An hour ago, I was sitting at the diner table, listening to music as usual, my newly bought records.
There was a storm before and the exterior of the house was all wet.
I had my record washing machine near me full of water, some metallic lamp behind me, and another small lamp on the table. There is a long chain from the house ceiling 18' above (supposed to be grounded ...) suspending the dining chandelier just above the table, and I was waving my hand a little toward it while reading the booklet.
I was there and all of a sudden I could not see and heard a faint buzzing and sensation on my fingers, then I saw the lights going down, and a purple cloud of electricity in my eyes and heard an electric buzz.
I got up and shut down my amps, I though maybe some tube had gone bad but they were all grounded and unlikely to cause anything like this, in the other room.
So, I asked what happened, my friend said that electricity was going through me, both my arms were in the air and shaking, for maybe half a second.
It felt like maybe 50 Vac going through me between both hands especially through my little finger, which is numb now.
He said the 2 lights around me were glowing 150% for half a second while I was shocked and he heard the electric buzz very well.
So, there wasn't a lightning strike, no bang. My hypothesis is that the chain acted as a lightning conductor, what makes no sense is how could this happen, if it is dangerous.
I am waiting for tomorrow and clear skies to turn off the lights of this area, we both decided to stay away from that area of the house until tomorrow.
There was a storm before and the exterior of the house was all wet.
I had my record washing machine near me full of water, some metallic lamp behind me, and another small lamp on the table. There is a long chain from the house ceiling 18' above (supposed to be grounded ...) suspending the dining chandelier just above the table, and I was waving my hand a little toward it while reading the booklet.
I was there and all of a sudden I could not see and heard a faint buzzing and sensation on my fingers, then I saw the lights going down, and a purple cloud of electricity in my eyes and heard an electric buzz.
I got up and shut down my amps, I though maybe some tube had gone bad but they were all grounded and unlikely to cause anything like this, in the other room.
So, I asked what happened, my friend said that electricity was going through me, both my arms were in the air and shaking, for maybe half a second.
It felt like maybe 50 Vac going through me between both hands especially through my little finger, which is numb now.
He said the 2 lights around me were glowing 150% for half a second while I was shocked and he heard the electric buzz very well.
So, there wasn't a lightning strike, no bang. My hypothesis is that the chain acted as a lightning conductor, what makes no sense is how could this happen, if it is dangerous.
I am waiting for tomorrow and clear skies to turn off the lights of this area, we both decided to stay away from that area of the house until tomorrow.
You really want to keep a watch on your house for fire.
Lightning tends to start an ember in the walls that may really catch in an hour or so.
You could have gotten a fairly small strike or something that hit a line from a distance.
Lightning also really looks different when you are close. I have seen a strike about 50 feet away from me at night and it is not a single strand for sure.
Lightning tends to start an ember in the walls that may really catch in an hour or so.
You could have gotten a fairly small strike or something that hit a line from a distance.
Lightning also really looks different when you are close. I have seen a strike about 50 feet away from me at night and it is not a single strand for sure.
thanks, I am still in shock, we thought about calling emergency, so yes, I will stay on guard and look outside.
Thats what I though, a small strike, didn't make any loud sound or noise, just the buzz of electricity around me, must have been millions of volts as it was running at the surface of my skin through the lights... the ceiling chandelier wasn't on.
I am very mad about that if the electrician didn't ground the chandelier and the chain, because it is a big lightning catcher
Thats what I though, a small strike, didn't make any loud sound or noise, just the buzz of electricity around me, must have been millions of volts as it was running at the surface of my skin through the lights... the ceiling chandelier wasn't on.
I am very mad about that if the electrician didn't ground the chandelier and the chain, because it is a big lightning catcher
anyway from an electrician point of view this makes no sense at all...
the electricity could travel from the wires inside the chandelier to the wall switch then to the house ground, it had no reason to go through the air and me, then hit the power circuit of the 2 lamps behind me, some electricity must have gone through my feet too, they were very close to the wires on the floor.
the electricity could travel from the wires inside the chandelier to the wall switch then to the house ground, it had no reason to go through the air and me, then hit the power circuit of the 2 lamps behind me, some electricity must have gone through my feet too, they were very close to the wires on the floor.
