ballast leaking electricity?

[videogirl25]

For a long while now our sundash 424sl has been giving people a small shock. It is localized to a section of the bed. I know most shocks occur because of a bad wire/ incorrect ground. I have checked all of these things. The JK America web site says "Another cause for shocking is that a ballast is leaking to the frame. Replace the ballast." So i have about 8 ballast, how do i test to see which one it is leaking?

[clubtan1]

Look for the obvious. look at each ballast to see if a wire is close to or slighly touching the frame or other metal. Look at the ballast closest to where the shock is coming from. As a last resort, try disconnecting one ballast at a time, start the bed and see if the shock clears.

[Electric_Sun]

What part of the bed are they getting a shock from (metal, frame, acrylic?) Make sure the bed is properly grounded.

[mr belvedere]

It's the edges of the bench. And it only happens once in a while. It feels like a little "bite", or like you got a papercut or something on your forearm. I have never heard of a true cause or resolution for this until today. I hope it's the ballast wire thing, it should be an easy fix.

[clubtan1]

It sounds as though you have what is termed, a "resistive ground fault". The electrons have found a resistive path to ground which is why one gets a mild shock and the fault will not trip the circuit breaker. It's possible that you might be able to see a very small blue arcking with the room lights off and you may also be able to hear it depending on the size of the failure. Use caution when trouble shooting this problem with the power on.

[Electric_Sun]

If there is a shock of any kind when touching the bed, doesn't that mean the ground has a problem?

[clubtan1]

Not neccessarily in the case of a "resistive ground fault". If there was a HARD hot leg to ground, it should trip the circuit breaker. However, in a resistive ground, there may not be enough current flowing to ground because of the high resistance to casue the trip thus, a mild shock when a person touches the area.

[mikejones]

Or it could be that the underside is so dusty that it's conducting electricity. Also could be an arm hair or something getting caught and it feels like you are getting shocked.

How do you have about 8 ballasts?

[Electric_Sun]

I don't want to split hairs, but if the part being touched is at ground there should be no voltage, thus no current, thus no shock, since it is at ground. If the part being touched is floating above ground (not solidly grounded, or a resistance to ground), then the current would generate a voltage and shock and the solution would be to correct the ground. yes no?

[videogirl25]

I actually have 12 ballast on that bed but threw 8 out just for a number. I will recheck all electrical connections in the breaker box and in the bed. Check all wires actually inside the bed. I do believe it will be inside the bed as we have rewired it at a different location. The bed shocked at both locations.