ELECTRICAL SHOCK – A PLUMBING PROBLEM
Over the past many years, I have only run across this problem a few times. But, given how hard it is to diagnose, and when it is detected that it can only get worse, I thought that I would go into this here.
The complaint is:
“I feel a slight Electrical Shock from my Shower Head”, or
from my Sink/Basin Faucet.
The situation:
Not much of a problem other than an annoyance for a healthy person, but, if someone is compromised by Cardiac Problems or other sensitivity to and electrical shock, THEN it can be greatly more, than just an annoyance.
The Culprit is:
An Electric Hot Water Heater, of some age, with a Fiberglass Tank.
The conditions:
You can’t ground a Fiberglass Tank ! Electrical Elements inside it, after some time can crack and allow a (slight to major) Electrical Path from the Element, out into the Water. This happens quite frequently, and does not become apparent save for the mild electrical charge, until there is a major fracture in the Element, which then probably will cause it to fail completely, and this may take some time !
IF you have a Iron Pipe Water System in your house, installing a Water Heater with a Fiberglass Tank, can interrupt the continuity of electrical ground protection, via the separation which is caused by the Fiberglass Tank, leaving the supply (Hot Water) line ungrounded, and prone to become electrically charged, and deliver that charge on to the appliances (and you).
How to correct it:
With an Iron Pipe System:
Get two Pipe Clamps with Grounding Lugs, and sufficient length of bare Copper Wire (12 gauge or larger) and clamp them on the supply and discharge Iron Pipes which lead into and out of the Heater Closet/area. Join those two clamps together with the Ground Wire, and continue on and into the Electrical Box which the Power Cable comes through, to power the Heater. Connect the end of the Wire to the Ground Wire in the Electrical Box, therefore bringing the system to “0” electrical potential.
NOTE:
IF you don’t have a Ground Rod installed at or near your Main Electrical Distribution Panel, I highly recommend you install one. Not only for your personal Safety, but, this feature can save you many dollars in cost of operations of your Electrical System. Typically, your Power Company furnishes your facility/residence with the bare minimum to operate the system via their Neutral and Ground supply wires, and it is wise to reinforce that, with protection of your own. Trust me !!!
In many locals, this is a requirement of the Electrical Code.
With a PVC Pipe System:
The PVC Pipe only further isolates the Electrical Charge, probably delivering more of the Electrical Charge to the appliances, than an Iron Pipe System would on it’s own.
You just need one (1) pipe clamp here, on the discharge/outbound side of your Tank. HOWEVER, you must use a Iron Nipple coming out of the Tank (6” minimum) to install the Pipe Clamp on, then, as above route the Ground Wire into the Electrical Box, and ground the Nipple there. This is NOT as effective as is the Iron Pipe System, but it will provide you with a modicum of protection from this occurrence.
You can use another Iron Nipple in the Cold Water Supply Line if you wish, doubling the contact surface, but, a second Pipe Clamp will need to be installed, just like on the Iron Pipe System described above.
Projection:
As more and more synthetic products are used (PVC Pipe/Fiberglass Tanks/Flexible Connecting lines to your Faucet Groups) this problem is going to become more prevalent!
Standards:
Electrical Heating Elements in Hot Water Heaters are rarely grounded, when used in a synthetic Tank.
Water by it’s self is a conductor of Electricity, not as good as you would think, but is capable of transmitting an Electrical Charge for quite a distance, despite the support of the container it is carried by.
Using Flexible Supply Lines to Faucet Groups, further isolate the continuity of Ground.
Using a combination of Iron and PVC in renovations, can interrupt the electrical ground continuity of the Piping System, further increasing the susceptibility of Electrical Leakage thru it.
Have a good Day !
S.W.
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