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I have heard the term "ball lightning" in the past.
Thunder storms draw a lot of current that either builds up as static and flashes down to the ground. The current is millions of amps.
If the air is polluted it can flow more slowly and induce voltages into all sorts of things as there is still 10s of thousands of amps.
The effects indoors are variable and depend on the way your power supply is grounded. The locations of water and gas pipes will also make a difference.
Thunder storms draw a lot of current that either builds up as static and flashes down to the ground. The current is millions of amps.
If the air is polluted it can flow more slowly and induce voltages into all sorts of things as there is still 10s of thousands of amps.
The effects indoors are variable and depend on the way your power supply is grounded. The locations of water and gas pipes will also make a difference.
Looks like there was a sudden rising of voltage from the close main distribution transformer ?
Ask your neighbours if they saw a rise of the domestic light in their house if it was at night Also go monday to a hearth doctor for a check up, then indeed check up your house elec instalation and a futur short due to the melt of the surrounding of some copper wires inside the walls, diferential protection interuptor and ground quality (many ground rods are too short for example.. For sure if it was a close lightening all your hifi will be dead due to the electro magnetic wave, see that already.
Ask your neighbours if they saw a rise of the domestic light in their house if it was at night Also go monday to a hearth doctor for a check up, then indeed check up your house elec instalation and a futur short due to the melt of the surrounding of some copper wires inside the walls, diferential protection interuptor and ground quality (many ground rods are too short for example.. For sure if it was a close lightening all your hifi will be dead due to the electro magnetic wave, see that already.
thanks for the constructive advices everyone. I took in consideration wiseoldtech advice, we moved from the other house because of that after my grandmother died and something was growing up in the wall.
Except, I want to know what the heck happened there...
I checked the tube amp cathode fuses: they are as good as new. So a possible emission is unlikely.
I checked the chandelier for grounding of
1. the holding chain,
2. top canopy
3. bobeche ( I looked it up, it is the metal/glass cup under where the bulb are
I checked the conductivity between those parts and an adjacent ground wall plate. I scratched a little bit of the black paint and got almost perfect readings, 1ohm.
The electrical connections are also secure and well made.
So this means that any electricity inside the metal there should have gone directly to the house ground, this is all OK...
I am still looking for an answer and something wrong there.
Some electricity could have built up on the surface of the pain? the whole thing acting like a big capacitor antenna?
I think I will power up my amp, play the same music and plug in the Log amp meter, trying to log any amps from the ground plate near the chair and the metal part of the thing.
I know that if there is a sudden oscillation in the amp or a burst it could send some electromagnetic waves and they could be catch there... or maybe the wires to the speakers act up as the emitter and the chain as the receptor.
Except, I want to know what the heck happened there...
I checked the tube amp cathode fuses: they are as good as new. So a possible emission is unlikely.
I checked the chandelier for grounding of
1. the holding chain,
2. top canopy
3. bobeche ( I looked it up, it is the metal/glass cup under where the bulb are
I checked the conductivity between those parts and an adjacent ground wall plate. I scratched a little bit of the black paint and got almost perfect readings, 1ohm.
The electrical connections are also secure and well made.
So this means that any electricity inside the metal there should have gone directly to the house ground, this is all OK...
I am still looking for an answer and something wrong there.
Some electricity could have built up on the surface of the pain? the whole thing acting like a big capacitor antenna?
I think I will power up my amp, play the same music and plug in the Log amp meter, trying to log any amps from the ground plate near the chair and the metal part of the thing.
I know that if there is a sudden oscillation in the amp or a burst it could send some electromagnetic waves and they could be catch there... or maybe the wires to the speakers act up as the emitter and the chain as the receptor.
