I found out (in a rather uncomfortable manner) that there is a potential difference between the phase line in my home and the ceramic tile floor. My Fluke multimeter reads 30V AC, I assume the reading is inaccurate because of the low conductivity of the tile surface. However, there was enough current to give me an unpleasant shock. I was dry, but my skin was in contact with the floor.
How is this possible? Are there tiles made of ceramic-like materials that are conductive? Are conductive ceramic tiles sometimes used in home construction?
Best Answer
Check the voltage with an analog voltmeter. Digital voltmeters will register a voltage from almost anything as they have a very high impedance and draw very little power. You could also use a regular incandescent bulb and see if it glows a little.This will let you know if there is any power behind the voltage. If by phase line, you mean the neutral incoming wire, it's possible it's not groundedat the panel and/or the pole transformer. Measure from the neutral to ground to see if you have a potential difference. It's possible the shock you received was static electricity and nothing to do with voltage difference between the tiles and the neutral..