The first thing that seems odd, is the use of soldered copper pipe for a gas line. I wasn't aware that this is/was ever an approved installation method/material combination for either propane or natural gas. Soft copper tubing with flare fittings, sure; hard copper with solder, not so much. Second, both the gas and water lines should be bonded to the electrical ground, nearest their entry point from the outside, when they are conductive. In this case, it appears that the required bonding isn't present, based on the symptoms and brief view near the water meter. Third, something with both an electrical and water connection seem to have a current leak to ground and may have a bad ground connection on the electrical side. The likely appliance culprits are dishwasher, refrigerator, washer, any point-of-use instant hot water heaters, or a dryer with a water inlet for a steam cycle. A non-appliance possibility is a nail or screw that has gone through a wire and is just touching a water line (arcing would be likely). Or finally, a wire is in direct contact with the water line and has worn or broken insulation. And the final point is that electricity doesn't take the path of least resistance, it takes all potential paths. The current perceived on any given path is proportional to the the inverse of the resistance of the path versus the resistance of all paths in the system.
@yoitsrob
2 ай бұрын
The copper lines look brazed, which is fine
@kurtzimmerman1637
2 ай бұрын
type L thick wall copper for gas lines has been legal for about 40 or so years. connection must be high temp solder.
@rcstl8815
2 ай бұрын
@@kurtzimmerman1637 "Any fuel gas lines installed using copper tube must be ((brazed)) using a filler metal containing less than 0.05% P (phosphorus) and a melting temperature greater than 1000 degrees F. " - from 2020.
@joewoodchuck3824
Ай бұрын
Very well explained.
@someguy5438
Ай бұрын
@@rcstl8815that's what he meant by high temp solder. Sometimes called silver solder is actually b cup brazing rod.
@LetsGoYall
2 ай бұрын
As a lineman for the power company, nothing surprises me... I have seen quite a few homes with major problems from the combination of an open neutral, and a poor house ground.
@grabasandwich
2 ай бұрын
I've been a cable guy for 18 years. I've seen a handful of melted coax cables. A couple weeks ago was the worst I'd seen. The ENTIRE aerial drop was melted from the house to the tap! He said it was smoking the night before. I didn't touch anything and called the power co on behalf of the customer, figuring it was an open neutral. They came out and proved it safe to the meter, so I replaced it. I'm guessing the fault cleared itself when it stopped smoking, but I told him to call an electrician ASAP if it happens again.
@62Cristoforo
27 күн бұрын
Inadvertent contact to a neutral could occur only when it’s windy. I’ve seen the entire half of a panel die due to the service drop rubbing against a tree branch outside, but it only occurred intermittently; when it was windy outside.
@mistervacation23
Ай бұрын
No wonder the water wont run.These pipes are all clogged up with wires.
@kamilhorvat8290
Ай бұрын
Nice, water and gas supplier are sending not just water and gas, but free electricity as well.
@Icehso140
2 ай бұрын
The gas line is bonded at the equipment which is bonded at the panel, and the water line is bonded at the panel. Why is he looking at the supply for the source of the leakage current? Hookup the ammeter and shut off each breaker one at a time and see if it goes away. If you kill the main and still see current then you have an outside source...or a broken meter that's not reading right.
@rupe53
Ай бұрын
I was thinking they should start flipping breakers off then check ground / neutrals on the equipment that changes the readings. Also make sure any ground straps on meters and valves are in place.
@ssaraccoii
2 ай бұрын
The electrical code and previous practice collides. Old gas lines utilized a plastic insulator bushing between the underground line and the regulator to prevent corrosion due to ground currents. Now, the electrical code mandates the gas pipes be grounded as well as the water pipes, and both connected to an earth-driven ground rod. Unfortunately, the gas company has been running plastic underground lines here in California, so while it’s brass above ground, a foot underground they’re plastic,so no actual electrical ground ability. Fun times!
@stevens4826
29 күн бұрын
The in-ground gas piping is not, nor was ever, to be considered a grounding electrode. The in-house gas piping is bonded to to the grounding system, either by the equipment grounding conductor of the equipment the gas pipe is serving or by bonding to the electrode grounding system. In CA, we were usually required to bond hot/cold/gas at the water heater, if H/C was metallic and a gas water heater was installed. San Francisco wanted gas piping bond attachment close to where the gas pipe enters the structure.
@tucobenedicto109
2 ай бұрын
Wow. The water meter was moved and changed at my later grandfather's house. The bonding wire was not put back correctly. Well it made a situation which we found out as a family like two days after. We smelled a small burning smell occasionally. Couldn't see any thing. The house was a wood Tudor with fuse boxes. We couldn't find it but my dad and family came back after we went home. There was a bar with glowing red under the floor by the back wall. The fire dept said they don't usually show up to a house intact. Smoke builds up from the burning and the smoke explodes and would have blown the wall open. They made it safe shot some power off. Then had the electrician come by to see that that water meter want connected and the house was looking for a ground.
