How do you tell where you are receiving an electrical shock from using a drill?

Question

I'm drilling a hole into a concrete ceiling out on my enclosed porch. I have two different drills I used, getting the same result. Do you think it is the electrical outlet or the extension cord (thick outdoor coded)? I do not have a hammerjack drill, just 3/8 double insulated. How do you test if the outlet may have a short? The extension cord appears on the outside to be fine. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Your outside recepticle needs to be on a GFCI. What you have is a weak neautral wire. When you are drilling, you are acting as the ground wire. This can kill you!

Answer 2

If the case of the drill is plastic, and most are, it is unlikely you are getting shocked. If the cases are metal, look at the plug, there should be 3 prongs. On some older units they only had 2. On plastic enclosures they only need 2 as the plastic is insulative.

Haven't you ever had a static discharge after walking across a carpet? That is what a shock feels like. It can also feel like ants or tingling on you skin. If you get a solid shock, believe me, you will know it.

I have had neutrals lift some at a socket or at a junction previous to the socket. This will allow the AC to induce a voltage into the ground or neutral lines. You will need a multimeter to accurately diagnose this problem.

An alternative is a cheap 3 prong tester that you plug into the socket. It will tell you whether hot, neutral and ground are reversed or connected or not. If neutral has lifted from ground potential some, it will diagnos that as well.

The tester has 3 prongs and 3 LED lights on the back. Looks like a large plug from the end of a large extension cable.

Good Luck and be careful.