15 to 20 volts left in power outlet when off ?

[ElectroNewby]

Hey guys.. I had to change a light bulb and it was stuck so I decided to take the whole socket appart so I wouldn't risk breaking the bulb and hurting myself with shattered glass.

The light bulb is in a 2 switch circuit and I took my multimeter to figure out if it was really off (and it was not.. still ~119v) so I turned it off.

I was still measuring 15v !
What the hell ?

I did the same with an electrical outlet that is controlled by a switch in the living room only to measure 20 volts when off.

Anyway, what's your idea ? Do I need to worry about something... it's weird I'd have expected a plain 0v.

 

[MikeMl]

Post a link to the DMM (voltmeter?) you are using. I suspect that if you connected a 10K or 100K resistor across the leads of your DMM, it would read zero.

 

[ElectroNewby]

here it is
**broken link removed**

 

[kinarfi]

probably picking up a capacitive voltage, my guess is that the light is the only load on the circuit, stand on a wood stool and put one hand in your pocket and use a towel or gloves to grip the light, you could also turn the breaker off.
Kinarfi

 

[ElectroNewby]

The light is burned by the way, that's why I wanted to change it...

My worries are really about that tension, is it normal ?

 

[RMMM]

If it is a LOT of tension then no.

Trying to tighten it a tad will sometimes help free it.

If you have a leather glove, for welding or fireplace, use them.

Another way it to hold a paper bag over the light and smack the bulb with a pair of pliers to break the glass.

you can than use the pliers to grab the innards of the bulb to remove it.

I have never had a bulb break whilst trying to remove it, but I have turned it so hard that the glue broke free and the bulb came out leaving the metal base of the bulb in the socket.

If you are going to break the bulb to remove it, kill the breaker.. Not just a light switch.

"Why are you working in the dark hunny?"
--Wife flips light switch--
"GI-ZAAPP"

 

[ElectroNewby]

Yeah I took a normal work glove but still I didnt want it to break lol... but the socket is the problem, I'll change it. However I have my doubts about the electricity here... dunno if they took a do-it-yourself to save some money but the cable's wires was not attached in the mounted metal box (thing to fix the socket on it.. dunno its name). At least the wires loops were clockwise.

I will turn the breaker off but it's in the basement so I'll wait for some light tomorrow

the wife thing.. I bet it happens quite often to some people lol

I'll try to find a 10-20V light bulb to test if it would light...

 

[RMMM]

A car light bulb is a good test.
I use one to discharge large caps (some prefer the screwdriver across the terminals..not with these suckers)

Mounted box is a junction box or gang box.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

No,it doesn't seem right,but tracking it down is not going to be fun. I think Canida is like the US. First you need to provide voltages from:
L1 to N =120
L1 to G ~= 0

with the circuit turned on and the circuit turned off. Check some other circuits in the house as well.

I'm thinking that you could have a "shared neutral" situation. That, I think, can cause the phenomenon that you are seeing.

 

[MRCecil]

How old is your home? Do you have any ring and tube wiring at all, either abandoned or still in use? Are all of your outlets supplied with an equipment ground? Is your meter base terminated in a SINGLE breaker panel and neither supplied from another panel or a tapped line from the incoming main service?

If you are uncertain of any of the above questions, play it safe and call in a certified and licensed electrician to find the source of the stray voltage. Safety for yourself and family are much more important than a few bucks.

 

[ElectroNewby]

yeah well its a 6½ appartment with a basement and a neibour above. Its like a house split in 4 appartments...
and I dunno if im becoming schizo but i always hear something i cant explain... like some really high hz
like a cathodic tv but loud and its like variaying all the time its annoyin and i know its not my brain

the house is about 7-8 yrs old but its CREEPY how the owner doesn't give a **** about it... they've installed carpets everywhere in here and they don't seem to care about what they rent.

 

[audioguru]

Maybe one of the light switches has a low current neon bulb in it as a light. Then its low current activates the voltmeter to show a low voltage.

 

[carmusic]

just put your ammeter between the live wire of the buld socket and neutral (with breaker off of course) and youll see there almost no current (maybe few uA). voltage reading is just some noise or capacitive charge on wires. it does it almost anywhere when wires are near other lives wires
In the same time check that neutral is almost short to ground (below 25ohm) if not you have a problem.