Electric Shock

steelheadguy

steelheadguy

Member
Well this thread most definitely fits in the newbie section.

I come to you rollitup, after reading your site for months I finally have registered to start asking questions and to do my best to contribute.
Here we go.

I have a garage. The garage came pre wired with a 240v sub panel. It also has a regular 120v circuit.

The other day while moving light chains, I let a 240v 400w HPS hood touch my 120v 4ft 8 bulb t5 this sent a crazy electrifying shock through the upper part of my body from one hand through to the other. It was intense, I couldnt let go, breathe, yell or anything. After what felt like eternity the power cut off somehow and I fell to the ground and blacked out for a split second.

I thought this was my fault until again today I was shocked, this time not nearly as bad. This time all I did was touch my 120v surge protector which had the same t5, infrared heater and a fan plugged into it.

All of the appliances and the surge protector are new, except for the lights... I bought those used.

Am I just having bad luck and stupidity or could there be something wrong with the t5 or the wiring of the house? Maybe the ballast? (When I bought it used it was wired to 240v but had a 120v male plug on it ??)

Also, before being shocked the first time, I remember the chain being magnetized to the hood of the 400w. Is that normal?


Thanks for the help.:twisted:
 
Dogenzengi

Dogenzengi

Well-Known Member
Call an Electrician, you have a problem with the grounding of one or both of those panels.
IMHO.
Be careful 240 volts is a high voltage and it can really put a hurt on you, you were lucky.
Dont risk your life!
 
steelheadguy

steelheadguy

Member
This is my first month renting the garage. Is there any test I can do to find out a specific problem to give the landlord?
I hope I figure this out or Ill either have to move out and hope I get my rent back, or work in a rubber suit at all times haha sorry the shock has driven me mad... jk
 
SnapsProvolone

SnapsProvolone

Well-Known Member
You have a multimeter? Pull the power strip, test for continuity between the ground and both of the current carring conductors. If you have continuity then power strip is bad.
 
steelheadguy

steelheadguy

Member
So in a properly grounded and wired home or garage. One could safely touch 2 separate lights together like I did? Sorry for the question I just don't want to sound like an idiot when I try to tell the landlord all of this.
 
SnapsProvolone

SnapsProvolone

Well-Known Member
You have two problems imo.

1) short to a metal housing (defective equipment)
2) no functional equipment ground

If say the metal housing of one light became energized, if its grounded you would trip the breaker.

If you touch energized housing and a grounded housing then your the path for current to travel.

One of your lights is defective or wired incorrectly.

I suspect the one you said was wired 240 with a 120 cord.
 
C

candleguy

Active Member
just of a quick read my first thought is the fitting that was wired 240 with a 120 cord is wired wrongly, as in the live is in the earth and vise versa. this would make all the casing live as it is metal than when you touch the other fitting which is wired correctly as in the case is earthed thats how you are getting a shock, hope it helps
 
Dogenzengi

Dogenzengi

Well-Known Member
Concrete floor or dirt?

outside the garage is a big copper rod driven into the ground with a copper clamp attached to a bare copper wire.
(look outside your home for an example.)

Check for an external water pipe, a homes ground is almost always finished in that matter.

if no Ground, IT IS UNSAFE, please don't try and solve the problem alone.

high voltage is very dangerous, you were LUCKY when you got shocked it could have been a lot worse.

if you are asking these questions don't pull panel covers to test anything, one mistake and you could get fried.

Like it was said before you can do some simple tests of the outlets and the equipment.

I would be very cautious Electricity can Kill Ya!
 
steelheadguy

steelheadguy

Member
The floors are dirt, but I have pretty thick rubber mats laid out. I dont think I was standing on one when this happened.

When I opened the ballast I saw that the wire labeled 240v was already connected. So I cut the cord about a foot away from the ballast and replaced the male 120 plug with a 240 plug. That should work right? What should I look for to make sure the neutral and ground are correct?

Im not going to test any of this stuff while it is powered on. Ill buy a receptacle tester, and check continuity of the lights and power strip. Again, thanks for the help, I want to make sure this isn't my fault before complaining to the landlord.
 
Sand4x105

Sand4x105

Well-Known Member
SnapsProvolone said:
You did the test. You got electrocuted.
Click to expand...
No... He just got shocked... 60 cycles for a split second feels like forever....
If he was electrocuted, he'd be dead...
I've been shocked a million times... usually a bad electrician before me... Not LMFAO....
Sounds like lights are ungrounded, and has a nuetral and hot reversed, which results in the lights metal parts being hot, and not ground...
When you grab something that does have a ground, and touch the light at same time, you complete the circuit, of hot to ground...
Hot always looks for it's shortest path to ground...
 
Sand4x105

Sand4x105

Well-Known Member
SnapsProvolone said:
You have two problems imo.

1) short to a metal housing (defective equipment)
2) no functional equipment ground

If say the metal housing of one light became energized, if its grounded you would trip the breaker.

If you touch energized housing and a grounded housing then your the path for current to travel.

One of your lights is defective or wired incorrectly.

I suspect the one you said was wired 240 with a 120 cord.
Click to expand...
Ding ding we have a winner!
Maybe just the Hot/N switched... maybe it's just running on 110 and thinks it's 220?
 
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Well-Known Member
Steelheadguy:

I'm truly concerned as you need this addressed by an electrician who understands the electrical code of your state/country.
Dr. Jekyll

You have shocked/electrocuted yourself, plus undoubtedly have inflicted irreversible damage to the ballast, what next? do we want to try burning the house down to the friggin ground?
Mr. Hyde
 
SnapsProvolone

SnapsProvolone

Well-Known Member
steelheadguy said:
The floors are dirt, but I have pretty thick rubber mats laid out. I dont think I was standing on one when this happened.

When I opened the ballast I saw that the wire labeled 240v was already connected. So I cut the cord about a foot away from the ballast and replaced the male 120 plug with a 240 plug. That should work right? What should I look for to make sure the neutral and ground are correct?

Im not going to test any of this stuff while it is powered on. Ill buy a receptacle tester, and check continuity of the lights and power strip. Again, thanks for the help, I want to make sure this isn't my fault before complaining to the landlord.
Click to expand...
That 240v tap will be live when running 120. Tape it up.
 
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