Need an expert electrician

[GlassReef]

I'm in the midst of putting together a 375gal system. Had an electrician come out yesterday and run a line from the main breaker box to the fish room, where he installed a 2 slot distribution box. The line leaves the main box off a 40 amp 220 breaker (2 hot lines and a ground). Ends up in the distribution box as two 20 amp 110 breakers. So ... my problem: if I touch the outside of the distribution box (fish room) I get a small shock. Kind of like static from grabbing a car door in dry weather. I called the electrician and he just says nothing to worry about - but, of course, it worries me to no end. I'd hate to have a constantly charged aquarium. Are there any experts out there that can tell me what could cause the shock I'm experiencing and maybe more importantly, what I can do about it. Oh, BTW - after I've gotten the shock, it does not happen again until some time (undetermined) later.

Help!!!

 

[Jay180reef]

Press a voltage meter or multimeter against the box and see what it reads. You could call a different company to ask for second opinion.

 

[J-Burns]

I would just call the electrician and I am sure he would wnt to come back and check it out. BTW If you have carpet you may be picking up static all though this normally is in cold weather. If you use a volt meter you will need to check to ground ( bare wire.)

 

[VDub90]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13463169#post13463169 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by J-Burns
I would just call the electrician and I am sure he would wnt to come back and check it out. BTW If you have carpet you may be picking up static all though this normally is in cold weather. If you use a volt meter you will need to check to ground ( bare wire.)

+1 you may be building up static and the new box is well grounded so when you touch the box you will get a good little zap. But yeah use a voltmeter to check it out. If something was really wrong you'd get a big zap.

 

[Paulairduck]

Sounds like a bad ground to me

 

[GlassReef]

So with a voltmeter I put one probe on ground and the other on ....?

Sorry to be such a dunce. I can build just about anything - but I don't know how a light bulb works.

 

[eggiel]

do this test turn off the breaker that gives power tu your new panel and touch the box and see if you still get that zap
let me know ill be cheaking this post

 

[mojo~]

put one on the ground and hte other on the box. could be static, But take a look. Did he pull a neutral or did he just use the a termination in box? is the box grounded. That would be a good place to start. +1 on bad ground.

 

[GlassReef]

eggiel - I shut off the breaker in the main panel and got no shock, but I should explain that before I read your post I found that if I received a shock and then touched the box again, I then got no shock. Almost as if I was loading myself up somehow. Like walking across carpet. We've never had static problems in the house before - we have no carpets. None. I was thinking, I just covered all the walls in the fish room with fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP). I wonder if constantly touching the plastic walls could cause a static charge. I googled it but found nothing.

mojo - he pulled 4 wires: 2 hot, 1 common, 1 ground

I checked for voltage between the box and ground - nothing. Also did a resistance check (if that's what you call it) - 0 Ohms.

Doesn't look like I'm going to solve this. In any case thanks for the help - that's the magic of RC.

 

[mojo~]

sounds like problem solved. wiring good. Static can give quite a jolt at times. I drive a skylift sometimes @ work to get to the electrical in the ceiling and wow what a jolt you get if your dont ground it out first.

 

[2farNorth]

Let me get this straight..... you told your electrician that you were getting a shock when you touch the eletrical box he installed? and he said not to worry about it??

I'd say call in another electrician. Over the phone without the guy coming and checking it out sounds pretty fishy to me.... Is he licensed? Doesn't sound too concerned about his work....

It may just be static, but either way, I'd have someone out to look at it... just curious, is the box metal or plastic?

 

[GlassReef]

2farNorth - the box is metal. I just got of the phone with the electrician - well actually his boss (and it's his dinnertime) . He promised to send someone out tomorrow. He sounded pretty nervous. Looks like things will get done.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[eggiel]

ok so when you turn your main breaker off no shock
when you turn it on you get the shock

Am i right

what voltage you whant in your new panel 120/240

 

[GlassReef]

That seems to be the case. New panel is 120V.

 

[eggiel]

i dont know you color code for your country but did he put

2 wires coming out from breaker to the main lugs of you new panel (black)
1 wire from the side terminals of your main panel to your new panel (green ground)
1 wire from the side terminals of your main panel to your new panel (white neutral)

 

[GlassReef]

Yes - just checked it.

 

[eggiel]

ok is there a bar that crosses from the ground to the neutral on your main panel
and are the wire color coded ?
what colors are they ?

 

[GlassReef]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the help and suggestions - especially eggie..

The owner of the firm that put in the distribution box came by this morning. He screwed around for about an hour the said he found a small problem, that it was now fixed, and that he wouldn't charge me. When I ask him what was wrong he just hemmd and hawed.

Some things never change .... well, at least I don't get shocked any more.

 

[eggiel]

thank you
thats why I ask questions just to tell what they did wrong but anyway glad you got that fix
I bet they wired something wrong

 

[dvanacker]

I'm not an electrician but know a bit. I've never seen someone use a 2 pole breaker (220v) and spit it into 2 (110v) outlets. That would be one neutral. Maybe it was some type of grounding loop.