Kitchen electrics please help!

[tonyw]

Can anyone please help I have just moved into a house and have recently found a problem with my kitchen electrics. I have a stainless steel kettle and toaster and there is 2 chrome finished double plug sockets! the problem is that when I plug either my washing machine or fridgefreezer into a socket in the kitchen you can then feel a sort of static charge on the kettle and toster and the chrome plug sockets! this goes once the fridge and washer is un-plugged, none of the items need to be switched on just plugged into any socket in the kitchen!

I am now very concerned and have un-plugged everything in the kitchen
can anyone plase tell me a possible problem!!

 

[davy_owen_88]

What earthing arrangement do you have? Does that circuit have RCD protection? How old is the wm/ff?

 

[tonyw]

The consumer unit in the house is the old type with fuse wire! no RCDs and the wm ff are about 2 years old!!

 

[davy_owen_88]

How bad is this 'static charge'? Is it very obvious when the wm/ff are plugged in and then non existent when they are not? Did you have metal socket fronts in your old house? New metal kettle? Is there a 'static charge' on any other metal fittings around your house?

Earth connections are always connected, even when you switch off the appliance at the wall so an earth fault on the wm/ff could be causing other earthed fittings to become live if the earthing arrangement is non-existent/very poor.

If you have a high resistance (rubber shoes, thick carpet, wooden flooring etc.) then you might be getting a tiny shock. I wouldn't suggest experimenting with wet hands and no shoes on though

Could you post a picture of your consumer unit and all cables directly around it? We should be able to tell if something is clearly amiss from that.

 

[JohnD]

...meantime, ask around friends and neighbours to see if they can recommend a local electrician. If you are phoning one, ask if he is a member of a self-certification scheme (you want the answer "yes") and how long he has been a full member, and which one (you can check it).

 

[tonyw]

You can only feel it when bare footed if I put shoes on I feel nothing at all (ceramic tiled floor)!! and yes Is it very obvious when the wm/ff are plugged in and then non existent when they are not!

 

[JohnD]

p.s. try to move any portable appiances away from the sink, so you are unlikely to touch e.g. a plugged-in kettle at the same time as a tap.

Do you feel confident to do minor electrical work, like taking off a socket and photographing what you find there?

 

[tonyw]

Yes I can do that no problem! ill get the photos posted in a couple of hours

 

[tonyw]

I have sent three photos to the email address [email protected]

I have also tried plugging my fridgefreezer into a socket in my lounge via an extension lead and feel nothing! will this mean it may only be my kitchen with the problem, and i can use the other sockets in the house??

 

[bernardgreen]

It sounds like the earth connection between sockets in the kitchen does not go to the consumer unit earth bus bar. Tjhis means there is no effective safety earthing on appliances in those sockets

That is dangerous as a fault on any appliance in the kitchen that connects live to the earth terminal of its socket will NOT trip any safety device and will raise the "earths" of all sockets and therefore exposed metal of any appliances up to live voltage.

The tingle you feel on the metal is leakage (live wire to earth wire) in the fridge and or washing machine raising the earths of the kitchen sockets towards 240 volts.

You MUST get it checked and the earthing replaced by an experienced electrician.

 

[davy_owen_88]

I have sent three photos to the email address [email protected]

Why don't you try uploading them here? It might be quicker than waiting for the admin/mods to upload them and provide you with the links.

 

[JohnD]

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=73320

 

[securespark]

You can only feel it when bare footed

So make sure you wear shoes!!

 

[tonyw]

Ok my pics are here

 

[DESL]

Every picture tells a story

Looks like the kitchen has been rewired or at least some additions have been made in the last 2/3 yrs as new wiring colours have been used.
Also no grommets on back box and earth to back box.
The wiring looks a bit untidy and cramped not very professional.


The earthing arrangements at the supply look a bit old and corroded.
There's a painted over terminal block - but can't quite see whether anything is connected. 2 wires connected to earth clamp supply cable.

I think you need to get an electrician out to do an earth loop impedance test on supply and on kitchen circuit as a starting point.