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I guess I should take an electrocardiogram, I have to see the doctor anyway, I will book an appointment.
But, I just can't believe I got a shock like this out of nowhere, it must have been quite intense because to my perspective, the lights went down, i saw a purple cloud and heard the buzz.
To the observer, the house electricity stayed the same, he heard the electricity sound in the air, saw my hands shaking and both lights going up a lot in intensity, his own reading lamp stayed the same...
So next step, I plug the amp probe stay clear and try to repeat the phenomenon
But, I just can't believe I got a shock like this out of nowhere, it must have been quite intense because to my perspective, the lights went down, i saw a purple cloud and heard the buzz.
To the observer, the house electricity stayed the same, he heard the electricity sound in the air, saw my hands shaking and both lights going up a lot in intensity, his own reading lamp stayed the same...
So next step, I plug the amp probe stay clear and try to repeat the phenomenon
haha, it is not that bad 
I took many 120V and it hurt more.
It felt like taking the + - with each hand but half intensity.
I took the + - once between my fingers and I was barefoot in the basement in water lol, it was a good shock, but this was like half of this.
my best explanation is a electric fireball so far, it is very rare and unproven, but the patio door was opened, and it could have dissipated its energy between my hands , both lights and the chandelier
I am concerned about the sound it made, no house electric surge could have done this...
not shock me through air like this... and there is no damage to anything.
I took many 120V and it hurt more.It felt like taking the + - with each hand but half intensity.
I took the + - once between my fingers and I was barefoot in the basement in water lol, it was a good shock, but this was like half of this.
my best explanation is a electric fireball so far, it is very rare and unproven, but the patio door was opened, and it could have dissipated its energy between my hands , both lights and the chandelier
I am concerned about the sound it made, no house electric surge could have done this...
not shock me through air like this... and there is no damage to anything.
ToS
I think the brightening of the lights is a key piece of information. While we like to feel secure in our mains voltage remaining pretty stable, this can sometimes be punctuated by short spikes and periods of elevated or depressed voltage.
Now it could be that there is a near short or bare wire close to the metal of the chandelier that normally presents too large of an air gap to do anything. When the lights brightened I am guessing that the mains voltage went up by 20% for a few seconds. Perhaps that air gap could no longer prevent arcing and there was some conduction and you were zapped by the full line voltage. There is no way your arms would shoot up if you got only 50VAC... you live in CA so your 120VAC mains might have been 150VAC and this would give you a good shock and can convulse muscles.
Anyway, something along these lines seems more plausible to me than "lightning". That will not do so little damage and will definitely make some noise that would not be missed, even if several miles away.
Now it could be that there is a near short or bare wire close to the metal of the chandelier that normally presents too large of an air gap to do anything. When the lights brightened I am guessing that the mains voltage went up by 20% for a few seconds. Perhaps that air gap could no longer prevent arcing and there was some conduction and you were zapped by the full line voltage. There is no way your arms would shoot up if you got only 50VAC... you live in CA so your 120VAC mains might have been 150VAC and this would give you a good shock and can convulse muscles.
Anyway, something along these lines seems more plausible to me than "lightning". That will not do so little damage and will definitely make some noise that would not be missed, even if several miles away.
A nearby ground strike can induce voltage spikes on electrical lines which may explain the momentary brightening of your lamps.
Also, dangerous potential differences can be transferred into the building via water pipes and earth wiring and this may have caused the chandelier to be momentarily at a high potential compared to your good self!
I'm no expert in this field so refer you to this scholarly article on lightning, surge protection and earthing:
Lightning, Surge Protection and Earthing of Electrical & Electronic Systems in Industrial Networks
Also, dangerous potential differences can be transferred into the building via water pipes and earth wiring and this may have caused the chandelier to be momentarily at a high potential compared to your good self!
I'm no expert in this field so refer you to this scholarly article on lightning, surge protection and earthing:
Lightning, Surge Protection and Earthing of Electrical & Electronic Systems in Industrial Networks
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