couldn't take any. There was a lot going on in the house so I had to close everything up and turn the main breaker back on.