Small shock when I touch metal light switches

[max_DIY]

Hi!

I noticed yesterday that when I run the back of my finger across a metal light switch in the corridor, I get a consistent buzzing shock, not painful but feels fuzzy and uncomfortable. Have lived here for 6 years and haven't tampered with any switches other than to unscrew them and paint behind them a few months ago. First time experiencing this shock.

I turned off the power and unscrewed one today to have a look but nothing looks out of the ordinary. When I test the switch and surrounding wall for voltage, I get a consistent beeping almost anyway on the wall. The fuse box is in a cupboard behind the wall so that could be why. 2 other light switches in the corridor also have this issue, but the feeling isn't as intense. The light switches everywhere else in the flat are fine.

I'm not an electrician so I'm a bit stumped. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this? Or have faced a similar issue?

Thanks!

 

[ProDave]

When you unscrewed the light switches did you see a green and yellow earth wire connected to a terminal on the actual metal front plate of the switches?

Does anything else metal give you this shock like water pipes, kitchen sink, fuse box etc?

Without a doubt the best advice is get an electrician to check it out, particularly the earthing.

 

[steptoe]

I'd almost put money on a nail or something just touching a live in the wall,
I've seen this a few times, one was in a kitchen and it only tripped when the kettle was boiled , with the steam making the wall/air damp and hence the flow to earth big enough to cause an "actual fault" current of enough magnitude

 

[binky]

Might be no cpc on the circuit?

 

[Murdoch]

static discharge off you?

This needs checking properly IMHO

 

[revjames]

As others have said, you need to get it tested by a competent spark!

 

[ruggedscot]

No feed back... hope the OP is okay ! Be interested to know what the outcome is.

 

[Sensai]

Does anyone leave near them to call round and check they're OK?

 

[johnb2713]

My neighbour asked me to have a look at a milling machine in his factory unit, several people operated it with no problem but one employee claimed he was getting severe shocks from it. Checking with meter to earth the machine was at 240v. It had been wired up and a phase applied to the earth conductor, the machine had been running quite happily on 2 phases. The guy that got the shocks didn't have good footwear and although stood on a duckboard got quite a belt, the others had better footwear and felt nothing.

They were all very lucky.

 

[ruggedscot]

As an apprentice was given a job of checking a baine marie. Someone got a tingle off of it. Went and checked it thinking it was just static. I came in out the wet with wet shoes and touched it. Promptly belted across the floor. Learned to always take these seriously till you find out what's what.

 

[poni]

My neighbour asked me to have a look at a milling machine in his factory unit, several people operated it with no problem but one employee claimed he was getting severe shocks from it. Checking with meter to earth the machine was at 240v. It had been wired up and a phase applied to the earth conductor, the machine had been running quite happily on 2 phases. The guy that got the shocks didn't have good footwear and although stood on a duckboard got quite a belt, the others had better footwear and felt nothing.

They were all very lucky.

A good friend of mine got killed like that, only it was a 2 phase transformer on a 3 phase plug with SWA, at transformer end the yellow was the earth and someone put a new plug on (3 pin and earth ) they did not check so red, yellow, blue, L1,L2,L3, steel wire was not used