Is there a rationale from science to avoid taking a shower during a thunderstorm?
In: Chemistry
When lightning strikes the ground, the potential at the strike point is about 300 million volts. This potential drops away with distance from the strike point and the resistance of the earth. Even at significant distance, the ground potential can be tens of thousands of volts per meter.
Metal piping in the house should be earthed, preferably at a single point. But if you have a metal pipe feeding into the house and an additional earth some distance away, you now have the possibility of two contact points across the ground potential difference, at many thousands of volts potential difference. This means that the ground potential can now jump through the house plumbing, and being in the mix (in the shower and wet) might be a problem.
Modern PVC plumbing feeds and lines largely mitigates these sort of risks, but it is still a good principle to follow.
Latest Answers