This article was posted 08/13/2007 and is most likely outdated.

The Confusion Surrounding “Stray Voltage”
 

 

Topic - Grounding and Bonding
Subject - The Confusion Surrounding “Stray Voltage”

August 13, 2007
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The Confusion Surrounding “Stray Voltage”


 

ImageWhile “stray voltage” has been a concern for farm livestock for many years, it is only within the past few years that the term has been associated with human fatalities. The industry has seen an expansion of the term’s usage to describe events that some engineers feel is incorrect. This situation has resulted in costs to utilities exceeding many millions of dollars that has a questionable impact on customers increased safety.

 

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the confusion that now exists in the area of “stray voltage”. The paper will discuss the traditional definition of the term “stray voltage”, as well as the recent usage of the phrase to describe more dangerous conditions such as step-and-touch voltages, temporary overvoltages, contact voltages, etc. Finally, the paper will address the status of the industries response to this issue. It will discuss the measures taken by some utilities as well as the IEEE to establish some sort of industry guidelines to address these issues.

 

Click here to review this paper written by Jim Burke, InfraSource Inc., Fellow, IEEE

 

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Comments
  • Is someone who works for a large corporation that installs systems of this type every day the one who should be doing an objective evaluation of this subject? Visit his company web site and see if there may be some reason for bias. I work in the low voltage industry and can attest to the fact that its not what you measure on your DMM that kills your equipment. Try hooking a Power Quality Recorder on your house and get ready for a scare. Its no wonder that electronics don't last like they used to. It is not the components it's crappy power. I am not an engineer, however, I have repaired numerous pieces of equipment that have failed for unexplainable reasons. It's funny that it is always varistors, transorbs, and diodes that go bad. Odd that some of the components that are designed to shunt over-voltage and control power quality on the circuit regularly fail. I don't think this is a component issue industry wide.

    Daniel B House

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