Holty Posted May 6, 2021 Report Share Posted May 6, 2021 OK I feel like I'm going crazy with this. I work with electricity I'm a cable jointer so I'm somewhat knowledgeable about electric however I'm not a domestic electrician. I've had my had tub for around 12 months and never had an issue until the other day I was balancing the water stood at the side of the hot tub barefooted and I felt a tingling sensation in my finger tips in the water. I tried the same thing but with my shoes on and felt nothing. I removed my shoes again and the sensation came back. I had my electrician round and he couldn't pick any volts up with a test pen and said he can't fell anything (wearing shoes). I've just been out and tried the same test again and whenever I'm barefoot I feel it but the strange thing for me is I only feel it on my fingers where I have cuts in my skin. But as soon as I isolate myself either by lifting my foot from ground or putting my shoe on it disappears. Does anyone have a sure way to test if there is any voltage whatsoever in the water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted May 6, 2021 Report Share Posted May 6, 2021 @Holty Test with a multi meter. Place one probe into the ground and one into the water. If you get a reading disconnect the electrical from the spa completely and try it again. If you still get a reading for voltage call your local Hydro company as there is likely a failed transformer gone to ground somewhere in the neighborhood. DO NOT ENTER THE WATER OR PUT YOUR HAND IN IT... EVEN JUST TO FEEL IT. ELECTRICITY AND WATER DON'T MIX AND CAN/WILL KILL YOU!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted May 6, 2021 Report Share Posted May 6, 2021 https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/53314-electrical-shock-in-tub-can’t-trace-back-anywhere/ I sent this guy a PM and asked if he got it figured out...We'll see if he responds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holty Posted May 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2021 @CanadianSpaTech hi thanks for the reply, I have just checked with my multimeter from a nearby earth block and the water is reading 0.2volts. Im certain it isn't anything to do with my electrical supply to the property as that's the industry I work in there's also isn't a transformer or any other power supply near my property apart from the main I'm fed from. The network I'm fed from is a pme system so would placing a seperate earth rod hooked upto the tub solve the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted May 6, 2021 Report Share Posted May 6, 2021 @Holty Did you disconnect power/electrical from the spa pack and try it. If you still get a reading there is a problem elsewhere and needs to be addressed. If you read the other post the failed transformer I was dealing with was over a mile away and sending power through the ground. Was getting a little higher reading than yours at >6V and would give you a good tingle... like licking a battery...lol. Please let us know what you find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted May 7, 2021 Report Share Posted May 7, 2021 6 hours ago, Holty said: a seperate earth rod hooked upto the tub solve the problem? Probably. I suspect it is an earth bond issue. The earth has varying electrical potential, not only from electrical grounding in the area, but naturally too. If your spa ground goes back to a panel which is far away or ungrounded except at the transformer, or the ground connection is poor (dry) you can see a difference in ground potential between the grounded water and the earth at that location. An additional ground rod tied in to the existing ground system would bond the two locations and eliminate the difference in potential (voltage). If it causes a tripped gfci breaker then your spa has a short and has lost its ground, or is improperly wired. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holty Posted May 7, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2021 @CanadianSpaTech hi so I've just got home from work and done the same test again, now this time I ran a earth rod into ground and then measured from the water to the rod, same reading a 0.2v. I also did the same wet foot test I know I shouldn't be I wanted to be sure I'm not just going crazy, same result if I am ground and wet feet and touch the water I feel the discomfort of the shock. Now for the fun part.. I switched isolator off and re did the same test and still recieved 0.2v and a tingle when I touch the water and I'm grounded. How?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted May 7, 2021 Report Share Posted May 7, 2021 51 minutes ago, Holty said: switched isolator off What is an isolator? The ground circuit does not get "turned off" by any switch or breaker, and the difference in potential exists in the earth and has nothing at all to do with your spa power wiring, except for the ground path provided by your ground wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted May 7, 2021 Report Share Posted May 7, 2021 2 hours ago, RDspaguy said: What is an isolator? I'm guessing the breaker 2 hours ago, RDspaguy said: The ground circuit does not get "turned off" by any switch or breaker, and the difference in potential exists in the earth and has nothing at all to do with your spa power wiring, except for the ground path provided by your ground wire. Whew...That's a lot to inhale...lol So in simpleton terms where do you think the most likely source of the power is coming from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 Ummm... the earth. It doesn't matter beyond that point. The ground wire provides less resistance than the earth does to reach the ground rod at the panel or pole. The difference is enough to give you .2v between the earth at the spa and the ground wire (and water) in the spa. (Test it after it rains and it will be less or even none.) You don't care what is happening in the neighbors yard or across the street, and a ground rod takes care of it for you. Now, if you had an inground pool that wasn't bonded it would be a big problem, and would eat up your heat exchanger with tracking every year or two. But that's another story. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth2022 Posted February 12, 2022 Report Share Posted February 12, 2022 @Holty did you sort out this issue with the electric current in the water, we have exactly same issue. What was the cause and solution? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debdeb2022 Posted April 28, 2022 Report Share Posted April 28, 2022 I am also having this issue and the zap is a bit higher ( about 9v) . Was there a solution ? Please let us know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulpaul82 Posted April 1, 2023 Report Share Posted April 1, 2023 Is this some electrochemistry going on due to high salt loading in the water? I also notice it with cuts on my fingers and wet feet. Doesn't happen to the cuts when I'm in the tub so it's not just salt in a wound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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