Is the washing machine electrocuted? Fix it yourself!

The washing machine should not be dangerous for people who use it. Moreover, the purpose of this type of household appliances is to create more comfortable conditions for human existence. She erases, rinses and wringes out linen. And it benefits us, the people who use it. But what if the washing machine beats with electric shock during or after washing?

Perhaps, touching the body of your machine, you felt a slight tingling from a light electrical discharge. The same minor troubles can occur with a refrigerator, and with a dishwasher, and with other electrical appliances. It’s clear that it’s all about electricity. In order to once again check this guess, you can disconnect the device by removing the plug from the outlet. And after that, touch the metal body again. Usually in this case, tingling does not occur.

Why is the washing machine electrocuted?

From the experiment conducted above, a completely unambiguous conclusion can be drawn: voltage is applied to the housing of our household appliances. And it is more than 30 volts. Since stress is less than this threshold, as a rule, it is not felt when touched with a dry hand.

If you have the opportunity to use a voltmeter, it is better to measure the voltage that is given to the housing. And if it is large, then it is worth seriously worrying about the solution of this issue.

It is not surprising, but we can get light electric shocks even from a perfectly functioning and working washing machine. This can happen because you plug it into a wall outlet that is usual for Russian houses. One that does not have grounding. The reason may be a surge protector. If you do not go into the features of his work and say easier, then modern cars are designed to be used exclusively through three-wire ground outlets. And if you use such sockets, the washing machine will not be shocked.

But, unfortunately, in most apartments and private houses the USSR standard is used. That is, an ordinary outlet with two wires and without grounding. And it is not uncommon for us to experience discomfort from a shock when in contact with the metal parts of household electrical appliances.

How to get rid of electric shocks?

It is highly undesirable to disconnect the filter wire from the wall of the washing machine. Yes, this will reduce the chance of getting a discharge of electricity when touching the washing machine. But this will not completely solve the possibility of a problem.

Also, over time, the wiring inside the machine may deteriorate. And this can also lead to the fact that the voltage will go to the housing.

In order to avoid this possibility, we can use an RCD (residual current device). This device will automatically de-energize the wire when there is an electrical leak to ground. Thus, it can protect you from prolonged strong shock. Unfortunately, one cannot do without a blow. Since in a two-wire wiring diagram, which is used in many houses, it will not work perfectly. But this is clearly better than the strong and lasting effect of current on our body.

The electric current from touching the case is usually quite small. And the rating of the residual current device must also be small. No more than thirty milliamps. You can also use a special RCD. One that is installed directly into the outlet you are using. Thus, you will protect yourself from unnecessary incorrect operation of this device.

What needs to be done so that the washing machine does not shock us at all?

In order for our washing machine not to shock us at all, you should use a special case grounding. This precaution relieves voltage from the machine body and leads it to the ground electrode.

Do not use water pipes for grounding. It is forbidden. If your wiring has only two wires, then you need to make sure that the body of the electrical panel is grounded. In this case, you can ground through it. To clarify whether your dashboard has such protection, you can in organizations involved in household services for your home. For example, in the housing office.

To summarize

• In the event that the wiring at your apartment has three wires (phase, zero and ground), and the washing machine is still shocking, you must make sure that the ground wire is intact. You can simply check with the "tester" if there is voltage between the phase and the case.
• If your wiring is standard, that is, with two wires (phase and zero), then it is highly advisable to make a separate ground for the machine body. Do not use water pipes for this.
• If the wiring is two-wire, but it is not possible to ground, then you can use at least a residual current circuit breaker mounted in a socket.

Yes, it is worthwhile to clarify separately that these options are well suited for a working washing machine. If the problem is that inside the machine the insulation of the wires is broken, then it is worth solving, first of all, this problem. If before the machine worked fine and did not beat with electricity. And recently she suddenly started, it’s not normal. And most likely, the problem is the violation of the integrity of isolation. In order to eliminate it, it is necessary to find a place with defective insulation and insulate it. For this, you can use electrical tape.

Also, temporarily, you can simply not touch the typewriter during operation. And touch it only when it is de-energized. However, you should not use this method if your household appliances have obvious breakdowns and malfunctions. This will not help solve them and will be very dangerous!