- #71
OmCheeto
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Going back to your original post, I'd like to point out that "should normally be <2 VAC" is not necessarily true. I did a search of this thread and the keywords 'ghost' and 'phantom' are missing, so I'm guessing no one has mentioned this yet. Rather than blather an explanation, I'll simply quote a source I found;Wrichik Basu said:In our house, the potential difference (PD) between neutral and earth is 50−60 VAC, which should normally be <2 VAC if earth is properly connected.
"Due to the high impedance of measuring instruments, a voltage reading may be detected on open conductors where there is no hard electrical connection to a voltage source. Conductors that are installed in close proximity to one another, and are capacitively coupled to each other, can cause this a.c. voltage reading. Such a reading could be 2 or 3 volts, or it may be as high as the voltage on the adjacent conductors. This is what is referred to as a “phantom” voltage." (ref)
bolding mine
In other words, your 50-60 VAC is perfectly normal, as long as it's a phantom or ghost voltage.
This is of course what some have been prompting you to check for, without actually calling it by it's names.
This is not to say nothing is wrong. I'm pretty sure the ground wires in your house are not actually grounded. Or at least the one you tested with the incandescent lamp isn't.