@jamesalles139
2 ай бұрын
not magnetic fields, or EMF Get the electric utility company out there *PRONTO* - they have an open neutral. The current is going OUT through the water line, seeking a ground.
@effthegop
Ай бұрын
The gas and water are generally required to be "touching" according to NEC. They are bonded to the incoming grounded conductor at the service. The current is running thru them because of a fault condition in the service grounded conductor or possibly in a main panel if it is an older 3 wire system. It is simple but complicated and I have seen it several times.
@MichaelSmith-ll6ik
2 ай бұрын
You either have a loose neutral on the utility side of the main neutral bond or you have another neutral bonded with ground somewhere else in the house.
@ianbelletti6241
2 ай бұрын
EMF can create some of these charge effects, but for a service ground 3 amps is normal for the amount of current that takes a path through the earth back to the service. You do not want current on the gas line, though. The two service ground locations are the cold water main and ground rod(s).
@ergosum5260
2 ай бұрын
Or some appliance wired live to ground.
@waynenocton
2 ай бұрын
That’s wild. I installed a ton of LED’s in a night club, controlled by DMX data, and as I added more and more drivers, things started acting weird, and once I got to around 50, all the drivers failed, pretty much at once. Most still worked, but we were unable to control them with data. Some failed totally, and while investigating a huge spark jumped to the MC cable next to it and burned the surface, and it sounded like a small firecracker. We were using the cheap power pack 24v power supplies, so I started testing things and when I tested its 24v+ on the tip, output, in addition to having its regular output, it also had a few volts AC when referenced to ground. Then, we tested AC voltage from the ring, negative output and again, we showed varying amounts of voltage. It seems that somehow this extra voltage was traveling through the cat5 cables from one LED driver to the next and the volts were adding up as they went. At first if I cut out the 3 pairs of cat wire that weren’t needed, the issue seemed to no longer cause damage, but again the more drivers added, the worse it got. At one point I measured over 50 volts. So, we changed to metal power supplies that, I guess are grounded on both sides and all was well, after replacing 50 bad drivers and 50 power supplies. I also tried connecting the negative DC output of the power bricks to ground, which seemed to work for a while, but eventually the power bricks let us know they didn’t like having their outputs grounded. But wow, your situation is wild, I see the amps, but what kinds of voltage were you seeing?
@Seeall2024
2 ай бұрын
Ahhh the joys..
@stevemiller6766
Ай бұрын
Switching power supplies cause circulating current on the neutral leg. Additionally if they are not properly grounded the grounding and metal case on the power supply can rise to maybe 90 volts AC to ground. I pert near got electrocuted on a big power plant job where the outlets for the control room computers were not grounded correctly. I touched a computer case and touched a control panel that was grounded and got 90 vac thru my heart. Ouch.
@mxslick50
2 ай бұрын
Possible sources of the voltage and current on that gas line: Fault in the furnace or blower motor, bad grounding of the furnace, partially grounded compressor in the condensing unit (or ungrounded condensing unit) check for current on the lineset, ungrounded gas stove, water ground bond missing or corroded, no ground bond on gas line, faulty neutral to the home. Find out what it is, that two amps of current is extremely dangerous.
@shockingguy
2 ай бұрын
I’ve seen crazy stuff, and where are you guys located that you use copper for your gas lines? I’m sorry, but I think that’s a bit of a fail, I know it’s used in some places, but 😑
@D.Plumber
2 ай бұрын
You're not the only one ! I was caught off guard myself. Those actually are solder joints on a copper gas line !!! in my. region (N.C./US) we use flare only. ..if not specifically dedicated gas piping.
@John13Edge
2 ай бұрын
According to the Nec the metal plumbing lines must be bonded….according to the EGC the gas line must be bonded (connected to ground in one place) Since no one showed these points I am going to assume that the gas installer and the Electrician didn’t do their jobs on installation or renovations….or some one stole the short pieces of copper….flowing gases and flowing fluids produce static charges…faulty equipment causes high current on pipes …very low current (which we have here) is caused by motion of gases and liquid…Just like rubbing your feet on a rug causes static charges…
@localcrew
Ай бұрын
I fully realize that utility codes vary wildly. I’m in the Louisville Kentucky area and have installed quite a few house gas line systems. Thumbnail sketch: Copper piping is not allowed. Period. Flexible stainless or rigid black threaded steel piping only. Generally speaking, you can run 1” pipe for any length, 3/4” for 25’, and 1/2” for 10’. Use reducer couplings and not bushings and include drop legs for interior terminus locations with approved shut-off valves in the same room as appliances and within ten feet. I have seen copper sweat fittings used in gas piping once in my city. It was in a rental property and the buyer had paid for a home inspection (which I consider to be a bad joke in 99% of inspection reports I’ve read) that made no mention of this egregious code violation. Oh well....
