So I have had to get my pool's gate posts grounded as they are within 1.25m of the pools edge. Fair enough. My question is, do you think that actually reduces the risk of a shock, or is it possible that adding a ground wire to an existing circuit may actually increase the risk of a shock due to faulty wiring? Or possible dodgey work done in the future?
Complex case.
Private residence.
6 shock reports (first 2 made by licensed electrician) for shocks from outside metal taps that came on very suddenly 361 days ago.
3 consumer defects and subsequent rectification works (including replacing 80m underground consumer mains, new mains 95 alloy).
Touch voltage on outside metal tap and significant network voltage drop simultaneously occurring with consumer load, video evidence of similar/same readings of these things before and after consumer mains replacement.
361 days since first faults line call made by licensed electrician.
Multiple investigations performed over 10-11 month period by licensed electricians, network providers, electrical safety officers. A Quality of Supply investigation monitoring performed on residence as a result of ongoing issues….that is now found “non existent” through an RTI (rights to information) application despite results being referred to on multiple occasions in written form through electrical ombudsman process etc.
currently still have electrical tape on outside tap to mitigate shocks (placed there by consumer) and a 50amp mains breaker on house installed by licensed electrician to mitigate safety from significant network voltage drops.
Network provider stated they would work with the consumer moving forward because of network N E voltage rise issues identified as part of QoS investigation (now non existent, no data can be found) which saw ombudsman case closed, now when revisited network providers have stated it is not productive to communicate with consumer moving forward despite more monitoring of the property occurring less than a week ago.
So…..my question…..when a ground fault is identified by the electrical safety office at 4 neighbouring properties when each residence has supply cut but MEN connected (0 reading when MEN disconnected), 6 shock reports, multiple investigations, Electrical safety office ruling out consumer property as source, tingling on outside metal taps, multiple houses experiencing voltage drop issues, appliances failing, the network QoS investigation identifying Neutral Earth voltage rise issues, does this make the private residence an unlikely sole source? The network provider has reported multiple times (in writing) that there has never been any faults identified on network side that would cause shocks on tap.
361 days ago when the network provider attended finding touch voltage readings “above allowable limits” but not able to identify source or cause, how and what could mean the private residence was deemed and left electrically safe?
359 days ago solar was switched off to restrict load for safety reasons (network provided in writing through ombudsman communication) and a defect issued for mains wiring being undersized for load, promptly rectified by dropping breaker size from 63a to 40a. Solar remained off for 8 months. The network provider still cannot give me a technical reason for why the solar was switched off. The solar was 7 months old when switched off. Solar was compliant with certification and met solar rise calculator compliances. If an electrical safety issue is identified by the network is there a national protocol to follow? Or is it state by state, company by company rules? Defect the consumer whilst continuing to investigate the issue trying to identify source? Because in the same written communication that stated solar was switched off for safety reasons it was stated that if a safety issue was identified on network side then supply would be cut. Consumer supply wasn’t cut. The network have never cut my supply but on the 4th shock investigation (only the 2nd one called in by consumer) the attending technician announced to consumer in presence of licensed electrician “if you call the shocks line again I’m going to have to cut your supply”
This happened at a house I was staying at where something would occasionally trip during really wet weather, but then everything could be completely normal for days.
The first assumption was obviously “something is faulty”, but the fact that it seemed connected to heavy rain made the whole thing much stranger.
I know this isn't something a homeowner should try diagnosing themselves, but I'd love to understand the electrician's perspective.