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Some years ago when working in a domestic property whilst disconnecting a gas meter I got sparks between the meter outlet and the pipework.
When I gripped the meter supply and outlet pipes with the meter removed I could feel nothing.
Yes I know I should have put my temporary earth continuity bond between inlet and outlet pipework before disconnecting the meter and yes I was lucky not to blow up meter, self, and property.
My question is this: what exactly was going on? Whenever I've asked electricians this I have received answers like "Fault current" "Anomaly" "Earthing not to standards" even "computers can cause this" These answers may be correct but uninformative.
Obviously there was some kind of (fault) current/potential difference/?capacitance involved but exactly what? What would be the characteristics of such a current that could produce sparks but not a shock detectable to the human body,and under what conditions could this phenomenon be generated down a gas pipe in a house?
When I gripped the meter supply and outlet pipes with the meter removed I could feel nothing.
Yes I know I should have put my temporary earth continuity bond between inlet and outlet pipework before disconnecting the meter and yes I was lucky not to blow up meter, self, and property.
My question is this: what exactly was going on? Whenever I've asked electricians this I have received answers like "Fault current" "Anomaly" "Earthing not to standards" even "computers can cause this" These answers may be correct but uninformative.
Obviously there was some kind of (fault) current/potential difference/?capacitance involved but exactly what? What would be the characteristics of such a current that could produce sparks but not a shock detectable to the human body,and under what conditions could this phenomenon be generated down a gas pipe in a house?