One of my favorite indulgences is nice long hot showers. I know they are not that good for you---supposedly----but I love them nonetheless. On a recent inspection I came across a different kind of hot shower. The light fixture in the shower that was in easy reach of the floor, tested as hot----as in electrically hot. This is pretty unusual, but is a serious safety concern as touching the metal frame and the shower fixture or the shower head would result in a shock---possibly resulting in death. Not a good position to be in while naked and/or wet. I hate it when the paramedics show up and find me naked in the shower----not a pretty sight.
In the picture you can see the multi-tester (reading 49 volts) with one test lead on the fixture and the other on a grounded water pipe (you will have to trust me on that).
This is one of those safety issue that the inspector has to call for repairs "prior to the close of escrow," with a strong recommendation directly to the seller and seller's agent that the shower not be used until the electrical defect is repaired.
Charles Buell
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)
all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Click on the Rose 
to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)
all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
My WORDLESS WEDNESDAY pictures and some selected POEMS & STORIES.
Charles, oooh this is pretty scary! I have never had that particular problem show up on an inspection.
Saves precious time in the morning. Fry eggs and shower simultaneously.
That's a frightening scenario! I was in a home once where the light switch to turn on the bathroom lights was located "inside" the shower stall. I don't know how that every got past inspection.
Shirley, electricity and water with people in it is never the best combination:)
Andrew, I think the eggs might end up "scrambled" or at least "jiggled"-----really, really cool to see you lurking about:) I miss you here.
Charles -
Thanks! I wonder if other property inspectors are as diligent as you are! Many, concerned about CYA, might miss something like this.
But they'll spend an hour and a half telling you your furnace filter is dirty.
Appreciate the share!
DEAN & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
Jeannie----electricity almost seems like an "opportunity" to see crazy things (thanks for subscribing too:)
Dean, I have to say----this is something that any inspector would be incrediblly lucky to catch. Under most circumstances I most likely would not have myself. In older houses I routinely check light fixtures for "phantom voltage"-----in this case it just turned out to be not so phantom:) (additional information can be found at "The Phantom Act 2")
This one is new. Shower heads are dangerous!
Just on a side note, you guys and teenagers waste more water on showers than is good for the environment! I gripe at my husband all the time about his long hot showers and he just doesn't care that he is wasting water. Best thing we did when building our house was to have his/hers bathrooms in the master suite.
Another good blog, actually!
Charlie,
That is a good find on your part for sure. It is another good reason to have a real multi-meter too. I have one from back in my electronics days but do not know many inspectors that have a meter with probes, leads, able to read everything from resitance to voltage to current.
Hey Bee,
Your wife called and asked me to suggest to you that this is not a permanent reason for you to quit bathing. This link is intended to get you back in the spirit of clean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWswwBbRe70
Charles, how DID you find this? Was there some clue? Or do you normally go around checking for phantom and stray voltage? I have a multi-meter, but rarely have occasion to use it.
Hey Dad this reminds me of a story...
In Putnam we had a house the one on hewitt St. that had many an interesting character flaws. The one that presently springs to mind was in the kitchen. We had a long narrow kitchen and when you entered the metal refrigerator was on your right and the kitchen sink was on your left. Now you could get a drink of nice hot cup of water or do the dishes on one side or you could get some tasty frozen waffles on the other. All was well in the world but under no circumstances were you to ever touch the metal sink and the fridge at the same time or you would receive and extremely powerful electrical shock. How powerful you ask? enough to reduce a teenager to tears (though not enough to remind me to never do it again). I always wondered what the issue was with that situation. I would not be "shocked" to find out that the problem still exists.
Steve, I am tingling with excitement:)
Kevin, in older houses that I suspect of having two wire systems, I am in the habit of walking around with my voltage ticker touching metal components that have the potential of being energized (metal drains, metal cover plates, refrigerators, light fixtures, cover plates etc). No so much to see if they are "hot" but to see if anyone has added newer wiring to the old circuits (see all my links to Phantom voltage above). These older homes often had circuits where the hot side is switched instead of the neutral and reversed polarity and that is where you can end up with components energized that shouldn't be. Any "finds" in wet areas like a shower would get me pulling out the voltage meter:)
Klee, as I replied to Kevin, most likely the refrigerator circuit polarity was either reversed or there was a short in the refrigerator itself and/or ungrounding issues with the fridge. That would be a good way to get a nice little tingle for sure---hopefully it has been corrected by now:) There are ways to make the sink "hot" as well but much less likely.
Holy Horse Sh#@!!!! I wonder how nobody has been shocked/killed so far?
Sean Allen
Charles, I find it amazing how many electrical isssues that we find in houses. Is there any wonder that GFCI's are required in wet places? Odds are there wasn't a ground on this fixture either...
Charlie,
One hand on the meter, the other holding the com probe to ground. How did you take the photo?
Sean, there are little miracles every day I guess
Michael, you are right----all two wire system in the home
James, I can't believe nobody else asked this question----the buyer had the other probe:)
Hi Charles, I've actually come across in new construction that they install the wrong type of light fixture in shower stall. A regular fixture instead of a water proof light fixture.~ Newbie Roy
I glad you answered James question - for a minute there I had a strange picture of this extra limb. I find this all the time and can usually trace it back to reversed neutral and hot. Plug in circuit tester at a number of places and find neutral to ground voltage. (I do alot of old houses.)