Series of one-dimensional electro-osmotic laboratory tests were conducted in a self-made tank to investigate the impact of current intermittence on electro-osmotic effect. The tests were divided into two stages. In the first stage, time ratio of power on and off was fixed to study the effects of different power on periods, which were also compared with the result of continuous conduction. In the second stage, the power on period was fixed to study how different time ratios of power on and off affect electro-osmotic process. Currents and drainages were monitored every certain time during the test, while the distributions of shear strength, water content were measured after the test. The results suggest that the testing time possesses key influence on the effectiveness of current intermittence and the distinction of electro-osmotic effects obtained. With appropriate power on period and time ratio, current intermittence can result in lighter electrode corrosion and enhance electro-osmosis efficiency excessively. Finally, reasonable explanations of the different results in existing literature were given, and it is recommended to employ current intermittence for engineering application of the electro-osmosis technique, with the optimal power on period and time ratio of power on and off being 1-4 h and 2.0 respectively.