Is it possible that electrical current travel without the need of wiring system?

Question

Once I was in a bathroom and to my surprise I saw electrical current traveled from the wall plug to the castiron bath.
Never mind about the safety in it, my interest is concerned more on the possibility of a new invention: Sort like radio frequency.
Or should I go to the bathroom more often!

It was a nice day, it was morning, I saw a perfect small lightning exactly like in a thunderstorm. Whatever was the cause of it, the electrical current went through.
Here we have a 240V Supply of electricity.
I did moved the wall plug from the bathroom. Thanks.

Apart from households safeties:
If moisture is a good conductivety for electrical current, why not we use the water network and piping system for its distribution!

To simplify my question: If a plastic pipe is filled with water and at both ends of the pipe are to be sealed with metal connecters, does this pipe can serve as an electrical cable, instead of the normal cable with metal wire in it!

Answer 1

Water is a rubbish conductor of electricity, golds the best but we use aluminuim for the high voltage and copper alloys for the 230v stuff, its just cost effective that way.

You can charge an electric toothbrush without any metal or other good conductor being used, they work on magnetic fields, but are not very effective and have to be very close together.

Answer 2

Electricity Can and does flow through plumbing all the time. It is called a "ground". A circuit requires 2 wires. One of the wires is on the pole that brings one wire to your house. The other wire is a simple ground. I say simple because most people don’t realize that the ground itself carries power. This is why a wire will spark when it touches the ground. It completes the circuit before it is supposed to be completed hence the expression “short circuit”

One acceptable way many electricians will achieve the ground connection that completes the circuit coming into your house is to put a strap around the water pipe entering your house, ensuring a good connection to the earth ground.

The third wire, which is also called “ground” is simply a duplication of the earth ground that is connected to the wiring as a safety feature. A simple but effective idea that protects people because if the wiring is connected backwards, which would put the “HOT” wire to the outside of your toaster and present an extreme safety issue for example, the circuit breaker or fuse would blow before harm could be done.

I know this is not exactly what you are asking, but since the plumbing is already used in house wiring, it may be difficult to use it for other electrical stuff.

Answer 3

Yes electric current can flow without a wire: You need high enough voltage to ionize the air then you get an arc (like lightning).

You might be interested that one of the pioneers in electricity, (sorry can't remember his name). Did invent a power distribution system basically it was a large 60Hz electromagnetic wave generator. You would tap electricity just like with a radio: the electrons in an antenna are excitted by the radio waves and generate AC current. So yes - A radio draws electricity from the 'air' (you can build a radio without a battery - I had a small hobby kit as a kid - A diode radio). This fellow I talk about is the main reason that our power network is AC before him Edison's DC current was more commonly used.

Answer 4

Electricity will pass through anything that is conductive.
That's exactly why it's not a good idea to blow dry your hair in the shower and as the people above state...even air can conduct electricity..so do many gasses (neon is the best example).
I think that the electrical discharge that you saw was probabaly due to the moisture of the air in the bathroom. It would be very very difficult (if not impossible) to pass such discharges through the air and not take out aeroplanes and people living above the first floor of a building if you were even able to control such discharges. However, with the emergence of teleportation of electrons this may be possible in the future.
Though your theory is flawed, don't let that ever stop you thinking about stuff. It was an apple on the head that got Newton thinking and he's now laid out in state in Westminster cathedral for eternity... ;) Nice question !!

Answer 5

Well, lightning is the classic example of a current flowing without wires. Also, static electric discharges are a flow of current without wires.

In your case, it sounds like there is either a lot of moisture between the wall plug and the bath, providing a conduction path, or there is a lot of dirt on the surfaces between the wall plug and bath. I am interested whether you live in a country with 120V AC or 220V AC Mains supply. The other possibility is that there was lightning which struck the power lines near your house at that time.

I suggest moving the bath away from the wall plug unless you would like an unpleasant bathing experience!

Answer 6

I just saw an episode of "The Munsters" where Grampa was working on that very invention. He made lightening that shot through Herman's head and made him look like a regular guy. It was disconcerting to the family so they worked on getting him back to normal for the rest of the episode and Grampa decided trying to make electricity travel through air without wires was just too dangerous. We can all learn a little something from The Munsters.

Answer 7

A great man, named Benjamin Franklin, discovered that electrical current as found in wires, was the same as that in lightening. It is an interesting story, and Franklin could have been killed in the discovery. Some of the others who attempted to duplicate his experiment were killed.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

First get someone to fix your short.
Yes, and I believe it is about to be sold.

Instead of half-a-dozen wall warts all running 12 volt gear someone will soon be selling a wireless supply to each.
It is in fact a radio frequency.
Worrying or what?

Answer 10

Yes! By Arc. etc, Lightening, Static, Magnetism.