electric shock

[Halo9er9]

Hello,
I was in my kitchen this afternoon and kept receiving shocks from the electric faucet. Even after unplugging the microwave, dishwasher, and washing machine, it continued. Even the water from the tap was giving me electric shocks. I was checking the water's temperature with my hand under the tap without actually touching it. My kitchen remains the same, and I only received an electric shock from the metal sink—not even from touching the pipes underneath the sink. Nothing else in my home or kitchen gave me a shock. Since it started happening while they were digging up the pavement on the other side of the road, the only thing I can associate it with is a cable provider.

Pls let me know ty

 

[jurassic sparkk]

Was it a quick sharp shock ?

If it was then most likely it was a static electric shock caused by discharging static electricity built up on your body ( harmless usually ) via the sink. The voltage of a static charge can be high enough to create an arc several millimetres long. It would not be necessary to touch the sink for this discharge to happen. It would discharge through a finger to the sink.

A static charge on a human body can be high voltage but very little static electrical energy can be stored and thus current only flows for a few micro seconds before the charge has been dis-charged.

A severe shock needs two points of contact with the body and a voltage difference between those two points of contact. The sink appears to be one of them, was there another one that you were touching when you touched the sink. A damp floor or work surface can be the other point of contact if there is live equipment in contact with the damp area.

My advise would be to get an electrician or you can just stop touching the sink. (not recommended unless you exercise caution)

 

[ericmark]

Since it started happening while they were digging up the pavement on the other side of the road, the only thing I can associate it with is a cable provider.

That rings alarm bells, seems possible there is a PEN fault, and if it were me I would find the emergency number for the DNO and ring them.

It seems likely two faults, one with the supply, and one with the earth bonding in the house, yes I have seen large sparks from static, but not in a house, very unlikely due to static.

The incoming water main should be bonded to the electric supply earth so they are always the same, however my parents house built 1954 clearly had a good earth when I was a boy, as I managed to rupture a fuse with an earth fault, but about 15 years ago went to work on it and there was no sign of any earth, and a lack of bonding.

It is not really a DIY job, need an electrician, it is likely not a big job to bond, but the meter used to test is expensive, so not worth trying to DIY.

 

[blup]

Who refers to a faucet that isn't American, or is the term becoming common here?

 

[Adam_151]

Who refers to a faucet that isn't American, or is the term becoming common here?

I can only imagine that the taps over the other side of the atlantic are very hard to operate, hence the instruction to "FORCE IT"

 

[Why Not Indeed]

Who refers to a faucet that isn't American, or is the term becoming common here?

More to the point, what is an "electric faucet", and surely that's more likely to be the cause of the problem than something over the road?

 

[blup]

More to the point, what is an "electric faucet", and surely that's more likely to be the cause of the problem than something over the road?

I assumed it was a kwooker type arrangement

 

[jurassic sparkk]

Hope the OP is still alive.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Hope the OP is still alive.

Lets hope he didn't take your assurance

most likely it was a static electric shock caused by discharging static electricity built up on your body ( harmless usually )

and is treating this as a potentially serious problem.

 

[jurassic sparkk]

Clearly, I did not mean to assure him.

My advise would be to get an electrician.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Clearly, I did not mean to assure him.

Oh, what other ways are there of understanding the meaning of the words "harmless usually " ?

 

[jurassic sparkk]

Oh, what other ways are there of understanding the meaning of the words "harmless usually " ?

I was referring to 'static electricity'. I did not conclude it as being static though.

Was it a quick sharp shock ?

If it was then most likely it was a static electric shock

And yes, static is usually harmless if you didn't know.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I got what I'd describe as a rumbling ongoing almost painful buzz from touching the washing machine. Turned out it had no earth. This sounds similar.

Definitely get it tested.