Shocking Flexwatt development!

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

So I wired 11 4' pieces of flexwatt for my shelf, and taped it onto the shelf using foil tape. I test each piece to make sure it warms up, and also to test for conductivity. At one point I got the foil tape too close to the exposed solder and got shocked (oops, lesson learned)


So I wired everything up, soldered the wire to the expose flexwatt, and taped it all down, everything warmed up and was not shocking...


So now that I have it in the shelf, it was working fine for several days, no shocking, but tonight my wife said she was checking and got shocked when placing her hands over the foil tape.... not on one shelf, but on 10 of the 11 shelves!

What could be going wrong here? It worked fine at first, I used black tape on every exposed piece, and the foil tape is only touching the plastic covered portion.

We had left the humidifier running and the room was up to 50-60% humidity but I dont see that being the cause.

Any ideas? Im kinda confused as i dont see where the juice could be coming from

[jglass38]

There has to be exposed metal somewhere. The foil tape is conducting the electricity.

[kavmon]

nothing is grounded and when you touch the rack it sends volts through you(shocks). somewhere part of the flex is exposed or shorted. ckeck all your connections and ends tape them with quality electrical tape. tape around your wires and the bare ends of the flex. the foil tape is aluminium and can conduct electricity!



vaughn

[ssscales]

Like Jaime wrote, there has to be some cut/loose end you left unchecked.

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

Like Jaime wrote, there has to be some cut/loose end you left unchecked.

On every single shelf? I have black tape on everything, I am very confused.

[ssscales]

Are you insulating the flexwatt edges as well as all the exposed ends and then taping it to the shelf or just taping it to the shelf with the aluminum tape?

[jglass38]

What I didn't realize at first is that its 4" flex. Apparently that doesnt have the 1ft increment dotted lines that the 11" has (never worked with 4" myself). If that is the case I would bet anything that is where the current is coming from. Those cut ends.

[kavmon]

somewhere voltage is coming into contact with the rack, this rack is wood right? wood can conduct volts also. how did you fasten down the flex?



vaughn

[shadraak]

i always cover all the metal on mine with electrical tape, the contacts, the ends where i cut it, the solder everything, then i attach with the tape

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

i always cover all the metal on mine with electrical tape, the contacts, the ends where i cut it, the solder everything, then i attach with the tape

Thats what I did. exactly.


I fastened it down with aluminum tape, but the tape is no where near the taped metal.