Ok, listen up and listen carefully. Dirty electricityDirty Electricity, also known as electrical pollution, refers to the presence of irregularities or distortions in the normal electrical current within a wiring system. These distortions, which deviate from the... More is a thing.
Yes—the same electricity that comes from the wall and charges your phone, so you can dance your heart out to the trending TikTok beat.
It is very real and could be affecting you right now.
And you’re going to find out all about it today in this post.
Let’s start with the obvious question.
What is Dirty Electricity
Imagine you’re charging your military-grade titanium body phone with the latest bionic chip and UltraGigaHD camera here in the United States.
You’re using electricity that has a power"Power" in a scientific context refers to the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred. In simpler terms, it's how fast something is using energy. For example,... More of 120 volts and a frequency"Frequency" in the context of electricity, Electromagnetic Fields (EMF), and wireless communication, can be thought of as the number of times something happens in a second. Specifically, it refers to... More of 60 hertzThe term "hertz" (Hz) is a unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), used to measure the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. It... More.
If you don’t know what that means, just know that it’s the smooth flow of electricity.
Imagine an opera singer hitting a long, high note.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
If the singer can hold the same tone until the music ends, you can say that’s like electricity flowing smoothly.
Now imagine if another singer tries to hold the same note and ends up creating a screeching sound in the middle.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh *screech* hhhhhhh.
That unpleasant (and unnecessary) spike or surge, in the case of electricity, is dirty electricity or DE.
But where does it come from?
Where Does Dirty Electricity Come From?
There are two things – voltage transients and stray wireless signals.
Voltage Transients
A lot of the gadgets we use today, like our phones and laptops, don’t use the regular 120-volt electricity that comes from power outlets.
Instead, the chargers on these devices squeeze the electrical energy"Energy" is a fundamental concept in physics, often described as the ability to do work or cause change. In everyday terms, it's what is needed to move things, heat them... More to match specific voltage levels.
When they do this, it can cause little bursts of extra energy.
Dimmer switches, which we love so much, also contribute to this problem.
When you change the light’s intensity via these switches, they cause fluctuations in voltage, creating surges and dips.
Solar panels, one of the greatest inventions of the century, are another example.
Solar panel inverters convert the stored energy (DC) into something that matches the electrical energy we get from the power grid (AC).
Changing the power in any of the ways I mentioned can create sudden bursts of unwanted voltage, called transient voltage, that flow through our electrical wiring.
But wait. We haven’t exhausted our list of sources that can cause these spikes and dips. There are more, like:
- any appliance with a motor (such as a blender)
- wireless devices (like smart meters and WiFi routers)
- overlapping or intertwined extension cords
- poor electrical wiring in the walls
And that’s one form of dirty electricity.
Stray Wireless Signals
Another form of DE comes from the stray wireless signals in our environment.
Do you know how much radiation"Radiation" in the context of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) refers to the process by which energy is emitted and transmitted through space or a material medium in the form of electromagnetic... More it requires for you to give a cute cat video on the internet a little red heart?
A lot is the answer.
Your phone emits radiation, as does your WiFi router, and if you are using mobile data, the cell towers have to emit a massive amount of radiation to make that happen.
And all of these radiations move freely in our air until the power lines on the street catch them.
They then deliver this stray radiation straight to your home, via your electrical wires.
Experts call this RF transients. RF is radiofrequency, for those who do not know.
This leads to a huge increase in your home’s EMF pollution levels.
Now, this isn’t exactly dirty electricity, but many experts consider it to be a component of dirty electricity because it contributes to the dirty (perhaps more accurately termed ‘unpredictable’) nature of the EMF to which we are all exposed from the electrical infrastructure.
But even if your electricity is dirty, why would you even care?
You will, trust me.
After reading what I have to say now, you will care.
Health Effects of Dirty Electricity
Ok, maybe not as ominous as I sounded above, but dirty electricity is serious. And partly due to how little we know about its effects.
It’s very hard to say specifically and with certainty what the health effects of dirty electricity truly are. One reason is that dirty electricity is everywhere we go, making it harder for scientists to form a control group.
