Electric problems ?

[Margaritte]

I'm not sure if I've posted in the right place? DH cooked crumpets under the grill for DC this morning., and I washed up when they had finished. When I washed up the tray that had been used, I put it behind the draining board upright & as it touched the tap, I got a shock. I wiped down the kitchen sides, and when I wiped over the top of the oven I got 2 ore shocks. So I switched it off at the wall, and that also gave me a shock

What does this mean? DH came in & tried and he didn't feel anything, although he didn't have a soapy hands / damp cloth.

Can't say but I would get a qualified electrician in to check it & leave it off until then.

No point in taking chances.

So is the oven unusable now?

are you a staticky kind of person?? Not suggesting for one minute that you don't get this oven properly checked, but I get shocks all the time, shopping trollies, car doors, metal edges, switches, stroking the cat so if it's not happening to dh it's unlikely to be a real electrical fault.

I do go through phases and never really manage to pin it down, some says it depends on shoes, or weather, it's a really horrid surprise. And sometimes I am scared to close the car door, folks in car parks are surprisingly helpful :D , even if they laugh at me!

Yes, sometimes I get static shocks (mainly from lift buttons) This time, it was different, and definitely electric. Not sure, maybe DH didn't get it as he has trainers on & I am barefoot ? Cant decide if its ok to use it now

I really wouldn't use it until it has been checked.

It's just not worth the risk - it's not like a potentially leaky washing machine which would be a real pain - but it could be a very serious accident.

Please get it checked before you use it.

Good excuse for a take away tonight!

"DH didn't get it as he has trainers on & I am barefoot "

yes, rubber or plastic soled shoes will give some protection.

You say you got a shock from the tap, and from the oven.

It sounds to me like you have a very worrying electrical fault.

Please call out an electrician at once.

If you got a shock from the tap (which is pretty certain to be earthed) then there may be a rat-gnawed cable making the floor live, or perhaps you have an electric shower or immersion heater fault affecting the pipework, or perhaps someone has recently drilled into a cable hidden in the wall. It may not be the oven. However if you have a cooker with a plug, pull the plug out. Also unplug other things with metallic casings, such as kettle and toaster. Switching off is not enough. I would advise against using an electric shower until the fault is fixed, or at least identified and made safe

If you can post a photo of your "fusebox" with the flap open, and the wires and cables around and between it and the incoming mains, I may notice something else.

oh yes...lift buttons too!

that does sounds more serious than static though...PJ has the best advice.

PigletJohn The box behind the oven? We've been having problems with our shower lately actually (switches from hot to cold & back again) although I though we just needed to change the showerhead (cant really at the moment though)

I didn't think of it being the actual tap, somehow I thought it would be to do with taking the oven tray and it touching the tap
Could that be the case?

We had a similar thing with our washing machine. The electrician showed me the cable with the problem, when the extension had been fitted someone had put a nail close to it and it had corroded over the years. (Corroded may not be the scientific word. Burned through somehow).

the oven tray cannot carry electricity. However it can conduct it from another conductor.

You will not get a static shock when barefoot or wearing conducting (e.g. all-leather) shoes.

As I understand it, you got a shock from the oven casing, the tap, and the oven switch. All three of these should be earthed and safe to touch. If you got a shock from them, some other part of your body must have been in contact with something that was electrically live. As you were barefoot, I deduce the floor.

No. You really cannot get a delayed Shock from removing a non electrical item from an electrical appliance. Therefore it is the tap that is live.

You really Need an emergency electrician visit, I'd go so far as to say nobody should be using the kitchen until they've been.

Good point PigletJohn. Hadn't thought about the metal things being conductors and completing the circuit.

I'd turn off the mains till I'd got a spark out to check it.

Sounds like your RCD hasn't tripped - it should always in these instances - do you have cross bonding on your pipes? (green/yellow bit of wiring attached under sink, etc?)

I really am very worried about this.

If we assume for the moment that voltage exists between the floor and (probably numerous) items such as appliances, switches, taps and the sink, maybe also pipes and radiators, the next shock could occur at any time and might be severe.

For example, you got a survivable shock when your feet were clean and dry, giving high resistance, but if DH had touched the tap when he had damp, sweaty feet, or if a child touched the cooker after spilling water on the floor, the consequences could be very regrettable.

If it was my house and family, I would turn off the power at the main switch.

Think by fuse box PJ means your consumer unit, ie the plastic box with switches in for different circuits.

Exactly - mains power off completely. There is a way to find out where the fault is, using detectors and meters and stuff.

NOT a job for the householder

it could actually kill you. please please turn off your mains.

yes, the consumer unit, usually cream plastic. We used to say "fusebox" up to about 1955.

An old one may be grey metal or dark brown plastic.

I don't think the house has an RCD.

So do I need to turn off the mains, or is just the kitchen ok? Would someone please tell me how to put up a photo?

It's going to be something like this.
See the red ones marked main switch? Turn to off.

Any way around switching off the mains? I really cant, as am worried about the fridge and freezer food... Can we just avoid the kitchen area? And is having a shower / bath a definite no? I had one this morning, though worried about bathing dc.

Up to you. You can choose not to, decision is whether or not you or your DC want to be electrocuted. Or have a fire.

yes turn it off. Doesn't matter about the food - you can replace that. You need this checking out and the only way to make it safe is to turn off the power.

That said if I have any fault electrically my RCD always trips - did last week and stopped the tumble dryer catching fire. I'd look at getting one if you haven't already

Either way the consequences are potentially way more than A freezer full of spoiled food. If you keep the door shut freezer should be ok for 12 hours.