Electric shock from earth wire? You shouldn’t get a shock from an earth wire under any circumstances. If you received an electric shock from an earth wire, it indicates a range of potentially dangerous and illegal scenarios which I will attempt to cover some of in this article.
What Happens When You Receive An Electric Shock
An electric shock occurs when you make contact with a surface which is electrically live. The contact between the ‘live’ surface and the earth allows electrical current to flow through a body resulting in a shock which can be harmful or even fatal.
The severity of an electric shock depends on how long someone is exposed to the shock and how strong the shock is. The strength of the electric shock also depends on how well you are connected to ground. For example, the electric shock is likely to be much worse if you are bare-foot than if you are wearing rubber boots. Legally, you must have residual current devices (RCDs), and a good earthing system to protect from electric shocks.
Why Have An Earth Wire?
The earth wire is part of the home’s electrical safety system. It should not shock you under any circumstances.
Its job is to provide a low resistance pathway for current to flow if there is an electrical fault such as a short circuit or ground fault.
For example, when a light-fitting short circuits and burns out, a large current will flow causing the breaker to trip, thereby stopping a fire. Without a good earthing system this is won’t happen.
In other words it helps ensure that devices in your switchboard which protect against short circuits (MCB’s, RCBO’s, RCD’s) will actually shut off the circuit before a fire or fatal electric shock occurs.
Again, if you’ve been shocked by an earth wire here is what it could mean.
Electric Shock From Earth Wire – Reason #1
Earth Wire Not Labelled As Live
Bad electricians and homeowners sometimes will use the earth wire as a live wire in a 2-way light switch.
I’ve seen it happen and it’s very dangerous. If the earth wire hasn’t been properly sleeved and identified as a live wire, it is very possible for someone to get a shock or accidentally connect a ‘live wire’ to the earthing system.
Electric Shock From Earth Wire – Reason #2
Earth Wire Wrongly Connected To Live
It is possible that the earth wire was accidentally connected to a phase somewhere in the electrical system. This would result in an electric shock if it was touched.
Electric Shock From Earth Wire – Reason #3
Electrical Fault And Bad Main Earth
A bad earth happens when your main earth wire outside has a poor connection to earth. This can happen for many reasons including physical damage to the wire, corrosion, erosion of the surrounding earth, broken earth clamp.
If there is a bad main earth with an electrical fault somewhere in the house (such as a cut in an extension lead across phase and neutral) and you will get an electric shock from the earth wire if you were to touch it. This is assuming that you are a better earth than the earth pin itself (wet hands, no shoes – for example).
The solution to this is to make sure that the earth pin is intact and the earth connection to the earth pin is in good condition. If you are in any doubt, make sure to contact a registered electrician.
Electric Shock From Earth Wire – Reason #4
Electrical Fault In Neighbouring House With Bad Earth
If the neighbour doesn’t have a good earth and has an electrical fault, then the fault current can sometimes travel through the ground and come up your earth peg and through your earthing system back to the transformer, resulting in a potential electric shock if you are in contact with the wire.
Conclusion
Electric shock from earth wire? You should not get an electric shock because an earth wire does not carry current under normal conditions. It only carries current when something like an electrical fault has happened. If the earth has been wrongly labelled, wrongly connected or is a ‘poor earth’ then it is very possible to get a shock from it.
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