Electric shocks from the awning poles

[SarahS]

Checking to see if anyone else has had this; last night I put the awning away and got many and lasting electric shocks off the poles. The awning was wet as was he grass and I was standing in bare feet. Should I be worried or is this normal? I am assuming it is a build of static electricity.

Anyone else have this?

 

[autorouter]

I don't know what it was, but I certainly know what it wasn't. Static electric charge dissipates in less than a second, if it lasts longer than that it's not static. Also static electricity is more prevalent in very dry conditions, it's difficult to get any static at all if everything is damp.

This kind of thing is exactly what the earth wire of the 3-wire mains connection is designed to prevent. There's a fault somewhere. If you have an RCD in your mains inlet box, it should have tripped. What year is your MH? Does it have an RCD in the mains box - it's a kind of switch with a 'Test' button. It may be a plain MCB, with no test button.

 

[deleted79651]

Checking to see if anyone else has had this; last night I put the awning away and got many and lasting electric shocks off the poles. The awning was wet as was he grass and I was standing in bare feet. Should I be worried or is this normal? I am assuming it is a build of static electricity.

Anyone else have this?

If you are prone to static shocks (tend to be worse in early Spring and early Autumn), touch the pole with the extended knuckle of your middle finger (easiest to make protrude). There are no nerve endings in the knuckle and it will discharge the static. Always used to touch the Filing Cabinets with the knuckle to avoid the 'clout' from the static.

Steve

 

[Emmit]

Assuming??? that you were on EHU, check the wiring inside the sockets.

I found one of the wires was loose causing me to get a shock from the body of the van.

 

[Just smiffy]

Reverse polarity…?

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[Richard n Ann]

Checking to see if anyone else has had this; last night I put the awning away and got many and lasting electric shocks off the poles. The awning was wet as was he grass and I was standing in bare feet. Should I be worried or is this normal? I am assuming it is a build of static electricity.

Anyone else have this?

DON'T go out in bare feet again, as autorouter says your van isn't earthed!

 

[Raul]

Earth issue 100%.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Reminds me of a job we were on the other year, I was up some aluminium ladders cable tieing air con pipes onto a cable tray and got a tingle off it no systems were switched on or even wired up (so nothing yet earthed) turned out my mates vac pump had lost it's earth in the 13a plug and was on the tray. Can't remember what the voltage was but I measured it and it was a lot.

 

[Odd-no-more]

My guess would be a faulty earth either at the post, the lead or in the consumer unit. but the RCD should have tripped, there should be two, 1 at the post and 1 in the van. If an RCD is not tested often it can stick and delay working or even not work at all. I advise testing the van RCD and checking the lead.

 

[autorouter]

At the very least, you should do a test of the RCD in the hookup post, and also the RCD in the MH box if there is one. It will be similar to this:

The switch part should be UP (= ON). When you press the 'Test' button, it should flip DOWN (= OFF). Push it up to turn it back on. In theory you should check this every month or so.

Test the RCD in your MH, to see if it flips off when you press the test button. Also test the RCD in the hookup post. If you can't get access to it (sometimes they are locked) then get the site warden to come and test it. A shock like that should never happen, the RCD should have tripped. You are entitled to check that the RCD is functioning.

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[TCG]

DON'T go out in bare feet again, as autorouter says your van isn't earthed!

should a van be earthed if it is sitting on 4 rubber tyres

 

[Richard n Ann]

should a van be earthed if it is sitting on 4 rubber tyres

Yes definitely, you bridge the tyres with your body when you go outside and touch the door handle, so you want the van body to be at ground potential

 

[SarahS]

Thanks everyone. It is weird as my companions couldn’t feel a shock at all! Then it stopped. Out at the moment but will definately check the RCDs when we get back. Suspect it is the campsite post as we have never had this before in our van. But you never know …

 

[Gizmouk]

should a van be earthed if it is sitting on 4 rubber tyres

Yes, via the EHU earth.

