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Unknown 63 volts

 
 
kbeitz
 
Reply Wed 23 Jul, 2014 10:03 am
I consider my self an electric an. I have been doing electrical work for 50 years.
But I have a question thats got me puzzled.
I was wiring up a wood work shop in an old dry barn on the second floor.
I was running a string of outlets around the wall. I started at the panel box and I hooked up the neutral and ground and I left the hot hang until I finished the job.
As I was putting in the recitals my arm brushed up and touched a metal pallet racking and I got a mild shock. So I got my tester and from the recital box to the racking
I got 63 volts. I spent the better part of an hour looking for the reason. Non found. I turn off the power at the main box and I still get 63 volts. The pallet racking sits on a wood floor and touches
nothing. So I walked 10 feet to another set of racking and again from the ground part of the recital box I get 63 volts touching the racking.
The main panel box has a good to earth ground. I'm puzzled. Where is the 63 volts coming from and why?
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Type: Question • Score: 1 • Views: 1,228 • Replies: 11
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dalehileman
 
  1  
Reply Wed 23 Jul, 2014 10:49 am
@kbeitz,
Sorry Kb but for the benefit of the Average Clod (me), you should define "recital box," "pallet racking"

kbeitz
 
  0  
Reply Wed 23 Jul, 2014 05:14 pm
@dalehileman,
receptacle box miss spell sorry.... (outlets)
pallet racking is heavy duty metal shelving use with a forklift truck.
dalehileman
 
  1  
Reply Wed 23 Jul, 2014 05:32 pm
@kbeitz,
Then Kb do I understand the racking measures 63 v ac to a reliable earth ground and you are standing on the floor holding nothing but the voltmeter, which I presume is battery-operated, and its probes

Buy chance are the racks somehow bolted down to the floor
0 Replies
 
kbeitz
 
  1  
Reply Thu 24 Jul, 2014 07:35 pm
More to the story here...

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=638993&highlight=
dalehileman
 
  1  
Reply Fri 25 Jul, 2014 10:43 am
@kbeitz,
Apparently Kb you're already in good hands and hardly require any further help
0 Replies
 
bahtah
 
  1  
Reply Fri 25 Jul, 2014 11:27 am
@kbeitz,
First I would try turning the power off not just to the barn but to the entire property. If the voltage goes away you will at least know it originates from your service and not a neighbor or from a HV induction nearby (I have seen both). Not knowing that layout of the property I'll suggest a couple of other things that may or may not apply. I had a situation where the power to a building of turned off and there was a faulted underground circuit from another location that as in contact with the underground water line to a hose at the building. The current was using the building ground as a return path and causing a shock hazard even though the building power was off. I would suspect your system is being used as a return and not a supply. I also had a job (150ft metal tower) where there was a HV overhead line nearby that through induction was causing problems with the motor control circuit that ran up the tower. If there are any HV lines nearby the racks could pick up some induction. If you have neighbors that are connected to the same utility transformer and they have a leaking underground circuit it will be looking for a return path anywhere it can.
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kbeitz
 
  1  
Reply Sat 26 Jul, 2014 04:58 am
Thanks to all for your ideas and help...
dalehileman
 
  1  
Reply Sat 26 Jul, 2014 10:38 am
@kbeitz,
Wild guess, Kb. You hadn't indicated whether the racks were bolted down. If so maybe there's a metallic subfloor somehow having acquired a potential. For instance the effect of capacitance

Connect a light bulb between one of the racks and neutral (first being sure of course that neutral is well grounded). If the 63 volts disappears when the bulb is connected then suspect capacitive coupling. If instead it lights up, even dimly, then you have a potentially dangerous situation on your hands
0 Replies
 
dalehileman
 
  1  
Reply Sun 27 Jul, 2014 10:41 am
@kbeitz,
So Kb have you performed any further tests….
kbeitz
 
  1  
Reply Thu 2 Oct, 2014 05:27 am
@dalehileman,
After much testing we found that the racking is getting bleed off from the 13,000 volt lines on the pole behind the barn. Only through the air. Working like an antenna.
dalehileman
 
  1  
Reply Thu 2 Oct, 2014 12:25 pm
@kbeitz,
Aha kb, capacitive (inductive?) coupling
0 Replies
 
 

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