Stray Voltage

Find your short, and fix it.

Dear all,

What do "getting voltage back on the ground wire" and "gfi" mean?

Need more information including a one-line diagram.

Regards

Hello Sully155

To get a proper answer it is important to explain the problem in an understandable way, with correct spelling, no abbreviations or text language.

For the benefit of readers, I shall translate:

gfi = Ground fault interrupter.

delma = dilemma.

You say: <"....There is about 10 step down transformers in the building...."> and that tells the readers you have not bothered, or are unable to actually find out what you have in the building.

So you ask us here to diagnose your situation, and you do not know what is in the actual building - that is what you are doing.

Each building, yours included, should have a single-line diagram, and/or the wiring diagram for the Cabling, Switchgear, Transformers, Distribution Boards, Circuit Breakers, Light fittings, Power outlets etc in that building.

As we do not know what is in the building, because you don't know either, it is difficult to assist, because even if we were mind-readers, as you don't know, we are no further assisted.

Are you experienced electrically?

The answer would appear that you are not, since you had to get in a "Testing Company" to test the Ground fault interrupter unit.

Normally the building is shut down one floor at a time, until the faulty floor is located, then on that faulty floor, Distribution Boards are shut down until the fault is located at a Distribution Board, then the circuits are turned on one-by-one, until the faulty circuit has been located etc.

However, it would appear that your best method of locating the fault would be to get the "Testing Company" back, asking if they can locate the fault for you. Normally this would not take too long, and the cost well worth it, particularly as you don't know what is actually in the building (So it seems).

In the Electrical Field, as in many others, it is easy to get out of one's experience level, and Electricity is not very forgiving if the person testing for faults makes any error - that error may prove to be their last mistake on this Earth.

Reply here, with

Hi Sparky Idol,

I would say you are 100% correct, if i we're Sully 155 I must contact qualified electrical engineer or electrician to do it for him. in addition to your notes... as learned from my previous Australian Director of Engineering Boss. "Don't Monkey Electricity"

Sparky, please how to do private message here? didn't do (PM) as you said avoid abbreviation he he he. i can't find the PM in the tool bar?? I want to send you some PM idol. thanks

Kind regards

Roman

Hello Roman

To send any Member or group of Members a Private Message (PM) Left Click on their MemberName in any Topic or Post, which brings up their accessible User Profile.

So to send you a Private Message, I Left Click on Roman

which is a hyperlink to: http://cr4.globalspec.com/member?u=1456

At the top Right is an Option to send you a Message: Send Roman a Message

That "send Roman a Message is a hyperlink to my:

"New Mail Message" page, and I just follow the easy instructions.

If a Member adds themselves to any Group at then Group Messages may be sent to others in that Group or Groups of which you are a Member.

Trust that assists you.

Kind Regards....

Hello again Roman

Sorry I got called away after Posting the above, and although there was supposedly time to Edit that Post of mine, the Edit was not completed.

So the extra information I tried to add was that I meant the Member Name, is a hyperlink to that Member's User Profile, above the Member Avatar, in any Topic or Post.

Have a try and send me a PM (Private Message).

Kind Regards....

There is plenty of information

You have a cross connection and would need to look at every connection in the circuit

Check for any voltage on water pipes. Make sure someone hasn't used them for a ground.

In the US, the cold water pipes are required by the NEC to be connected to the grounding conductor; or it used to be. The problem may be caused by loose neutral or grounding connections in the meter panels or switchgear. I have read voltage on water pipes when this occurred.

you have a bad neutral on one of the trans.