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touch dimmer

My house has the above touch dimmers from the late 70's or 80's. They usually give off an imperceptible buzz or no sensation when used.

Today I unthinkingly touched one with a wet hand and felt a distinct couple second "buzz".

Is that normal? Am I at risk of delayed onset neurological injury to the CNS or PNS? I already have post concussive syndrome and I really don't need another thing to worry about on top of that. It's ruined my life and I'm feeling anxious. I ordered a cheap multimeter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KXX2OYY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

How can I use that to: A. confirm it's still safe and B. Allay my fears?

Thanks!

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Welcome and thanks for your question. While this site isn't intended to give medical advice, a perception that feels like a "buzz" is rather mild as far as electrical contact goes, and some devicesproduce this feeling without ill effects to the user (I think some metal-cased models of mac laptops are known for this). My recommendation would be to check that the box is properly grounded to meet your local electric code; Home Improvement is probably the best site to ask about this. If you ask there, be sure to mention your country and province/state, as electric codes may vary.... \$\endgroup\$
    – nanofarad
    Commented Apr 25, 2023 at 3:49
  • \$\begingroup\$ ... continuing previous comment since I overran the max length - this site is geared more toward electronics design and theory, so while we do have experts that can design circuits and power systems effectively, we aren't the best resource for troubleshooting home wiring (which generally follows prescribed electric codes). My personal recommendation (this is not medical advice) would be to ask on the site I linked for help troubleshooting, but not worry about the previous buzzing perception that you felt before. \$\endgroup\$
    – nanofarad
    Commented Apr 25, 2023 at 3:50
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    \$\begingroup\$ You should be able to read how much current might be produced by these touch switches, by connecting the leads on AC current mode between the metal touch plate and a known earth ground. It should be less than a few mA, which is around the usual level of perception, but not dangerous. But this is highly variable among individuals, and some people have hypersensitivity. You can safely test your own threshold by using a TENS unit. My own threshold is about 5 mA and I usually use 15-25 mA for pain management. \$\endgroup\$
    – PStechPaul
    Commented Apr 25, 2023 at 5:44
  • \$\begingroup\$ Sounds like capacitive leakage current. Ideally it's so low you can't feel it. \$\endgroup\$
    – winny
    Commented Apr 25, 2023 at 11:44

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The "buzzing" is a tiny AC current that the touch switch is using to detect that someone is touching the pad.

If the current isn't strong enough to hurt, it shouldn't be enough to do you any harm either.

Set your multimeter to AC amps. Connect one probe to the faceplate of the switch - one of the screws will do. Connect the other to one of the touch pads. The current should be very small. I would expect it to be less than one milliamp.

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