@nigelbarton8350
20 күн бұрын
Interesting, in the UK copper gas piping once inside the house is normal practice…
@localcrew
12 күн бұрын
Quick addendum here - for propane gas, not utility line natural gas, I believe that copper line may still be acceptable in my area BUT it’s all flare fittings for elbows and tees and not sweat fittings. Sweat fittings can melt and separate in a house fire and then you’ve really got a hot one on your hands.
@sircampbell1249
2 ай бұрын
Copper gas line....that first
@62Cristoforo
27 күн бұрын
I know, right? I commented the same thing. That’s dangerous.
@bills6946
2 ай бұрын
Besides that, the furnace flue pipe went up a chase in the ceiling with no thimble fire stop around it. That house has issues.
@stevemiller6766
Ай бұрын
It's odd about water pipe and gas piping. When we wired houses in Palm springs CA in the 70's, as electricians, we were required by code to bond the electrical ground to the cold water pipe and the gas piping. I guess that's not a thing any more.
@curiousbits
2 ай бұрын
In the uk it is the law that the water and gas lines are bonded together.
@AAaa-wu3el
Ай бұрын
No, it's not. It was, but now with plastic inserts in incoming service it's no requirements to bond it even if the rest of the pipes inside are metal.
@paulkurilecz4209
2 ай бұрын
There is an open neutral or improperly grounded device somewhere and line current is doing its best to get to ground. Water lines and gas lines are supposed to be bonded to the building ground. Two questions that they need to be asking are what the potential is to ground and is there a current going to the building ground.
@windheimemfsolutions
2 ай бұрын
Fantastic video Robert: it has about 1000X more views that your other videos.
@3740westmichigan
2 ай бұрын
stray voltage will get up to 2 volts from power lines Acceptable stray voltage levels Studies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and several universities have shown that individual cows react differently to various levels of stray voltage. At certain elevated levels, cows may experience stress and behavioral changes, which can lead to health problems and decreased milk production. This research supports prior findings that say that stray voltage of 2.0 volt AC or less should not cause health or production concerns for livestock.
@62Cristoforo
27 күн бұрын
Interesting tidbit of knowledge there. I’ll let my dairy farmer know this.
@joecummings1260
Ай бұрын
Open or high impedance neutral, possibly not even in your house, could be on the POCO's side or even a neighbor
@networkedperson
2 ай бұрын
This video and video description both have a pretty bad case of word salad.
@ketas
Ай бұрын
imagine water and gas rubbing hole into gas line so it blows up eventually. unsure if this is an issue. water pipes can shake a little from water hammers...
@johnbutler1279
2 ай бұрын
I would be more worried about a copper gas line.
@62Cristoforo
27 күн бұрын
That’s crazy, if it’s copper pipe for gas.
@charletonzimmerman4205
26 күн бұрын
Several houses have burned, cause if Utility NEUTRAL is lost or weak, current flows, from Main Panel, Neutral/ground bond thru pipes, that exit to earth back to utility or neighbor's panel/meter.
@davezollars9317
2 ай бұрын
Electrical service neutral is opened
@SolarHarvestSolutions
2 ай бұрын
At 1:48 he should have been shocked while holding the water line and inserting the cardboard between the gas line, looking like he touched both at the same time. Usually 50 volts AC typical ground fault voltage…been there, it don’t hurt too bad as long as you’re feet aren’t grounded, then it could be different story
@TheGregWallace
2 ай бұрын
Question........So what issues does this cause? Please explain.
@ergosum5260
2 ай бұрын
Water is now a shock hazard
@jo199
Ай бұрын
@@ergosum5260or kaboom on gas pipe!
@albertl6963
28 күн бұрын
A soldered gas line???
@WarDogLRS
2 ай бұрын
One would think that professional installers would know better
@ergosum5260
2 ай бұрын
Why not simply install a ground rod instead of using pipes and then find the offending appliance with the electrical fault?
@ergosum5260
2 ай бұрын
I would lock that alarm panel. And check it's transformer installation.
@Dante0397
Ай бұрын
American issues that no one else has good job
@richardl6751
2 ай бұрын
At 0:18 That 0.02 amps or 20 milliamps.
@John13Edge
2 ай бұрын
Assuming the meter has the capability to actually read correctly at that low of a value in range of the meter or that the meter is actually calibrated to zero…I have had several electronic meters that where extremely inaccurate at “zero”…
@stevepettersen3283
2 ай бұрын
Also, at 2:05, after the cardboard "insulation" is inserted, it increases to 0.19 amps.
@richardl6751
2 ай бұрын
@@stevepettersen3283 Correct, it did. Regardless, there are problems there.
@stevepettersen3283
2 ай бұрын
@@richardl6751 Duh.
@bnabeast07
25 күн бұрын
Lol😂 at faszold install....another sellout company run by an investor buyout ... False advertising aswell
@Anti-Groomer
2 ай бұрын
Wait....so how come you dont get zapped when you touch the pipe?
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