 

[autorouter]

should a van be earthed if it is sitting on 4 rubber tyres

Actually, car tyres have a carbon additive which makes them slightly conductive, just enough to dissipate static, but not enough to count as an earth connection

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[HKF]

Actually, car tyres have a carbon additive which makes them slightly conductive, just enough to dissipate static, but not enough to count as an earth connection

This doesn't work all the time. I get awful shocks from vehicles (as well as supermarket trolleys, pushchairs on nylon carpets, even other people!) and have learnt over the years to hold onto the edge of the door as I get out of a vehicle. If I don't, then turn round to shut the door, I get enormous zaps....and very painful. It mostly happens when there isn't much humidity. I daren't even think about wearing nylon clothing when the air is dry

 

[Richard n Ann]

This doesn't work all the time. I get awful shocks from vehicles (as well as supermarket trolleys, pushchairs on nylon carpets, even other people!) and have learnt over the years to hold onto the edge of the door as I get out of a vehicle. If I don't, then turn round to shut the door, I get enormous zaps....and very painful. It mostly happens when there isn't much humidity. I daren't even think about wearing nylon clothing when the air is dry

I get zapped by the car sometimes but it's not painful enough for me to stop wearing crocs

 

[deleted79651]

This doesn't work all the time. I get awful shocks from vehicles (as well as supermarket trolleys, pushchairs on nylon carpets, even other people!) and have learnt over the years to hold onto the edge of the door as I get out of a vehicle. If I don't, then turn round to shut the door, I get enormous zaps....and very painful. It mostly happens when there isn't much humidity. I daren't even think about wearing nylon clothing when the air is dry

Try the knuckle trick! Not a euphemism ...

Steve

 

[SarahS]

Thanks all again. We have one of those plug in testers so now we are back and plugged that in it says there is no earth. So now need to find out where the fault is. Will keep you posted…

 

[SarahS]

At the very least, you should do a test of the RCD in the hookup post, and also the RCD in the MH box if there is one. It will be similar to this:
View attachment 539094
The switch part should be UP (= ON). When you press the 'Test' button, it should flip DOWN (= OFF). Push it up to turn it back on. In theory you should check this every month or so.

Test the RCD in your MH, to see if it flips off when you press the test button. Also test the RCD in the hookup post. If you can't get access to it (sometimes they are locked) then get the site warden to come and test it. A shock like that should never happen, the RCD should have tripped. You are entitled to check that the RCD is functioning.

Thanks Autorouter. We will check this but am guessing the lack of an earth connection iOS either in the cable or in the post? If it is the van how does that work?

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[Kirsten]

Hiya thank you for all the helpful replies! I did not get any shocks despite touching the awning pole before and after Sarah had ( it may Be Her!) but we have often tested sockets with plug in thing never had a no earth reading before -all working ok in the van ( German engineering ) but will try another EHU before we leave Horam tomorrow and also plug van in at home. Luckily MOT weds
So we can ask at the garage for a check

 

[Landy Andy]

Have you got a blue male plug, to three pin socket connector? If so plug your tester into that and the post.

I would put my money on wire come out on your EHU lead, at one of the plugs.

 

[SarahS]

Have you got a blue male plug, to three pin socket connector? If so plug your tester into that and the post.

I would put my money on wire come out on your EHU lead, at one of the plugs.

Thanks. Don’t think we have one of those but will look. Xx

 

[Landy Andy]

Thanks. Don’t think we have one of those but will look. Xx

If not check just check the two connections on your EHU lead, they are the most likely to fail as they get abuse, and are an easy check. You could borrow someone else’s EHU lead and test your van sockets again, or switch which bollard your connected too. They will all start to point you towards the issue.

 

[autorouter]

but we have often tested sockets with plug in thing never had a no earth reading before

Do you have the plug-in tester with you now? If you plug it into a MH socket what does it show?

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[Kirsten]

Auto router -It shows no Earth .. 3 lights on plug only 2 working .

 

[Landy Andy]

Do you have the plug-in tester with you now? If you plug it into a MH socket what does it show?

Post #19

”We have one of those plug in testers so now we are back and plugged that in it says there is no earth. So now need to find out where the fault is. Will keep you posted…”

 

[Kirsten]

Auto router -It shows no Earth .. 3 lights on plug only 2 working .

Sorry if that sounded rude or dim -plug has little lamps inside they are labelled

 

[autorouter]

Sorry, for some reason I missed post #19. And Landy Andy got in first with the next steps to take. I'd just add that if it's a missing earth at the hookup post, the campsite owner should very interested - the next customer may not be so lucky. You're doing him a favour pointing it out.

 

[tonyidle]

Unless there is a L to E earth fault in the van what shock you get when the van isn't earthed is normal appliance leakage which can be felt but is neither lethal nor sufficient to trip a RCD although if measured using a sensitive voltmeter a 200+ volt reading will be displayed. For example all metal-sheathed elements and suppression capacitors on mains motors have natural leakage. When everything is correctly earthed you cannot feel it (neither can the RCD).

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