[Question] Leakage on earth wire

[Schuits]

Hi All,

I'm trying to understand a situation we have in our home and would appreciate any feedback.
We started noticing that while bathing, if we touched the tap we would get a small electric shock. I measured 5V AC between the tap and earth, I don't know the amperage.
I then went around measuring other taps, and it seemed mainly on the hot water tap.

So we called out a sparky who couldn't make sense of it either. The earthing straps on the geyser were all there and everything looked proper he said. At the geyser he was measuring 12V.
Eventually he said the problem was solved and that he had 'separated some wires'. So I'm guessing that relates to induction current? (He also redid our DB and installed type 1 & 2 surge protectors while he was at it)

Needless to say the problem is back. I went to check the garage DB and noticed a tingle while touching the DB box. There I measured 10V from the earth wire to the actual ground.
My wife swears the problem seems to happen after it has been raining. Which could mean water getting into something and causing a short, but not enough to trip a breaker?
I really don't know where this leakage is coming from, could it even be coming into the house from Eskom's side?

Cheers,
Robert

[Derlyn]

The chances are about 95% that there's a high neutral impedance. The fault is probably outside on the transmission line between your house and the sub station.

Find out from your neighbours if they are also experiencing a tingle from their taps. If so, phone the supplier and report it. The neutral might have been stolen somewhere.

[Schuits]

The chances are about 95% that there's a high neutral impedance. The fault is probably outside on the transmission line between your house and the sub station.

Find out from your neighbours if they are also experiencing a tingle from their taps. If so, phone the supplier and report it. The neutral might have been stolen somewhere.

Thanks for the response. I tested the taps last night will all circuit breakers off. Still getting tingles from the tap.
I've asked the neighborhood if any one else is experiencing this. Hopefully it's not something between our house and the suppliers box.

[Derlyn]

If your electrician did a neutral impedance test when you called him, he would have known immediately whether the problem is on your installation or not.

When called out for tingling taps, that's the first test that any electrician worth his salt should carry out.

From experience, we have found that tingling taps is very seldom caused by a fault on the load side of the main breaker. Almost always a bad neutral connection on the supply.

If you have an overhead supply, the problem can be in the roofbox on your house in which case it will be your responsibility to have it repaired. Anywhere before the roofbox is the supplier's responsibility, be it municipal or eskom.

Good luck.

[Schuits]

With 20 years or more experience I'm sure he knew exactly what he was doing.
But telling me to call my power supplier wouldn't have earned him any money, so he found something else to do and made a buck anyway.

In future I think I'll take by business elsewhere.

No roofbox here, everything comes from underground and connects to a small box on the outside wall.

If your electrician did a neutral impedance test when you called him, he would have known immediately whether the problem is on your installation or not.

When called out for tingling taps, that's the first test that any electrician worth his salt should carry out.

From experience, we have found that tingling taps is very seldom caused by a fault on the load side of the main breaker. Almost always a bad neutral connection on the supply.

If you have an overhead supply, the problem can be in the roofbox on your house in which case it will be your responsibility to have it repaired. Anywhere before the roofbox is the supplier's responsibility, be it municipal or eskom.

Good luck.

[Isetech]

I wouldn't go pointing fingers at a person if they haven't been given the opportunity to read and respond to the post, this is the problem with social media.

With 20 years or more experience I'm sure he knew exactly what he was doing.
But telling me to call my power supplier wouldn't have earned him any money, so he found something else to do and made a buck anyway.

In future I think I'll take by business elsewhere.

No roofbox here, everything comes from underground and connects to a small box on the outside wall.

[Schuits]

I agree and sincerely apologize. As someone who is ignorant of this topic I have no place judging him.

[AndyD]

One easy way that might help focus your search for this fault is try switching the geyser off on the circuit breaker in the DB before you get in the bath. If the tingling problem disappears it would point toward a geyser fault or a lack of bonding issue on the pipework maybe.

[Schuits]

One easy way that might help focus your search for this fault is try switching the geyser off on the circuit breaker in the DB before you get in the bath. If the tingling problem disappears it would point toward a geyser fault or a lack of bonding issue on the pipework maybe.

Ye I did that. With all circuit breakers off the issue is still there.
The sparky offered to come install 3 earthing rods and remove the suppliers earth connection. I asked him just to hang on a bit to see if I can get the supplier out to fix the issue.

[Derlyn]

If there's a supply neutral issue, then believe it or not, the better your earthing, the more pronounced that tingling is gonna get, believe it or not.

A neutral fault on the supply, cannot be fixed on your installation.

[AndyD]

Depending on the supply earthing arrangement you can't just add rods. If it's TNS then rods shouldn't be added, if it's TN C S with PME then it's fine.

Just adding earth rods might be treating the symptoms, not the root cause. I'd suggest a full test of the incoming supply including Zn, Ze, PSC, PSCC and neutral and earth voltage under load and with no load and if any of the results are less than ideal report it as a fault and give them the test results to point them in the right direction.

[Derlyn]

Another "boere" way of checking if its a neutral fault outside is. Put an old style incandescent lamp into a light fitting. Switch the light on. Now boil the kettle and check if the light dims. If it dims then 99% it's a neutral fault.

[Isetech]

Or flickers.

Flickering lights no matter how subtle are generally an early early that there is a bad connection on the grid side.

Another "boere" way of checking if its a neutral fault outside is. Put an old style incandescent lamp into a light fitting. Switch the light on. Now boil the kettle and check if the light dims. If it dims then 99% it's a neutral fault.

[Derlyn]

@Schuits

Any feedback regarding this fault.
It would be beneficial to all of us knowing if the fault has been located and what the fault was.

Thank you. .. Derek

[Schuits]

@Schuits

Any feedback regarding this fault.
It would be beneficial to all of us knowing if the fault has been located and what the fault was.

Thank you. .. Derek

Hi Derek,

I logged fault with Ekurhuleni but nothing has happened since.
It hasn't rained properly in a few days so at the moment the problem is gone.
Bit I'll provide feedback if/when the issue is solved.