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Help Support Hardline Crawlers :
Testing for electricity in water
- Thread starter MSimpson
- Start date
I had no idea that you could get shocked so bad in a large area of water until recently. I always knew about "the bathtub" but didn't think it would affect a person so much in a large body of water.
http://www.kfvs12.com/story/18960943/2-boys-die-from-electrical-shock-in-tennessee-lake
http://www.kfvs12.com/story/18960943/2-boys-die-from-electrical-shock-in-tennessee-lake
muddycreek
Salty Bones
There must be a 240v line arcing under the dock to the metal structure and these kids got near somehow.
You can not make a large body of water "HOT" just by putting an electric line in the water.
Yes water is a conductor but it has to eventually contact something else first to complete the circuit.
You can not make a large body of water "HOT" just by putting an electric line in the water.
Yes water is a conductor but it has to eventually contact something else first to complete the circuit.
yellowjacket
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2012
- Messages
- 70
Re: Re: Re: Testing for electricity in water
know much about using a meter? or electricity?:-\
BUG-E J said:I would think you could take a standard volt meter, turn it to ac, stick both probes in the water.And actually water will not conduct electricity its the impurities in the water.
know much about using a meter? or electricity?:-\
Is it when the kids touch the dock getting out if the water. If so it may be an improper ground somewhere on the dock lights, or the 120 plug or 240 plugs. First thing I would do is cut off all power to the dock and see if it's still doing it. Then go through every light And plug and make sure it's all connected correctly ( make sure the breaker is off when ur working on everything). I really don't know the surroundings so I don't know if there is other docks.
sparepartsdave
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2011
- Messages
- 108
In fresh water you make the path to ground, electricity won't conduct thru fresh water unless it has minerals suspended in it(remember we add distilled water to batteries), when a person get close enough to overcome the resistance in the water, they make the bridge to ground for the electricity, that's why they got shocked when the touched the dock. I never get in the water around dock power in fresh water to work on a boat,
I didn't want to hi-jack MSimpsons original post about how to check for electricity in water, but I found it ironic that I had seen that article just days before he posted that question.
I had also seen another news clip about the same deal with people being shocked, but not killed, more local to me a few days ago. I guess with more boat activity right now it's more common than I ever thought.
I had also seen another news clip about the same deal with people being shocked, but not killed, more local to me a few days ago. I guess with more boat activity right now it's more common than I ever thought.
COLT
I'm on a boat.
Electrolysis occurs in all water naturally to an extent. In my experience with my customers boats I have actually seen a larger amount of electrolysis in freshwater marinas. This is due to smaller marinas being in freshwater and the maintenance is not as good because the saltwater marinas are constantly havingto battle corrosion, thus maintaining a better system..
99.9% of the time the reason water is hot is due to a faulty wired plug on the dock. It can also be caused by an improperly wired boat. In this occurrence the boat becomes "hot".. The Electricity can follow into the water through the drives or outboard motor. I have never heard of a way to find out how much electricity is inside a marina or a certain body of water. The main way that I know this is because I see the zinc oxide tabs on the boats after they come out of different marinas. Many times freshwater marinas have worse corrosion on the zincs. As stated above I would never get in the water in a marina!
I will ask around at the marine is I go too about a way of testing the water
Colt
99.9% of the time the reason water is hot is due to a faulty wired plug on the dock. It can also be caused by an improperly wired boat. In this occurrence the boat becomes "hot".. The Electricity can follow into the water through the drives or outboard motor. I have never heard of a way to find out how much electricity is inside a marina or a certain body of water. The main way that I know this is because I see the zinc oxide tabs on the boats after they come out of different marinas. Many times freshwater marinas have worse corrosion on the zincs. As stated above I would never get in the water in a marina!
I will ask around at the marine is I go too about a way of testing the water
Colt
jb
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 19, 2009
- Messages
- 326
Been across this several times!!!!
Could u please explain more of your surroundings
There is a lot of things that could be doing this
If it is around a pier I would kill the breaker that feeds the pier and then check amperage on the pier
I know of a few cases this has happened in my area
Could u please explain more of your surroundings
There is a lot of things that could be doing this
If it is around a pier I would kill the breaker that feeds the pier and then check amperage on the pier
I know of a few cases this has happened in my area
InDaShop
Dont Tread On Me
If you know the power source and you know it is "X" amps then you could check along the run and see if you get some amperage drop.
As far as testing the water alone. I was taught when checking all of our Cattle Waterers that are electric and have electric heaters to use the back of the hand(palm up) and tap the surface of the water with your fingernails. If its hot you'll get the tinge and it will make your muscles contract and brake the plane.
I'd like to know if there is something out there that you could use to test the water alone. A voltmeter dangled one probe in and the other on a know ground??? That should work right?
As far as testing the water alone. I was taught when checking all of our Cattle Waterers that are electric and have electric heaters to use the back of the hand(palm up) and tap the surface of the water with your fingernails. If its hot you'll get the tinge and it will make your muscles contract and brake the plane.
I'd like to know if there is something out there that you could use to test the water alone. A voltmeter dangled one probe in and the other on a know ground??? That should work right?
MSimpson
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 18, 2011
- Messages
- 58
Been out of town at the boat docks; the surroundings are about 20 houseboats per dock. Each slip can support three ton ac, microwave,washer, and dryer and everything else that would be in a home.
I don't have all the answers yet but I met a man on the docks that is a marine/surveyor accident investigator that was there just to check out the docks for safety reasons, he told me that there is a device that will monitor water for electricity and will send me the imformation.
I will let everyone know when I get more information and thanks for the input.
By the way my 9 yr old doesn't swim at the docks anymore PERIOD.
I don't have all the answers yet but I met a man on the docks that is a marine/surveyor accident investigator that was there just to check out the docks for safety reasons, he told me that there is a device that will monitor water for electricity and will send me the imformation.
I will let everyone know when I get more information and thanks for the input.
By the way my 9 yr old doesn't swim at the docks anymore PERIOD.
