# Outside water spigot has electrical current



## Standav (Jun 19, 2012)

Just recently I realized one of my 3 outdoor spigots seems to have an electrical current. The ground still looks to be hooked up and I haven't noticed anything else. I'm going to buy a meter to measure it this afternoon. How do I eliminate this problem before someone gets hurt?


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

What gave you the idea that the spigot was energized??

Did you receive a shock?

If so--there may be a power leakage in the ground around the spigot--and touching the grounded piping completed the circuit---

What wiring is near that spot?

An electrician will be along soon---


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## k_buz (Mar 22, 2012)

I think you said everything that can be said Mike.


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## Standav (Jun 19, 2012)

There isn't much. It is at the far end of the house. The only thing I can think of is we have one of those cheap pools with a pump. There is an extension cord near the spigot for the pump. I can try to unplug that and see if it goes away.

I checked the pipe inb thebasement and it seems to be grounded and clear of anything else. I'm not an electrician though, so I couldbe mistaken. I will check when I get back home this afternoon and provide an update.


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## Standav (Jun 19, 2012)

To answer your question, I felt the energize when unhooking the hose. Not a strong shock, but the "buzzing" feeling that makes you want to let go.


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## Billy_Bob (Sep 11, 2008)

Best to call an electrician due to safety issues!

If you must do this yourself, use a voltmeter to measure the voltage from the pipe to the ground where you were standing (instead of using your body!).

Pour some salt water on the ground where you were standing, then place one test lead from the meter there. Salt water helps to conduct electricity.

Measure the voltage from the pipe to the wet ground area.

Then turn off the main power to your house (all the power). See if the problem goes away.

If the problem goes away, then turn main power back on, verify problem returns, then turn off one circuit at a time. See which breaker makes the problem go away. That circuit will have the appliance on it which is "leaking" electricity to ground.

If the problem does not go away when you turn off your main power, keep in mind metal water pipes can connect to everything including the metal city water main and neighbor's homes. A neighbor could have an electrical problem leaking electricity to the metal water pipe system.

Or the "neutral" wire for the electric company's electric lines also connects to neighbor's electrical service. Again could be a problem with a neighbor.

If that is the case (turning off your electric does not remove problem), I would call the electric company.


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## AandPDan (Mar 27, 2011)

Standav said:


> There isn't much. It is at the far end of the house. The only thing I can think of is we have one of those cheap pools with a pump. There is an extension cord near the spigot for the pump. I can try to unplug that and see if it goes away.


Check the cord, it's probably damaged in some spot. Is it plugged into a GFCI protected outlet?


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## mpoulton (Jul 23, 2009)

I would advise you not to try to troubleshoot this yourself, but to immediately call an electrician and have them come out today. This is potentially an extremely dangerous situation. It is also potentially very complicated (although it may not be). Diagnosing the problem (actually, even just being around it at all) may expose you to unexpected electrified surfaces. This is not a beginner's project.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

One of my neighbors had electrified siding---nail through a wire---


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

I troubleshot a job with a kid getting shocked by a water spigot, after some simple tests, the results were an partially failed concentric primary neutral conductor... nothing to mess around with, I tested the spigot with results of 58volts.


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## dmxtothemax (Oct 26, 2010)

Standav said:


> Just recently I realized one of my 3 outdoor spigots seems to have an electrical current. The ground still looks to be hooked up and I haven't noticed anything else. I'm going to buy a meter to measure it this afternoon. How do I eliminate this problem before someone gets hurt?


Get an ac volt meter,
hook up one end to the spigot,
The other end goes in to the ground near by ,
Are you reading a voltage ?
Turn circuits and appliances off one by one,
You will soon find what is causing the leakage.
If you cannot find it,
Please call an electricain.


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## Standav (Jun 19, 2012)

I'm getting 4 volts. Haven't had a chance to check each breaker yet.


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

Standav said:


> I'm getting 4 volts. Haven't had a chance to check each breaker yet.


just shut the main off, if it goes away, then you know its an internal problem, if it doesn't, then its external.


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## mpoulton (Jul 23, 2009)

Standav said:


> I'm getting 4 volts. Haven't had a chance to check each breaker yet.


4V is not perceptible except under extraordinary circumstances. Whatever you felt, if it was as you described, was not a 4V shock. Your measurement may not have been between the correct reference points.


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## Standav (Jun 19, 2012)

I shut off the main and was still getting a reading of about 3.5 volts. What's this mean?


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

mpoulton said:


> 4V is not perceptible except under extraordinary circumstances. Whatever you felt, if it was as you described, was not a 4V shock. Your measurement may not have been between the correct reference points.


You ever feel how painful a 4 volt shock is getting out of a pool?


