Schlepp, I asked you to explain how the guy was shocked. You did not do it.
Think, in other words, and explain the shock. Explain where the power came from, how it got to him, and how it got to ground. Draw yourself a schematic. I don't think you can. Telling me to think about a neutral is no answer.
On March 22, 2015 at 20:15, Neurorad said...
I'll mention I that guy in the shower was shocked because the house was grounded think.
Thanks. It
make sense now.
That guy was probably shocked because the house was properly grounded to a cold water pipe.
This is what Schlepp is missing. A guy who gets shocked while he's in the shower is in contact with a cold water pipe and a drain. This has tiny percentages of zero to do with any neutral in the house unless the shower wall has an open junction box in it. Unlikely but possible. My son just uncovered a bathroom light fixture that switches the neutral to turn it on and off. Bad idea but doesn't influence his shower experiences. (The switch and all other lighting circuitry is not in the shower.)
On March 22, 2015 at 20:57, King of typos said...
And probably had galvanized pipes for the drain. Thus why he had a shocking experience in the shower. Still points to an improper ground, as the drain pipes should have been grounded with the cold/hot water pipes as well.
Two times now someone mentions galvanized pipes. Why? They don't conduct quite as well as copper, so an electrically hot pipe would be more of a problem if it were copper, but galvanized is being blamed for something. Somehow.
If the drain pipes were PVC or ABS or whatever they use now a days, the cold/hot water pipes that became electrically hot, wouldn't have affected him at all. Unless the water acted as the "ground". But even on a first floor house, that pipe has to go down a foot or two, to which point there won't be a continuos stream of water to reach the ground.
This is mostly valid. Distilled water doesn't conduct electricity, but water with minerals may. Water with soap may. And that drop of a foot or two will probably have electrical paths that come and go as the water flows down the pipe.
