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I live in Europe (Italy) and our apartment is in an old building where the electric box has not been changed since the building's construction (in the 60s). Therefore, there is no grounding and no surge protector.

Recently, I got a mild electric shock when I was taking wet clothes out of my washing machine and accidentally with my elbow touched the faucet of the bathroom sink.

I was curious, so I took a simple voltage meter that I had and attached the ends to the wet clothes and the faucet, it measured 95 volts.

I asked the next day my landlord to install proper grounding but it's been a month and he's just trying to avoid the expense.

I was just wondering technically how it works since I'm not very good with electricity. Basically I get shocked because some electricity "leaks" through the wet clothes, through me, and into the faucet eventually going to earth? Apart from accidentally touching the faucet and washing machine at the same time is there any other situation where I could get shocked? I'm trying in the meantime to avoid getting shocked again but am also curious as to how it works.

P.S. someone suggested putting a wooden board under the washing machine or under my feet to avoid getting shocked but I fail to see how that would help anything as I could still provide a way for electricity to find ground through me when touching the faucet.

Thanks for any clarification or opinion on the situation.

isherwood
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Aurimas Dainius
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4 Answers4

30

Practically speaking, to prevent shocks from the machine, close the door to the room where it is and and don't enter until it and/or its power supply are repaired.

It's not very convenient. You have laundry to do.

Dying is not very convenient, either. The laundry and many other things won't get done.

The fact that you survived the shock that lead to the question in no way implies that the next one will be survivable; or the one after that if it happens to be. It's a serious risk and does kill people.

Ecnerwal
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19

In a 230V country, if you had a hot chassis (hot wire touching an ungrounded chassis and you completing a circuit to ground with your body) the shock you get would be a memorable, "lucky I'm still alive" one.

If what you actually got was an uncomfortable, somewhat painful zap, from an appliance that should be grounded but isn't, it's likely the same problem I had with a friend's fridge. A power supply for electronics in the washer uses the ground connection as part of its noise suppression circuitry. It won't put a lot of current into ground, but it's enough to feel and hurt, and not enough to pop your RCDs. If the machine is not connected to ground, but your body creates that connection, the current will go through you.

If this is your problem the solution is easy --- get a properly grounded outlet, or somehow attach your washer's chassis to a grounded bit of metal. Conversely, if you do that, and your circuit breaker and RCD don't pop and you no longer get a zappy feeling from touching both things at once, it's very likely this was your issue.

Another solution would be to pretend you don't know this and just tell your landlord that given his knowledge of the situation he's on a fast path to a manslaughter conviction if anything happens to you or your family.

Yet another solution would be to get an older washing machine with no electronics.

Careful

With a nod to @ecnerwal's excellent answer -- don't assume. If in fact you have a hot chassis, it can kill you. So, first thing, turn the breaker off, unplug the machine and test for hot/chassis continuity.

jay613
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The proper way to do it would be to install ground wire and a GFCI for protection.

Since I lived in Italy I have seen questionable electrical work.

They would use piece of wire and connect it from machine chassis to the water pipe and that will work.

DIY75
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Might be the machine is defective. Is that possible? Can you try another machine?

Can you pull the plug on the machine and test continuity from each prong to the machine chassis (a clean non-painted part)? Confirm there are actually 3 prongs (HOT, HOT, GND)? Let the machine dry out first.

Maybe do the same test on a new machine in a store?

Gnd wiring is intended to be a backup, not constant flow. GFCI would never reset if there is constant flow through a ground wire... but I guess would pop if you touched the faucet. Not really your call on installing GFCI, though, right? Would need landlord in any case?

Frederick
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