Any electrical experts??

[autienotnaughti]

I have an issue. If I touch the oven hob and the dishwasher door at the same time I get an electric shock. I think the issue is the dishwasher although there's no evidence. Just that it's older, been fitted and refitted.

It doesn't happen with any other metal item only the dishwasher/hob.

Any one any idea what's causing this and is it a concern?

We are thinking of just replacing the dishwasher rather than fixing the issue on the basis it's not in great condition. But the concern is that it will still happen. Any thoughts?

Only have a basic knowledge of wiring, so I hope someone more informed comes along soon! In the meantime... if you switch the dishwasher off at the mains, do you still get the shock? That would (I think) help find whether the problem is with the appliance or the household wiring.

That's brilliant i haven't tried that.

Under no circumstances try Sertraline's suggestion. You would be using yourself as a human mains tester.

There are lots of problems that could cause this and the source could even be a separate appliance that you don't know about or a problem with the wiring itself.

Something is allowing the casing of either the hob or the dishwasher to be exposed to a significant proportion of mains voltage. Possible causes could be breakdown of insulation, build-up of water or loose wiring. I agree that the dishwasher is the most likely culprit but you have no way of being sure.
In any case the problem could get worse and you are then depending on the quality of the earthing and circuit breakers to prevent electrocution. Fire is also a big risk here.

To be safe from electrocution and fire I'm afraid you need to disconnect both appliances from the mains and call in somebody with the right tools who knows what they are doing. Personally I would be happier if both circuits were switched off at the consumer unit.

In the meantime if it is possible to remove the dishwasher you could have a look to see if there is anything obviously wrong such as scorch marks or melting of plastic.

Thank you @RosaTheCrocodile . Any idea why the combination of the dishwasher/hob? It doesn't happen with the toaster and either appliances for example.

Sorry for not seeing your reply. I only look at Mumsnet occasionally.
In fact I registered specifically because I was worried that you might get hurt.

If you are touching a faulty mains appliance where there is a significant voltage in the casing and then simultaneously touch the metal casing of another appliance which is earthed, current will flow through you to the earth giving you a shock. In the worst case where the faulty appliance is fully live you will get a dangerous electric current flowing from one hand to the other going right through your chest. Hence the idea of electricians working with one hand in their pocket.

As for why some appliances are giving you a shock and not others the obvious factors would be the material of the casing and whether they are earthed properly or not. A quick Google suggests the earthing of toasters, for example, is quite controversial and varies between countries. You can also get nasty situations where the combination of a faulty appliance and poor wiring means you get mild electric shocks from seemingly unrelated places elsewhere in the building.

Did you get a look at the back of the dishwasher? I had one (from a Mumsnet favourite slightly premium German brand) that tripped a circuit and when we took it out we found the mains cable was melting its way into the plastic back of the machine. I'm pretty careful about making sure no appliances are running at night these days.

@RosaTheCrocodile thank you for your replies. Dh has booked an electrician and we have switched dishwasher off for now. (As in unplugged) The shock is as you described from one hand to the other via the chest. It hurts but not a bad shock Ie no burning or anything.