Washing machine electric shock: causes and remedies

Household appliances are designed to solve certain problems in a person's daily life. For example, the washing machine washes the laundry, and the iron helps to iron it. Thus, everyday life becomes easier. However, these same devices may pose some danger to the user. It happens that washing machines shock a person, which can cause not only harm to health, but also very dangerous to life.

The automatic washing machine sometimes shocks not only when washing, but also when plugged into an outlet. Electricity damage in most cases occurs when the unit is connected to the network, but does not function.

Several factors can be attributed to the main causes of electric shock from a washing machine.

• Connection of the unit with violations of the requirements of the PUE, for example, with no grounding.
• Faulty external electrical wiring or socket with poor-quality protective conductor contacts. As a result, the electrical potential is transferred to the body, through which it is transmitted to the person.
• Damage to wire insulation or the presence of breakdowns of electrical elements in the interior of the machine, which entails an electric leakage to the body of the unit.
• Unsuitable working conditions, which are expressed in high humidity, the presence of worn out elements.
• Defective RCD. As a result, current leakage occurs in the electrical circuit, but the protective shutdown does not work.

The washing unit can cause electric shock in the bathroom, as well as in any other room, both on and off. Depending on where and under what conditions there was the first electric shock, the main technical malfunctions are determined. In other words, you can find out the reason by the signs.

So, if you get an electric shock:

• when touching the body of the unit, they talk about the contact of the body with a source of charge;
• during the removal of things from the drum - the insulation of the electric motor that rotates the drum is broken;
• when walking on a concrete base near the washing machine - current leakage from the body or other part of the electrical network to the floor;
• when the water is turned on - poor insulation, charge flow through the water or a faulty potential equation system.

New household appliances are capable of shock if they are incorrectly connected to the mains. To prevent the situation, a separate line with a connected outlet and an RCD must be allocated to the shield.

If the washing machine does not function, but at the same time has an electric shock from the outside of the cabinet, then this may be due to a number of reasons.

• Problem contacts in the socket. To fix the problem, you will need to unplug from the outlet, disconnect the home network and start restoring the connection point or replacing damaged parts.
• The insulated part of the wire or power cord is punctured... In such a situation, the cord is called, as well as the internal insulation. Do not forget about changing damaged electrical wiring.
• Start keys or control units are short-circuited. As a result of such malfunctions, voltage may arise on the metal case.In this case, it is worth disassembling the front panel of the washing unit, repairing malfunctions or replacing damaged parts.
• Defective mains filter. To repair the filter, you will need to disassemble it into parts and eliminate the breakdown. If repair is impossible, it is worth replacing the part with a new one.
• The unit is located in a damp room, therefore condensation may accumulate. The latter, in turn, directs an electric current from the power circuit to the body of the machine. To fix the problem, you should move the technician to another room where there is good protection from moisture.

The reason why the electric current strikes a person during the washing process, and the water remains cold, is the heating element. Most likely, this part of the car is punctured. To remedy the situation, it is worth disassembling the unit, removing the heating element and replacing it with a new one.

There are times when the drum of the washing machine does not start after pressing the power button, but the person is shocked. The reason for this situation, most likely, lies in a violation of insulation or a breakdown of the engine. The device will need to be disassembled, remove the old engine and replace it.

If water leaks in the unit, and the wire is deformed, then a person can receive an electric shock near the machine. First of all, the owner will have to find a contact point. It can be either a wire or a body. Then you need to carry out high-quality isolation of problem areas, thereby eliminating current leakage. As a result, the machine will no longer shock you through the liquid.

Experience shows that it is almost impossible to completely eliminate all factors of electric shock through the washing unit. However, you can protect yourself and your family from an unpleasant situation in the following ways.

• Grounding. In order to connect the ground, at the stage of laying the wires, it is worth installing another protection wire, which is laid from the shield to each of the sockets. Thanks to such measures, the electric potential from the body of the machine will be directed into the ground, and not into a person.
• Installation of RCD... Since the washing unit is usually located in a kind of room with a high level of humidity, the best option for the safety of residents is to install an automatic machine that reacts to an increase in charge even with a slight short circuit. If the equipment starts to shock, the RCD will be able to turn off the machine. To protect the washing machine, it is worth purchasing models with a cut-off current of 10 and 30 mA. For old machines, it is better to purchase the second version of the equipment.

Owners of washing machines should be aware of the measures that should not be taken if the washing machine is electrified.

If there is no grounding, reversing the plug in the outlet will not have a positive outcome. The unit operates on AC power, so polarity reversal does not play any role for it.

A rubber mat near washing equipment will also not protect you from electric shocks. The thing is that the electric potential will not disappear anywhere, so the user can get an electric shock by touching the unit body or its other parts.

Turning off the mains filter will not help. This part of the washing unit supplies electricity to the appliance body. However, in normal mode, its tension is considered safe and is not felt by a person.

Grounding the car body to the heating system will not only pose a threat to people who live in the apartment, but also throughout the house. Only the dedicated conductor must be grounded.

An electrical shock hazard can be present when using any electrical appliance, including a washing machine. Since this is a dangerous situation, it is worth solving the problem immediately after detection. Specialists can help in this situation, who can easily find the source of the problem and quickly eliminate it. And you can also correct the situation with your own hands, but only if you have certain knowledge and experience.

For a solution to the problem of electric shocks from the washing machine, see below.