4 volts to ground.why?

1436 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by kbsparky, Jul 19, 2009

awp

Discussion Starter · Jul 17, 2009

hello.i wired my own house and everything works and no breakers trip but when im under the house i can take my meter and stick one probe in the ground and touch anything metal and read 4 volts. of course all metal things have a ground wire in common.if im sweaty there is a tingle.ive notified the power company.they said there side was correct.i can turn off my main breakers and still read 4 volts.the only way it goes away is if the power company disconnect their neutral.im confused.any input would be appreciated.

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kbsparky

· #2 · Jul 17, 2009

Stray voltage in the ground. This can be a problem as you have discovered.

Think of it this way: Your pipes are not hot, the ground is. So when you touch your grounded pipes and the dirt at the same time, you can feel the tingle of the potential difference.

In the summer, when the weather is hot, and the ground is dry, it will get worse the drier the ground gets.

After a good rain, I'll bet the problem temporarily goes away. :whistling2:

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kbsparky

· #7 · Jul 19, 2009

Pulling the meter would have no effect on containing stray voltage. Since the neutral lines remain connected, any stray voltage readings would remain.

You have to get the POCO involved in this, since the problem is most likely on their end.

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