Getting shocked when touching shower taps

[Naynam]

Hi Everyone, I live in a complex that is Sectional title. I have this problem of getting shocked/tingle everytime I'm use the shower. I've switched off the geyser and it still happens. I've switched off the mains and it still happens. I've called an electrician who insisted it was the geyser. His people said the geyser wasn't bonded. So they bonded it, but it still happens. My upstairs neighbors don't have this problem. My next door on either side neighbors don't have a this problem. Any ideas what it could be or else to do? It's also strange as it only happens towards the end of the shower not immediately when u get in.

[Derlyn]

1. Your geyser should be wired through the earth leakage. Check that it is.

2. If your geyser is on earth leakage then I doubt very much if it has got anything to do with the geyser itself or the geyser element.

3. To me it sounds like a high neutral loop impedance on the supply to your unit. 99% of the time this is the case.

[Justloadit]

It's also strange as it only happens towards the end of the shower not immediately when u get in.

The reason, is now the water has moistened the tile grout improving the leakage voltage to earth.

[Naynam]

Feedback from my electrician:
"They bonded the geyser but the whole bonding must go deep into the ground 2m deep. So they will come and run an earth cable and dig a hole and sink an earth spike."

Is the geyser the only source of the problem? Can it be anything else? Has anyone had a similar problem and fixed it? Can you recommend me an electrician in johannesburg who can fix the problem?

[Derlyn]

They can earth as much as they like. Believe it or not, the better your earthing, the more pronounced that tingling on the shower taps is going to be.

Get the electrician to check your neutral coming in for a high resistance connection somewhere. Could be in the stubby box or kiosk outside. Doesn't sound as if it's further down the line as you say your neighbours are not affected. In all my years of fault finding, when it came to tingling taps, it has always, without exception, been a neutral problem.

[Isetech]

I would bet my old bicyle tubes that the water is leaking onto a live condutor, or someone has drilled a hole into the wall and a cable is damaged.

Before wasting time with tracing a fault, what is the loop impedance test result L-PE and L-N and have you done an earth continuity test from the main earth to the exposed metal around the house.

What is the levated neutral to earth voltage.

Did anyone do any of these tests. IF your loop impedance test is whithin range why would you need to drop an earth spike?

[GCE]

Hi Everyone, I live in a complex that is Sectional title. I have this problem of getting shocked/tingle everytime I'm use the shower. I've switched off the geyser and it still happens. I've switched off the mains and it still happens. I've called an electrician who insisted it was the geyser. His people said the geyser wasn't bonded. So they bonded it, but it still happens. My upstairs neighbors don't have this problem. My next door on either side neighbors don't have a this problem. Any ideas what it could be or else to do? It's also strange as it only happens towards the end of the shower not immediately when u get in.

There was a previous post which also had suggestions and solutions - If anything it will show you that it is not always an easy fix or solution and once the problem is solved due to extra earthing the actual problem could rear it's head

https://www.theforumsa.co.za/forums/showthread.php/25317-Tingling-feeling-in-the-shower/page2

[Derlyn]

On a number of occasions in the past, people have requested assistance with problems they are experiencing and we've all without hesitation offered our services free of charge to try and assist.

It would, however, be helpfull if they can, after finding the fault, give us a bit of feedback but sadly one never hears from most of them again.

That feedback can, I believe, help us all in the future.

[Derlyn]

Any feedback on tingling shower taps ?

Are they still tingling ?

[Gene]

Exactly the same happened to me but i live in a house - called the elect dept. and they found that the neutral was loose in their sub box in the road, tightened up and all was ok , (live took the route through earth thus the shock ,tingle)
Just look for a loose neutral on their side

[Naynam]

In case anyone was wondering...I'm alive
It turns out it wasn't just me who was having the problem. A number of residents in the complex logged "shocking" issues and the managing agent appointed a commercial electrician to find the fault. They just fixed it yesterday 23/5. I will have to enquire what the fault was. Will post back again shortly.

[Naynam]

Just a follow-up to my message yesterday. I don't know the exact detail but there was a fault with earth and neutral. Will update as soon as I receive more info.

[Isetech]

A simple loop impedance test generally identifies these kind of issues, get a sparkie who has the exprenice and correct equipment to identify faults.

[Naynam]

Hi Everyone, formal feedback from the electrician as per the invoice: "Found neutral earth at 32 vac. Bridge neutral earth with 25mm ca". Seems like it was a problem with neutral. Note it was fixed centrally for the entire complex.

[Derlyn]

Thank you for the feedback, brother. It really helps us all for when we encounter similar problems in future.

The first thing I always do with a tingling tap fault is to determine whether the neighbours are experiencing the same. By doing this it sometimes eliminates the chances of the problem being on your property instantly. On the odd ocasion it does not work because the tingling does not effect all people the same.

Glad the problem was sorted.