My neighbor told me that when he was crawling under his TT he got a slight tingling when he touched the frame with his bare arm. I have a circuit tester that has multiple lights that alert you to a correctly or incorrectly wired outlet so I loaned it to him. My tester said that he has an open ground, and when I went over to check it I found that every outlet was showing an open ground. My question is what is the best method or process for tracking down that problem?
I don't know what has caused this open ground but I did find my ground bar behind the converter box was never finished. They stuck the wires through but failed to tighten the screws to hold them tight.
Not sure if this will help.
Urge him to unplug the RV before you do anything!!
Might be a good idea to call an electrician or a mobile Rv repair if his dealer is not helpful.
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The next test would be to verify the outlet you are plugged into. If it tests fine the next location to check is where the power cord connects to the rig and see what the green ground wire connection is doing.
Could be:
1. Bad power outlet you are plugged into.
2. Bad ground connection inside your rig where the ground connection is made.
3. Bad connection of ground lug to shore power outlet (can replace head).
4. Break in ground wire inside power cord.
This could be a dangerous condition so it needs to be fixed before rig is used. I have attached some troubleshooting info. See the section on testing a power outlet. You will need a simple voltmeter.
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I tested several outlets with my meter and nothing indicated a problem--no hot to ground or hot/neutral reversal. I checked the outlet he is plugged into, a 15A outlet just to keep the batteries charged. It checked out OK, but even so I ran an extension cord to an outlet on a different circuit and that one checked out OK also. I even checked his 15/30A adapter and replaced his with mine and it still showed an open ground. So, it sounds like a broken or unsecured ground wire somewhere between the male plug and the converter ground lug connection. That is 4 connections to check, am I right? I can't wrap my head around how he gets a mild shock using his body as a ground unless there is hot wire somehow making contact with a grounded surface somewhere. Am I missing something there?
That's what's called a "hot skin" condition, and as JimD said, is very dangerous to people with a heart condition, and anyone wearing a pacemaker. Your neighbor became the ground path to earth.
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I understand that, the "how" part--that he was the conductor between a HOT and a GROUND. What I don't understand is the open ground somehow causing current to flow to what are normally grounded surfaces. Seems to me that there could be 2 problems-the open ground AND a hot wire apparently contacting a grounded surface. A reversed hot/neutral could cause that, but I haven't detected one in an outlet. I guess that it's possible that something that is wired with AC is wired incorrectly, but that should be easy to find--it won't run, right? Everything works. Over the weekend I hope to get over there and check his ground wire and all the connections and see if I find a fault.
The cord you have connected between the trailer and the house may have a bad ground wire or ground connection inside the trailer. Those connections should be checked with the cord disconnected from power. Check the continuity of the cord.
Floating grounds can be dangerous if they are caused by failure to properly ground equipment that was designed to require grounding, because the chassis can be at a very different potential from that of any nearby organisms, who then get an electric shock upon touching it.
I understand that, the "how" part--that he was the conductor between a HOT and a GROUND. What I don't understand is the open ground somehow causing current to flow to what are normally grounded surfaces. Seems to me that there could be 2 problems-the open ground AND a hot wire apparently contacting a grounded surface. A reversed hot/neutral could cause that, but I haven't detected one in an outlet. I guess that it's possible that something that is wired with AC is wired incorrectly, but that should be easy to find--it won't run, right? Everything works. Over the weekend I hope to get over there and check his ground wire and all the connections and see if I find a fault.
Sometimes the problem as you have described is with the water heater heating element having a crack in it allowing the current to flow through the water to the RV frame. When doing your testing for current between the RV frame and true ground, test that with the water heater element disconnected and see. ~CA
Just hire an electrician to find the problem and correct it before someone gets electrocuted!!! The hell with internet forum troubleshooting(guessing). Some people here hate it when I say this but I was an electrician for 38 years and offer the best advice you can get.
Just hire an electrician to find the problem and correct it before someone gets electrocuted!!! The hell with internet forum troubleshooting(guessing). Some people here hate it when I say this but I was an electrician for 38 years and offer the best advice you can get.
I wouldn't argue with you, but I do like to follow the threads and learn something along the way.
I finally got back to checking the open ground today. My neighbor is heading out with his trailer on Thursday and the first electrician that could come check it was almost 2 weeks out (small town). So, after checking continuity on the various cords and connections, and pulling out the converter, I found that the ground lug was very loose on the converter. Once I tightened that up I checked and sure enough no open ground, and no shock when touching the frame and gravel at the same time. All is good!
I finally got back to checking the open ground today. My neighbor is heading out with his trailer on Thursday and the first electrician that could come check it was almost 2 weeks out (small town). So, after checking continuity on the various cords and connections, and pulling out the converter, I found that the ground lug was very loose on the converter. Once I tightened that up I checked and sure enough no open ground, and no shock when touching the frame and gravel at the same time. All is good!
My neighbor told me that when he was crawling under his TT he got a slight tingling when he touched the frame with his bare arm. I have a circuit tester that has multiple lights that alert you to a correctly or incorrectly wired outlet so I loaned it to him. My tester said that he has an open ground, and when I went over to check it I found that every outlet was showing an open ground. My question is what is the best method or process for tracking down that problem?
FIRST CHECK SHORELINE RECEPTACLE GROUND, and if good, then inspect/ replace** the shoreline PLUG? Is his TT 30a or 50a? Was he using a homeowner 15a EXTENSION CORD for battery/ lights? If so, chek that cord for ground PRONG on PLUG and test all wires w/ METER?
(**If a molded plug, often the issue is broken wires that you cannot visually inspect connections, but you CAN test that cord/ wires w/ OHMMETER for any resistance, as a broken wire indicator; some find easier to cut off molded plug and install new plug?) Good Luck
My neighbor told me that when he was crawling under his TT he got a slight tingling when he touched the frame with his bare arm. I have a circuit tester that has multiple lights that alert you to a correctly or incorrectly wired outlet so I loaned it to him. My tester said that he has an open ground, and when I went over to check it I found that every outlet was showing an open ground. My question is what is the best method or process for tracking down that problem?
I ran into something similar on an aluminum sided trailer years ago. I turned out to be a loose ground. And what completed the circuit was a sheet metal screw into the aluminum siding when they put the siding on. They screwed into a hot line. This was an intermittent problem that took a long time to find.
No idea if this is going to help or not.
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