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Hot water pipes electrified

Snowtrac Nome

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
last night the kids pointed out they were getting shocked off the faucets. I found my hot water pipes were electrified. now the fun started as I don't have an electric hot water heater, with a little searching I found it was a ground fault in the stacked washer/ dryer. it was leaking 37 volts back in to the hot water lines. so my question to some of you all appliance repairmen is where should I be looking for the problem in my appliance.
 
B

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Can't help on the repair but do have to ask... can we bet your pipes didn't freeze last night?
 
waybomb

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
So you trip the breaker and the stray current goes away, correct?

Next I'd disconect one, then the other, then both, so you can determine which appliance is doing this (must be washer, but who knows?)

If the stray goes away with the washer unplugged, plug something elkse into that socket and see what happens. Maybe you lost a common on the recepticle?
 
Snowtrac Nome

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
it's a stacked washer dryer unit with a 240 volt input and the washer pulls 110 off one leg and natural.
 
waybomb

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Unplug it. Do you still have leakagee?

Next IwouldIwould look at the cord and its connection at the machine. Maybe you lost the common and picking up a ground through the earth rod connected to the water pipes?
 
muleman

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Washers have 2 solenoid valves to control water flow. Sound like you have a water leak feeding electric back or a shorted coil on the hot valve.
 
D

Dmorency

Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I knew a guy who died in the bathtub, when a wire melted to a copper hot water pipe. His wife found him sitting in the tub with his hand on the hot water tap, thinks he was going to add more hot water.
Do you have copper pipe plumbing?
You can also get shocks off a neutral wire with the breaker turned off, if you damp feet and standing on a cement floor.(Been there done that) The tester won't pick it up but you will.
 
Snowtrac Nome

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
what I found out last night was the whole fricken washer was hot And no I didn't use one of the kids. the boy who likes to sit on his ass and play video games waiting for the dishes or dish fairy to do them, may be my new high tech tester it's only 37 volts
 
JimVT

JimVT

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
In our home We got shocks off our light switches and had a good reading on our natural gas lines. Long story short after clearing out fire trucks ,power trucks I persuaded the power guy to unhook my feed lines on my roof right at the entrance point. I had his meter on the gas line and I still had a good reading with only the neutral connected.
I asked him what he did to fix it at the transformer."i redirected it"
Are you sure it isn't coming in on the ground?

jim
jim
 
marchplumber

marchplumber

Member
Site Supporter
Have seen power come in through "ground" and into water lines when power company dropped a "leg" at the pole. Volts don't "kill" but amps sure do. How many amps? Child testing is approved by most civilized countries. Let us know what ya find.

God bless,
Tony
 
waybomb

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
If it was a short in the machine, it woulld be at 110vac+. Up to 240vac.
I still think there's a corroded common or nuetral connection at the junction box on the machine.
 
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