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

Standav said:


> I shut off the main and was still getting a reading of about 3.5 volts. What's this mean?


The voltage is unrelated to anything inside your home. Could be a bad/failing primary neutral conductor... call your utility company.


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

mpoulton said:


> 4V is not perceptible except under extraordinary circumstances. Whatever you felt, if it was as you described, was not a 4V shock. Your measurement may not have been between the correct reference points.


If he stuck his meter on a spigot and the earth, and read 4 volts, then something is wrong.
This picture was taken from a job a troubleshooted awhile back, after further testing, this street had a underground primary concentric neutral that was failing, a little boy was shocked at the spigot, hence why we were called.... again, this is a very serious issue.


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## dmxtothemax (Oct 26, 2010)

It is time to call POCO.
they can check out there system,
It looks like a problem external to your system.


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## zappa (Nov 25, 2011)

stickboy1375 said:


> If he stuck his meter on a spigot and the earth, and read 4 volts, then something is wrong.
> This was from a job a troubleshooted awhile back, after further testing, this street had a underground primary concentric neutral that was failing, a little boy was shocked at the spigot, hence why we were called.... again, this is a very serious issue.


 
Am I seeing 2 metal probes sticking out of the red lead?


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

zappa said:


> Am I seeing 2 metal probes sticking out of the red lead?


 I was using two meters at once to ensure a reliable reading.


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## zappa (Nov 25, 2011)

stickboy1375 said:


> I was using two meters at once to ensure a reliable reading.


Oh good.....I was thinking I had to upgrade my leads to have the latest and greatest. :whistling2:


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## Standav (Jun 19, 2012)

So the energy company came out ad said everything is fine from their side. His recommendation is to call the phone and cable companies. He said its only a few volts.


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## ionized (Jun 8, 2012)

I can find potential difference anywhere I want with a high impedance volt meter like that.


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

ionized said:


> I can find potential difference anywhere I want with a high impedance volt meter like that.





Standav said:


> To answer your question, I felt the energize when unhooking the hose. Not a strong shock, but the "buzzing" feeling that makes you want to let go.


Im sure, but we obviously have an issue here....


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

Standav said:


> So the energy company came out ad said everything is fine from their side. His recommendation is to call the phone and cable companies. *He said its only a few volts*.


Power companies always suck at first, and to make a blunt comment like that is just crazy talk.... He is uneducated in what to do. Check out the picture I posted with 6 volts at the spigot, funny how it became a million dollar job as they had to dig up the entire street and replace the degraded neutral connector...

One thing you could do is see if your neighbors spigots have the same reading, then get them to call and complain as well...


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## Evstarr (Nov 15, 2011)

Doesn't it seem odd that the consensus is an outside source but only one of three spigots is affected?


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

Evstarr said:


> Doesn't it seem odd that the consensus is an outside source but only one of three spigots is affected?


Nope, the other two could be supplied by plastic plumbing.


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## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

I had a hot tub to troubleshoot one time.
12v to ground from the pad.
I turned the main off and the voltage was still there.
Called the poco while I was there, and they came opened the transformer and found nothing.

Underground service with outside disco.

Lady called me back a couple days later, the ground was freshly dug, a poco lock on the customer side of the diso, and the voltage to the pad gone.

To this day, i still don't know what they did.


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

jbfan said:


> I had a hot tub to troubleshoot one time.
> 12v to ground from the pad.
> I turned the main off and the voltage was still there.
> Called the poco while I was there, and they came opened the transformer and found nothing.
> ...


They replaced the neutral conductor...


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## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

stickboy1375 said:


> They replaced the neutral conductor...


They only dug up about 5 foot in front of the diso.


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

jbfan said:


> They only dug up about 5 foot in front of the diso.


Im betting the farm they had an existing splice gone bad and they repaired it. Electrical isn't alchemy of sorts, they had a neutral issue, and repaired it.


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## Evstarr (Nov 15, 2011)

stickboy1375 said:


> ...Electrical isn't alchemy ...


Until you let the smoke out of the system...


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## Evstarr (Nov 15, 2011)

Wonder what ever happened with this?


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

Evstarr said:


> Wonder what ever happened with this?


I'm curious also.


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## Standav (Jun 19, 2012)

Update: after the second time the poco came out and dug around the box by the road and told me it all good on there side and nothing's wrong, I no longer have the issue. Pretty sure they just fixed it and claimed it wasn't their fault.


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

Standav said:


> Update: after the second time the poco came out and dug around the box by the road and told me it all good on there side and nothing's wrong, I no longer have the issue. Pretty sure they just fixed it and claimed it wasn't their fault.


Lol, typical story.


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