Question for any resident electricians re: errant electricity in the home

[progdonkey]

I just recently moved my electric guitar and amp rig downstairs into my basement. Ever since moving, I'd been getting intermittent minor electrical shocks and "vibrations" from the pickups, controls, and even the strings. After checking different guitars as well as my backup amp--all having the same issue, I figured it had to be something to do with static electricity or something of that sort in the carpet (the house was built in '68 and I presume the wiring is just as old), rather than being poor wiring in the one guitar, amp, etc. (Plus, I have it all running through a medium-high level power conditioner.)

I found that the problem was that it was happening only when I was barefoot, and something must've been coming through the carpet (low, densely-woven), as it all seemed to disappear when I wore my sneakers.

So here's my question: if it's disappearing when I'm wearing sneakers, does that mean that the carpet has some consistent electrical current going through it, and if so, is that normal in a basement with low-pile carpet or should I have the wiring checked out by an electrician? I'm under the impression that if it were a simple static electricity discharge it would occur when I was, for instance, wearing socks, but not at all when I'm barefoot. :shrug:

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

1. Electricity jumps. Check plugs in the basement

to see if it is three wire ,white black and copper ground. Or you can buy a tester ,plug in type that will tell you through three lights if you are grounded at the plugs. And it will tell you if there is bad or weak connections. Is your washer and dryer in the basement ,and if so is there a grounding wire across the water pipes ? Your sneakers by the way are insulators ! Anything metal is a conductor. And you,are on the receiving end ! If your washer and dryer is down there and you have a deep sink,when the washer or dryer is going turn on or touch the facet at the sink to see if you receive a shock. And if you do ,you have grounding problem or electricity is jumping at loose connections ,on and so on,junction box's and so on.

The ground wire that runs across your water lines at the washer is green coated as a rule or it may be bear thick stranded copper wire connected to the hot cold pipes with clamps.

Thats right, the juice jumps !

And try plugging your guitar and amp. direct into the plug at the wall, by the way are your basement plugs three prong ? If your amp. requires a grounding plug ,the plug in at the wall must be a grounded plug three prong. Your plug in strip is not a substitute for the necessary grounded power supply at the wall.

[progdonkey]

2. okay, will do...

The outlets are of the three-pronged grounded variety and the power conditioner (as well as a few other smaller ones I have) all say that the line is grounded. The room I'm set up in, though, is right next to the laundry room, which also has an additional shower which was built into it at some point, so it's entirely possible that's where the problem is originating. (I think the previous owners had one of their elderly parents living with them and used that room as their bedroom, so they built them a shower right next to it--they were also the sort of people who did a lot of DIY but clearly never really knowing exactly what they were doing. I completely replaced the flooring in the foyer, for instance, because the job they did putting in parquet was just a total mess.)

I'll do the "shock test" the next time I need to do laundry, but it sounds like I'll have to call an electrician for any fixes, since it's completely beyond me (and potentially dangerous!).

Thanks!

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

3. Good thinking.! but hold on there.

Are there any plugs close to the floor in the shower and have you ever changed out a receptacle,plug ?

I ran in to similar problem in a clients home where I had previously run into electrical problem areas for the same reasons you mentioned.

Now on that particular it turned out to be a bad plug in the bathroom which was the same wall as the laundry wall, opposite side. The receptacle was right across from the shower pan, or floor. The moisture thing.

If it's a bad plug, that's a easy home owner fix. Do you know what circuit breaker switch shuts off power to the down stairs plugs ? At the panel box it should be marked ,but that isn't always the case.Or one 15 or 20 amp. breaker at a time until you find it. Than mark it.

On the plug, gold screws are power, black wire, silver are neutral ,white wire. And green screw is copper ground. At home depot or Lowe's you can get free pamphlets on how to do that. It's pretty basic really. And buy one of those five dollar plug testers ,yellow in color ,it will tell you if the plug or any plug is bad. All it takes for that is one.

Give it a go, you can do it ! You mentioned that you have not encountered that problem in other areas in the house. So that narrows it down. So it's electricity jumping from a plug or a light or a junction box or you may have a loose connection at the panel box . At the box you got a neutral bus bar,white wire, a grounding bus bar ,bear copper ground and the black wire goes to the circuit breaker. You throw the main breaker cutting all power to the house ,check with a electrical tester to make certain power is off,than check all screws to make certain the connections are tight.That's a little more than basic.And here are the probable symptoms.

Than there is your equipment . By the way how far is the panel box from where you play your instrument? And are you pulling too much power through one circuit ? In amps in relation to a 15 or 20 amp circuit ?

[Warpy]

4. Wear rubber soled shoes and you should be OK

My own feeling is that the carpet is slightly damp and you're acting as a separate ground for the guitar when you're standing on it barefoot.

[conscious evolution]

5. Sounds like either

your grounded or your grounding conductor is loose somewhere.
Turn off the power and go through every switch,receptacle and light fixture junction box and make sure all of the taps and connections are tight.
Don't forget the ground and nuetral terminals at the panel and at the meter.Especially if your house has aluminum wiring.Al wire has a tendency to come loose over time.
Also,check the grounding connections at the water line connection and at the ground rod at the meter.

[Kolesar]

6. It only takes a small amount of current for 120 volt electricity to kill somebody

Concrete floors have a significant moisture content and could pass currents into your body (as distinguished from upstairs wood floors or subfloors).

Ground fault interrupter outlets should be used in basements, garages, kitchens and baths since the water present is a grounding path. This is modern electrical code requirements.

I expect that you are getting tiny "leakage" currents from a wiring problem in your electronics or in the house wiring. The current leaks from conductive surfaces, through you, to the floor.

Please get it fixed and check back in.