Secondly, dirty electricity is, by its nature, highly unpredictable. Unless you constantly measure its levels, you do not know how much surrounds you at any given moment.
Because of these two reasons, dirty electricity is heavily under-investigated.
But it’s not all bad news.
Some researchers, like Dr. Sam Milham and Dr. Magda Havas, have shed some light on what the effects of dirty electricity are.
Let’s have a look.
Dr. Sam Milham
Dr. Sam MilhamDr. Sam Milham: Pioneer in EMF Research and the Discovery of Dirty Electricity Dr. Samuel Milham, born on October 18, 1929, is a distinguished epidemiologist and scientist known for his... More is a physician and epidemiologist (now retired).
In many ways, Dr. Milham is the father of dirty electricity—not that he created it, but he created the term.
He was also the one to first explore it in his book of the same name, “Dirty Electricity.”
Dr. Milham says that the electrification of our lives has led to an epidemic. He calls it ‘diseases of civilization’–diseases that did not occur in populations until they were exposed to EMF from the electrical grid.
Dr. Milham was able to show how after our cities and villages received electricity, death rates increased.
And how unexposed people like the Amish didn’t face this problem.
Dr. Magda Havas
Dr. Magda Havas is another scientist who has played a very important role in our understanding of DE’s health effects.
In one 2004 paper entitled ‘Dirty Electricity and Electrical Hypersensitivity: Five Case Studies,’ Dr. Havas and co-author Dave Stetzer performed tests in which they installed STETZERiZER filters in homes and schools.
A STETZERiZER filter is a product by Dave Stetzer that reduces dirty electricity in the environment.
They found that “symptoms associated with electrical hypersensitivity (such as chronic fatigue, depression, headaches, body aches and pains, ringing in the ears, dizziness, impaired sleep, memory loss, and confusion) were reduced,” and concluded that dirty electricity may be contributing to the growing epidemic of electrohypersensitivity.
A second study by Dr. Havas published in 2009 along with Angela Olstad, found that, following the installation of STETZERiZER filters, the subjects noted “improvements in the incidence of headaches, general weakness, dry eye or mouth, facial flushing, depression, mood, dizziness, pain, skin irritation, clarity of thought and more energy.”
In a separate study also published in 2009, Dr. Havas investigated the link between dirty electricity and “several disorders, including asthma, ADD/ADHD, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia.”
And she said that the result she found is concerning, and called for further studies on the subject.
How Do You Measure Dirty Electricity?
Do you know about something called the fear of the unknown?
When you can’t verify the presence of something, you feel anxious.
Dirty electricity and the likes of it give many people the same kind of anxiety.
It’s because they don’t know it’s measurable.
Here’s how you measure dirty electricity.
Go close to your wall and quietly stand there.
If you smell bacon, you have dirty electricity in your home.
Wait, don’t actually do that. I am kidding.
You actually need a meter to measure dirty electricity.
Dirty electricity meters are designed especially for the task. And you can get them here at Shield Your Body.
Our store features the Satic EMI Line Monitor DE Meter, and it’s one of the best there is.
This meter measures electromagnetic interference or ‘dirty electricity’ (DE), in your home or workplace environment.
And using it is super easy.
Just plug it into an outlet and look at what the levels are.
How to Protect Yourself from Dirty Electricity?
Now that you know what dirty electricity can do to your health and how to measure it, let’s also look at how you can protect yourself from it.
Let’s begin with some things you can do for free.
Remove Light Dimmer Switches
As you read above, dimmer switches create significant voltage transients. So, replace them with traditional on/off switches.
Unplug Electronics When Not in Use
If you’ve been following me for a while, I chant these two things like a mantra:
- Turn off your WiFi when not in use (or at night)
- And turn on the airplane mode on your phone when you’re not using it
That’s because these devices release lots of EMF radiation, and if you are not using them, turning them off can make a big difference in your exposure.
The same is true for devices that create dirty electricity.
This includes your TV, air conditioner, your stereo–basically anything that runs off of AC power.
