Wierd electrical question...

[jwstewar]

I think your mixing up messages from the original poster, Richard, who opened the circuit breaker, with Dan, the one I was replying to, who said nothing about removing power.

Otherwise, I agree 100% with you, if there is no power is supplied, there will be no power in the circuit. But that's kinda like saying water is wet, we all know that.

Nope, I wasn't mixed up. They said disconnect the mains and don't forget the cable. The poster said he was on sat. If the mains are disconnected, the satellite doesn't have power - or at least shouldn't. I stand by my original comment and to whom is was posted to - you. Because even Dan said

COAX does run to the dish is that somehow powered? Course if it was powered then when Richard drops the main it should not be powered.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Most electricians in our area only drive one ground rod either 6' or 8' which is usually not sufficient, at the power company we drive a minimum of 16' of rod and sometimes that is not enough to get a suitable ground, I would advise anyone to make sure that they have a suitable ground at their metercan, that way if something does happen on the power company side of the metercan ie loss of neutral due to lines being torn down, storms etc you have your own driven ground to fall back on, possibly saving appliances and other things in your home.

 

[biggerten]

Nope, I wasn't mixed up. They said disconnect the mains and don't forget the cable. The poster said he was on sat. If the mains are disconnected, the satellite doesn't have power - or at least shouldn't. I stand by my original comment and to whom is was posted to - you. Because even Dan said

I probably should just let things slide, as we shouldn't need this discussion. Here is Dan's entire post, the post I replied to. He clearly says his satellite dish does not have power running to it. I assure you and Dan that it does, otherwise there'd be a post "Why doesn't my satellite TV work?" from Dan. The power is supplied by the receiver through the coax to the dish, there is no separate power cord. Dan talks about Richard 'dropping the mains', nothing about his own.

My Sat dish does not have power running too it. How would power come from the Sat dish? COAX does run to the dish is that somehow powered? Course if it was powered then when Richard drops the main it should not be powered.

Or does the dish pick up the 12v from the signal?

More Confused Than Usual.
Dan

 

[Inspector507]

The satellite dish should cause a problem.

Yes that was a typo sorry.
The satellite should NOT cause a problem.

 

[Richard]

Are you the only one on the transformer?
Is the entrance cable damaged and causing leakage?
Ground at pole bad transformer lost grd.
Pull meter and check all the connections for corrosion causing leakage.
How close are you to another service or neighbor?
Shut off all of the breakers see if it goes away could be back leakage from defective UPS

I believe the house is on its own transformer with no one else

As for entrance cable damaged and ground at pole... I don't know

how close to neighbor... hmm... 500/700 feet?

No UPS if you mean the kind a PC might be connected into.




General question again... my brother in law came to MY house to test my ground. I think his theory was if the electric company was somehow feeding something back down the neutral or ground (I don't really know WHAT he was suspecting this is just me making it up as I go!)

Anyways, if it was in their system, he felt/hoped it would also show up at my house (2,000 feet away, also on indepenent transformer). When he got to my house he put one meter probe on the copper ground line to the ground and I think the other line was stuck into the ground itself.

It was dark and he was working with his back to me so I am not 100% sure that is what he was metering.

He came up with zero values on me when he was sort of hoping to find the same 12 volts he found at his fathers.

Personally, I'm glad he couldn't replicate it here. I called the power company yesterday and thus far, I've not heard anything back from them. I need to talk to my FIL & see if they contacted him.

What really confuses me and shows my ignorance is how any current could be there with the main breaker shut off.

 

[MikeInEburg]

Was the 12 volts measured AC or DC? Any battery powered widgets in sight? Measured between the water puddle on the floor and earth ground? With mains disconnected, there should be NO ac power on the premesis. If you measure AC anything there really is a hazardous situation.

Mike

 

[kenstrac]

Is the 12v from outside of the water tank to the ground wire?
Is the plumbing system giving you the voltage and not the electrical system?
Ground from telephone tied to plumbing?

 

[LD1]

I would try to isolate the water heater from the electrical box by disconnecting all the wiring at the heater.

Then re-check the heater and the box. This will tell you if it is comming from the plumbing or the wiring. (Assuming you have copper plumbing and not PVC)

 

[biggerten]

Another interesting possiblity. Does your father have a well? My father had to have his pump pulled once because of the insulation on the pump wiring being worn by contact with the well casing. Picture this - every time the pump started, there was a little twisting going on due to the torque. Over time, with many of these tiny twists, the insulation was worn, little by little. This, combined with poor grounding, could energize the plumbing. And it wouldn't neccesarily be a dead short. Just a thought.

 

[mbrule]

I am no electrician, but it sure sounds like the power is coming from the phone to me.