Sparks in the Shower

Regular readers may remember that when the power was out over Christmas, we managed to have warm water on Christmas Eve. This happened even though the hot water heater was not hooked to the generator.

After the electricity was restored, my husband and I both received shocks in the shower when we touched a stainless-steel hose on the hand-held piece that goes with the showerhead.

We called an electrician.

He and his crew came out, but he could not replicate the shock. Of course, he wasn't standing naked in wet water in the shower, although he did take off his shoes and stand there in his socks. But his socks weren't wet.

Electricity was leaking from the circuit breaker for the hot water heater, so he replaced that. He also tied another ground wire to something or another.

This appeared to fix the problem.

But last week I received a little zap in the shower. I mentioned it to my husband, who said nothing.

Last night, I received another zap in the shower. This time, I experimented. Grabbing the stainless-steel hose did not cause a zap, but if I put my fingertips gently on the hose, I felt the electricity. I no longer chew my nails, but I keep them clipped short, so the skin there is sensitive.

I called to my husband that there was still electricity in the shower.

He came to me bearing a wad of tissues.

"Why are you handing me tissues?" I asked, toweling off my hair. 

"You said you wanted a tissue."

"No, I said there was electricity in the shower."

He says he doesn't have a hearing problem, but I'll let you, dear reader, figure out how "electricity" became "tissue."

"Anyway, I was shocked in the shower. Had my electric shock treatment, I guess," I kidded.

This time, he admitted that it had shocked him earlier as well. He'd showered before me.

My request for him to call the electrician was met with, "I'll do it when I get time."

Since I like my life and would prefer not to be murdered by my shower, I want him to call sooner rather than later, and if he hasn't called tomorrow, I am calling myself.

In the meantime, I put down a plastic mat in the shower. It's the best I can do to offer some kind of grounding.