Electrical Shocks From Headphones on Treadmill

jacquemartin
jacquemartin Posts: 17 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Recently every time I run the treadmill I recieve a small shock from my headphones every few minutes. Any one else? Any cures? I would like to listen to something when running so hopefully this isnt a big issue!!

FYI it isnt just the earbuds, I have tried 3 different pairs now.

Replies

  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    Try a different phone/music player and see, maybe there is a short in yours?
  • jacquemartin
    jacquemartin Posts: 17 Member
    I tried it with my phone and my iPod, neither of which have issues outside the treadmill. I even run outside in the mornings and dont have this issue. I wonder if its just static shock building up and releasing but I have never experienced it before! Frustrating!
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    Seems like there is a short somewhere and it is arcing and sparking right to you. Can you switch treadmills? If you've already switched or tried different headphones, that is the only other variable.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    Oh is it all on the same treadmill? Could definitely be the machine then. Film yourself running and play it in slo-mo? Man that sounds scientific doesn't it lol?
  • jacquemartin
    jacquemartin Posts: 17 Member
    Two different treadmills over two days. They are in the apartment complex gym. I will try the third tonight, but after that I am out of treadmills! I am googling everything I can but it does not seem to be a common issue.
    And it has not happened on the eliptical either so I am really stumped!!

    Thanks for advice so far!
  • tjcuts339
    tjcuts339 Posts: 188 Member
    Never had this problem. Ever. I use I phone on treadmill and elliptical machine s daily never had any issues of shocking. Get your device checked for a short.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    HMMM!!! This is a mystery lol. I will say, living in SoCal in a draught we've had some days with like 2% humidity and everything you touch or even look at shocks you. Where are you? If it's really cold out maybe the heat in the room is drying the air out? A humidifier may help if that's the case. I'm going to blow off my last hour of work looking for electricians forums.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/391920-why-is-my-treadmill-shocking-me/
  • EverythingCubbies
    EverythingCubbies Posts: 172 Member
    Mine did that (2diff pairs of buds) so I switched to a rubber over-the-ear style headphone and it hasn't happened since.
  • DanElizKim
    DanElizKim Posts: 14 Member
    I had that too but not just with the treadmill. I thought it was static electricity.
  • dougpconnell219
    dougpconnell219 Posts: 566 Member
    Bluetooth headset is your friend.
  • richardbrownuk1
    richardbrownuk1 Posts: 6 Member
    Are your headphones wired or wireless? If wired, where is the player (phone, MP3 player, etc.)? It sounds like a static build-up problem to me, but only if the headphones are wired and occasionally discharging via the wire to another object/ground.
  • YellowD0gs
    YellowD0gs Posts: 693 Member
    So this also happened to me frequently enough at our gym that I stopped using either my ear buds or the treadmill. Ear buds plugged into an extension chord that ran from the flat screen TV in front of the machine. Dang things would zap me right in the ear drum! Happened on all 4 treadmills and their associated TVs, but not on bikes of NuSteps.

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