Strange Electrical Problem


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Old 07-19-19, 04:43 PM
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Strange Electrical Problem

i’ve built an out door kitchen all metal framing, metal outlet boxes, connected with metal cover 12-2 wire. I’m getting shocked if my knee or body is contact with the concrete and I touch the metal framing. As long as I’m standing with shoes on no shock. I have the kitchen fed from the house main box via a 60 amp 220 breaker with neutral and ground. The box in the house is bonded and the one at the kitchen is unbounded. All the outlets test fine. Hot to Ground 120v, hot to neutral 120v, neutral to ground 0v. I’ve tested allbwith an outlet tester and no reversed wiring. The shock happens with and with out the kitchen main breaker turned off so I’m thinking the problem is inside the house and is feeding down the neutral or ground wire to the outdoor kitchen. I’m at a loss with this one so any help is greatly appreciated.
 
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Old 07-19-19, 05:59 PM
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What other electrical is in the area? Any buried electrical lights etc.?
 
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Old 07-19-19, 09:20 PM
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Welcome to the forums.

It sounds like you have a house ground problem. Separate neutral and ground at the sub panel is good. You need to check at your main panel to see how your service is grounded. Possible city water pipe or ground rods.

Here's another slant...... you said metal covered 12-2..... what is that ?
BX... steel flex two wires only.
MC... aluminum flex with two wires and a green ground wire.
AC.... aluminum flex with two wires and thin metal strip ?
 
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Old 07-20-19, 05:56 AM
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The wire in the outdoor kitchen is flexible metal with 2 wires and a green ground. Not sure what’s it’s called but I bought it Lowes. The house is grounded via bare copper wire to a grounding rod outside. All the plumbing in the house is PEX. Everything in the main panel looks to be fine. I can’t find any voltage present going to ground. I know there is something there because like I said if I touch the metal frame of the outdoor kitchen and touch the concrete I’m getting shocked. I’m st complete loss. No breakers tripping or lights acting funny.
 

Last edited by Rforrest; 07-20-19 at 06:03 AM. Reason: Left out word
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Old 07-20-19, 06:00 AM
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No other electric in the area to speak of. I have an underground feed to services a detached garage but it’s a good distance away from the outdoor kitchen. The wire to the outdoor kitchen is 4 individual strands ran in pvc conduit underground to the sub panel.
 
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Old 07-20-19, 06:40 AM
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If I understand correct the shock happens even when the breaker is off to the new outdoor kitchen. If that is true then the power source is not your new feed. The power is coming from somewhere else and the new kitchen ground is completing the circuit. Start turning off other circuits until you find which one is causing the problem.
 
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Old 07-20-19, 06:53 AM
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That is correct. I have the main panel breaker off and the kitchen sub panel main off. I was able to measure 1.5v from the kitchen framing to the concrete. We did have a new inground pool put in and the contractor did ground everything including the mesh under the concrete. My wife or myself haven’t been shocked by the pool deck in or out of the water.
 

Last edited by Rforrest; 07-20-19 at 06:58 AM. Reason: Typo
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Old 07-20-19, 09:41 AM
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You need to investigate your main panel grounding.

There may be several issues there..... since there is an inground pool involved..... the pool steel should be connected back to the main panel.

Do you have an electrician....... get him. This needs to be checked carefully.
 
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Old 07-20-19, 12:49 PM
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I’ve got a call in to a couple. Hopefully they can find it.
 
 

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