If you’re not using ‘em, unplug ‘em.
Avoid Eco-Friendly Lighting
Quit using eco-friendly lightings like CFLs (compact fluorescents), LEDs (light emitting diodes), and fluorescent tubes.
As much as I support the purpose of eco-friendly illumination, they release huge levels of EMF, which results in unwanted dirty electricity.
So, when possible, choose to buy standard incandescent or halogen bulbs.
Manage Your Extension Cords
And for heaven’s sake, keep your extension cords neat and tidy.
That’s because, extension cords (and their cousins, power strips) release huge amounts of radiation in your home.
While we can’t change that, we can manage them.
Never loop your cords or have them run over each other.
Dirty Electricity Protection Products
Ok, so you followed all of my tips and eliminated as many sources of dirty electricity in your home as possible.
Now what?
Well, now it’s time to work with filters, so you can slash dirty electricity from sources that you can’t control.
Here are some of the options we have.
EMFSafe Whole House “DE” PQFilter™
Designed by Dan Evison, who crafted payloads for the Space Shuttle and spearheaded leading industrial electronics projects, EMFSafe’s Whole House “DE” PQFilter™ is the missing piece in your EMF exposure mitigation efforts.
This filter reduces DE from outside and throughout your home 24/7, ensuring a healthier living space and more restful nights.
What makes EMFSafe’s Whole House “DE” PQFilter™ stand out? This filter is the only one with a built-in cut-off switch for individual circuits or zones, giving you unparalleled control.
The NCB Pro
The NCB Pro DE Filter for Grounding from SYB makes your home safer by fixing dirty electricity issues in the grounding wires.
Designed by EMF expert Andrew McAfee, this device removes ground currentDefinition and Basic Concept Ground current refers to electrical currents that flow through the ground or the earth. These currents can be natural, such as those caused by geomagnetic phenomena,... More, dirty electricity EMF, and magnetic fieldIn the context of electromagnetic fields (EMF), the term "field" refers to a region in space where electric and magnetic forces are exerted. An electromagnetic field is generated by electrically... More EMF, and reduces electric field EMF, making your environment cleaner and safer.
Available in 240V for outside groundIn the context of electricity, "ground" or "earthing" refers to a reference point in an electrical circuit from which voltages are measured, a common return path for electric current, or... More systems and 120V for home electrical panels, the NCB Pro works with any grounding product like mats, sheets, and EMF canopies.
Each purchase also includes a 30-minute session with an NCB Qualified Expert.
Grounding is important for EMF protection, but it can be risky because of contact currentDefinition and Basic Concept Contact current refers to the electrical current that flows through a person’s body when they come into physical contact with an object that is electrically charged.... More and dirty electricity. The NCB Pro solves these problems.
Precision-engineered and globally compatible, the NCB Pro is your solution for safer grounding.
Note: A certified Building Biologist or licensed electrician must install it for the best results.
Final Thoughts
So, now you’re a dirty electricity expert! Congratulations! 🎉
Who knew that the same juice charging your phone and lighting up your latest TikTok dance could be such a troublemaker, right?
From voltage transients to stray wireless signals, we’ve covered the gamut of what makes electricity go rogue.
And while it might seem like a lot to take in, the steps to protect yourself are as easy as pie.
Imagine this: your home, a haven of clean, smooth electricity. No more screeching notes in your electrical opera, just the sweet, harmonious hum of pure, unadulterated power.
Swap out those dimmer switches, unplug those idle devices, and keep those extension cords in check. And for the cherry on top, consider investing in some top-notch filters like the EMFSafe Whole House “DE” PQFilter™ or the NCB Pro Dirty Electricity Filter"Dirty electricity" is a term often used to describe unusual electrical phenomena on power lines, like transient voltage spikes or surges, and high-frequency noise. These can occur for various reasons,... More.
Now, go forth and conquer the dirty electricity in your life! Your body and mind will thank you.
And while you’re at it, why not check out my latest article on the side effects of the Apple Watch? It’s a must-read. Click here to check it out.
Stay electrifyingly clean, my friends! 💡⚡
