is there a scientific reason not to shower during a thunderstorm?
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Getting struck by lightning while in the shower is one of those things that is theoretically possible but extremely unlikely. See most houses have a drain pipe that runs straight to the roof where it vents. This vent allows air into the drain to ensure a smooth flow of wastewater down. Without the vent the water would have to glug like a jug to flow. The vent also serves a secondary purpose of letting out the noxious sewer gas instead of forcing it to seap into our homes.
The drain pipe is either plastic or metal either way your plumbing is interconnected. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that lightning could strike the vent, travel down the pipes and through the water you’re using to shower, electrocuting you. The possibility is heightened for older houses with metal pipes.
But again the possibility is so remote that it’s extremely unlikely. The biggest risk is the power going out and being stuck in a dark slippery bathroom while soaking wet, also wasting what little water pressure you do have remaining.
Edit: TIL water pressure without power isn’t an issue for everyone. All my life I’ve lived in places on well water. It was just expected when the power went out you had enough water pressure for 2 more toilet flushes. Almost everyone I know has a generator to deal with any outage longer than a few hours.
My parents – two of the most risk-averse human beings on the planet – never let us shower during a thunderstorm, because they said we could get struck by lightening. When internet search engines became a thing, I looked this up right away, to show them how ridiculous they were being. But it turned out they were right.
My parents – two of the most risk-averse human beings on the planet – never let us shower during a thunderstorm, because they said we could get struck by lightening. When internet search engines became a thing, I looked this up right away, to show them how ridiculous they were being. But it turned out they were right.
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I’ve never heard this attributed to the vent piping like so many people are mentioning. For me it’s always been that plumbing is (or was, I suppose) copper and water is conductive, and eventually that all connects to the ground. Lightning wants to get to the ground so it might try and go through the piping, if it were to happen to hit your house. And if this happens, you end up with a voltage gradient throughout the plumbing between where the lightning hits and the connection to the ground. And the currents are astronomical so the resistance of the pipe definitely matters. As a result you get a bazillion volts where the lightning hits, zero* volts at your basement connection to the ground, and like half a bazillion volts at your downstairs shower or kitchen sink.
* Yes I know zero isn’t accurate. There is still gonna be a substantial gradient in the ground around the strike. But this is all theoretical and relative anyways, so I just chose that as the reference.
My dad was ~~electrocuted~~ shocked in the shower during a thunderstorm once. He was fine though so it must have mostly dissipated by the time it reached him.
It is definitely possible, however unlikely. They also have an old house with metal drain and vent pipes which I’d assume makes it slightly more likely than a newer house that uses pvc.
Edit: Their house uses a well which some people are saying also makes it more likely.
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