Scary
Guru
Stray Current
I think some of this discussion would have sounded different if all of you would have take the time to view the video. After viewing the video one of the first things I did is walk down my dock and check shore power cords with my clamp style VDO as described in the video. Just as I suspected the house boat next to me was leaking 1.7 amps from each of it's shore power cords. That's 340 mil amps enough to kill in fresh water. The saving grace is this is a 50' steel house boat and the length and shape of it's hull radiates the current in a safer way than as if it was originating from a small metal part like a prop or zinc. I still would not touch the steel hull and the grounded metal dock. Also the alga and silt in our water may make it a better conductor out of the water as well. Because our bodies have approximately the same salt content sea water sea water electrocution is not a danger from stray current. Take the time to view the video all the way through it covers the danger of stray current thoroughly. My house boat neighbor who lives full time on his boat doesn't believe he has a problem because his grand-kids swim around the boat all the time. I'm going to make up a device to measure voltage in the water. Surprising of the 30 boats I checked only two showed stray current. The other next to the house boat was leaking 70 milamps from each shore cord. The other boats checked may have not had any ac current in use so the readings may not mean anything. My own boat which is a ac power hog"50amp 240v" uses isolating transformers and showed no leakage. The video highly recommended the use of isolating transformers.
I think some of this discussion would have sounded different if all of you would have take the time to view the video. After viewing the video one of the first things I did is walk down my dock and check shore power cords with my clamp style VDO as described in the video. Just as I suspected the house boat next to me was leaking 1.7 amps from each of it's shore power cords. That's 340 mil amps enough to kill in fresh water. The saving grace is this is a 50' steel house boat and the length and shape of it's hull radiates the current in a safer way than as if it was originating from a small metal part like a prop or zinc. I still would not touch the steel hull and the grounded metal dock. Also the alga and silt in our water may make it a better conductor out of the water as well. Because our bodies have approximately the same salt content sea water sea water electrocution is not a danger from stray current. Take the time to view the video all the way through it covers the danger of stray current thoroughly. My house boat neighbor who lives full time on his boat doesn't believe he has a problem because his grand-kids swim around the boat all the time. I'm going to make up a device to measure voltage in the water. Surprising of the 30 boats I checked only two showed stray current. The other next to the house boat was leaking 70 milamps from each shore cord. The other boats checked may have not had any ac current in use so the readings may not mean anything. My own boat which is a ac power hog"50amp 240v" uses isolating transformers and showed no leakage. The video highly recommended the use of isolating transformers.