Earthing problem (probably)

[nickgill]

Hi all; hoped someone might be able to give me a little advice. I have three electrical issues in the house, which I think might have the common cause of an earthing problem. These problems are...

1. Tingling when touching some electrical devices (eg metal case of hifi amplifier, laptop case etc)
2. Hum from powered speakers, even with no input (also hum from passive speakers attached to amplifier).
3. Wi-fi powerline extenders often lose connection to router (though router remains connected to the internet).

An electrician friend suggested that it sounded like a loose earth connection, and that I could check the socket connections and tighten anything up that looked loose. I've done that, and the problem persists. I've ordered a socket tester, but it's not one where I could put a multimeter on the connections - it'll just tell me if there's a fault.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what I could do next?

 

[Pete999]

Yes, Nick you would be well advised to employ the services of a decent Electrician, a socket tester will only tell you certain things, do yourself a favour get a Spark in to have a look, this Friend of yours, is he an electrician???

 

[Leesparkykent]

Might be worth having an periodic inspection carried out on you're property. From having the periodic inspection done the electrician will produce an electrical installation condition report. The report will list any defects found and will have a code for each defect which indicates the severity in regards to electrical safety.

 

[Pat H]

Most of those sound pretty normal to me.
Many modern devices are double insulated so have no earth connection. So a small voltage can develop between the casing and you as you walk across the carpet.
Speakers or an amp with no input turned up loud will hum. Shorting the input connections may reduce the hum and prove its not an earth related issue. (earth or not won't really affect hum)
As for mains powered wireless repeaters. they are prone to issues anyway so could be a red herring.
Of course it makes sense to test the earth but I suspect it will be fine.
Its an important safety element so if in doubt get it checked but it will require the proper test equipment not just a multi meter.

 

[telectrix]

what he said, and him and him ^^^^^^^. an earth fault can cause several problems, some dangerous.

 

[Squid]

I had an issue when I touched the sink and the hinge of the washing machine I got a "tingle" and it was down to the fact the socket didn't have an earth cable to the back box sorted that one out and all has been fine since.

If I ever split up with the other half it will be removed.................. ;o)))))

 

[Pat H]

I had an issue when I touched the sink and the hinge of the washing machine I got a "tingle" and it was down to the fact the socket didn't have an earth cable to the back box sorted that one out and all has been fine since.

If I ever split up with the other half it will be removed.................. ;o)))))

You may want that looked at. That wire shouldn't have affected the earthing of the fridge. Only the backbox. The implication is that the fridge earth is now via that wire to the back box and then from there to the ring main earth.

 

[Leesparkykent]

I had an issue when I touched the sink and the hinge of the washing machine I got a "tingle" and it was down to the fact the socket didn't have an earth cable to the back box sorted that one out and all has been fine since.

If I ever split up with the other half it will be removed.................. ;o)))))

Now that would be a malicious thing to do lol.......I know someone who split up the their missus and before moving out he disconnected the pump over run cable on the boiler and put the pump in with the switch live...The boiler was knackered within a few months.

 

[telectrix]

Now that would be a malicious thing to do lol.......I know someone who split up the their missus and before moving out he disconnected the pump over run cable on the boiler and put the pump in with the switch live...The boiler was knackered within a few months.

the central heating boiler or his missus?

 

[Squid]

Nah its fine now and I sorted out the CSU as it was errr a work in progress. The fridge is fine it was the washing machine as bloke you'll understand that its one of those appliances we keep well away from.

The fridge at least has a few beers in it ;o)))))

 

[davesparks]

There could be multiple faults here, a fault which has resulted in a voltage appearing on the cases of equipment, and another fault which has led to the cases of the equipment not being connected to earth.

The last time I had a similar fault was after someone had fitted their own metal light switches, surprisingly had connected the CPC to the metal switch plate correctly. When I got there they were claiming to feel tingling when touching some of the light switches.
I found that when screwing back the metal plates they had nicked one of the live conductors shorting it to the CPC. But the CPC was not connected to earth so the effect was to make all of the metal switches live with reference to earth. Thanks to the wooden floors in the house nobody got a severe shock from this.
With Further investigation I found a joint box under the floor which had all of the CPCs stripped and sticking out waiting to be connected, I can only assume the person who rewired the house put the lid on the JB and forgot to then connect the CPCs (it was done in the era of connecting CPCs outside the JB)

 

[Dave OCD]

You'd have thought that only the one switch where they'd nicked the live would have voltage on the metal plate with no CPC continuity to anything else ?

 

[Marvo]

I'd agree it sounds like you may have multiple faults resulting in the tingling you get. As suggested get a decent sparky to do the tests.

 

[Des 56]

Where there are no metal parts,it seems to me static discharge the likely culprit
After having a tingle from the amplifier,has it ever happened where 2 tingles were experienced?


The washer tingle needs investigation

 

[westward10]

Sounds like a classic loss of supply earth.

 

[davesparks]

You'd have thought that only the one switch where they'd nicked the live would have voltage on the metal plate with no CPC continuity to anything else ?

There was cpc continuity between everything on the outgoing side of that JB, all of the others JBs had the cpcs connected.

 

[Dave OCD]

Ah ok that makes sense.