Water heater element failure!

But will it create a hot-skin voltage?

Hey Mike,

Well, this certainly explains my circuit breaker tripping issue with a possible hot skin opportunity. -John

Hey John,

Yes, if you have a lost ground in your shore power connection plus a failed water heater element it will certainly create a hot-skin voltage. But if your RV ground wire is properly bonded back to the power company’s service panel, then it will leak a few amps to ground without creating any hot-skin voltage.

A properly grounded RV can’t develop a hot-skin voltage

That’s right! If your RV’s ground conductor is properly connected to the neutral-ground bond in the campground (or home) service panel, then it’s impossible for your RV to develop more than a volt or two above earth potential.

No, reversed outlet polarity won’t cause a hot-skin voltage

That’s an urban myth I’ve heard for decades. While a hot-neutral reverse polarity will cause a 3-light tester or surge protector to warn you there’s a problem, because the neutral conductor is isolated from the chassis ground in your RV, it won’t cause a hot-skin voltage. However, a reverse polarity does hint that whoever wired the pedestal outlet wasn’t paying attention and never tested it.

Quick way to find a hot-skin voltage

The easiest and safest way to find a hot-skin voltage (anything over 40 volts is considered to be a dangerous hot-skin) is to use a Non-Contact Voltage Tester as I show in the video below. Watch it by clicking the picture below or HERE.

If you haven’t done so already, please read my full article on RV Hot-Skin troubleshooting HERE where I explain how hot-skin voltage occurs and the best ways to repair it.

Okay everyone. As requested I’ve posted a short video and an in-depth article on the same topic. What do you think?

Let’s play safe out there - Mike