Static Shock?

[Spiderman]

Very strange.  We delivered a HS Envoy the other day and the customers called the next day saying they got a "shock" when touching the water (to feel how hot it was), similar to running your feet across the carpet and then touching someone.  The wife touched it first and said she got a shock, so the husband then touched it and nothing.  Sometime later, he touched it first, got a shock and then when she felt it; nothing.  The only pump that was running at the time was the circ pump.  

Everything was working properly at delivery as I stay and fill the tub for our customers and verify everything is working from jets to lights before we leave.  I had my hands in the water plenty as I was adjusting the jets etc.  We haven't heard from them for a couple of days so I'm guessing all is well, but I plan on calling them today to make sure all is well.

[Swell-Tub]

Well you know JJ is on vacation and he might be traveling around the country tinkering with new HS installations.  

[Vinny]

They may be dead .... electrocuted!

Shocking from water is a little strange - did you ground all the motors and is the tub grounded?

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

I don't remember exact details, but we had a customer whos house grounding rod(s) were all messed up and the electricity was traveling through the ground via some crap that was used for fill in the yard, plus power was being fed back to the house and giving him light shocks from his hot tub. It took his electrician a long time to figure out the issue (everyone thought it was the tub) and he had to have some rerouting of his house grounding to stop the problem.

[Merlin]

Yea sounds like an electrical issue. i would have them get their electrician or a service tech out there asap to find out whats going on.

[East_TX_Spa]

Whenever we set up spas at the boat and home shows, everyone sticking their fingers in the water gets a static electricity discharge.  Sounds like that's all it is.

Term

[Swell-Tub]

Whenever we set up spas at the boat and home shows, everyone sticking their fingers in the water gets a static electricity discharge.  Sounds like that's all it is.

Term

So is this a HS thing? I've never heard of static charge from water. I thought static discharge was only in dry conditions.  :-?

[Summitman]

So is this a HS thing? I've never heard of static charge from water. I thought static discharge was only in dry conditions.  :-?

I've setup for many shows, and never had this problem.  Their has to be some sort of grounding issue going on.  

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

Could use it as a sales ploy...."Less MPS is needed..... "

[East_TX_Spa]

Yep, I just tell folks that's the ozonator at work and they say "Oh, that's what I figured."

Term

[Spatech_tuo]

I'd be calling he electrician back.

[Markus]

It's very easy to figure out.
All you need is a simple A/C voltmeter and measure the voltage.
One meter probe on the Hot Tub's earth ground wire and then place the other probe in the water.
There should absolutely be zero volts on the display of the voltmeter (no exceptions).

It is also possible that static electricity could cause this...although I've never noticed this happening. Static electricity is factored in depending on: how dry the air is, type of clothes/shoes someone is wearing and type of flooring around the hot tub.  

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

One meter probe on the Hot Tub's earth ground wire and then place the other probe in the water.

Not necessarily! If the spa isn't grounded properly, OR there's a problem with the homes main grounding, this wont give an accurate reading...e.g. it may show no voltage, when in fact voltage exists.

You might try testing between the water of the spa, and water running out a hose (believe it or not, the water running out a hose is a pretty good ground as it runs through mile of underground pipe.....assuming it's not from a personal well...and even then...)

[In Canada eh]

With out seeing the home and hot tub set up I would guess there is a problem in the homes wiring.  Something is bleeding voltage to ground somewhere.  I think its safe to rule out the hot tub as the culprit due to its GFCI connection.  I would definitely get the electrician back to look at the homes wiring

[Vinny]

With out seeing the home and hot tub set up I would guess there is a problem in the homes wiring.  Something is bleeding voltage to ground somewhere.  I think its safe to rule out the hot tub as the culprit due to its GFCI connection.  I would definitely get the electrician back to look at the homes wiring

I would agree except GFIs can and do fail and sometimes the wiring of the GFI could be wrong.

I once had a brand new 20 Amp Hubble GFI not turn off when I pressed the "test" button. Hubble is the best brand out there when it comes to electrical devices but yet it still failed.