Washing Machine drum is giving me elecric shocks.

[tristandav]

My washing machine is giving me electrical shocks everytime I touch the inside drum when I am bare footed. When I have shoes there is no shock. I have looked at the plug wiring and connections to the washing machine and wall sockets all is connected properly. I have retightenned the connections but the drum keeps giving me the same shock when I dont have shoes on.

This has been going on for months and have decided to see if I can fix it. Its a Miel washing machine and was orginaly very expensive, the warranty has expired and was hoping that someone could give me some advice on an easy way to fix it.

Should I open the back of the washing machine when unplugged and see if the wiring inside looks ok? Or would a plastic mat under the washing machine do?

 

[JohnD]

...This has been going on for months...

I hope you have no children or pets in the house.

Leave the washer unplugged.

If you have dependents, call your insurance broker and ask about the costs of Term Assurance (this is the cheapest form of Life cover)

It is quite likely that you have an electrical fault in the house rather than in the washing machine.

Can you post some pictures of your electricity meter, the incoming cable and fuse supplying it, and the consumer unit (fusebox) and the various cables between them. this will give us some clues.

If you insist on continuing to use the washer before having the fault fixed, then get yourself one of those RCD Adaptors (as used for lawnmowers and other garden tools) and plug it in through that.

 

[Richard C]

Do you get a single shock, just the first time you touch the drum & then nothing or are you getting a shock the second/third etc. time as well?

 

[tristandav]

Hi Richard and John

Thanks for the reply. I have taken pictures of the fuse box, connection to the wall and connection to the washing machine showing all the wires. As I am new to this I have been trying to copy and paste the pictures to this message but cant seem to do it. Is there an easy way to send pictures to you.

Richard-I am getting a shock every time I touch the drum not just the 1st time. The shock is more like a shock you get with an electric zapper color for a dog but I supose it only needs me to have a bit of water on my hands to make it a lot worst?

I have a young 2 year old boy and a dog and 7 month pregnant wife so am worried. If this is too complicated then its best I buy a new machine. Just wanted to make sure it was not an easy thing to repair before I get my wallet out. I can easily borrow another washing machine from next door and can then try and see if the shock still persists. I supose this would give me a clue if its the washing machine or if it is the electrics in the house.

 

[JohnD]

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=99672

Have you bought that RCD adaptor yet?

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9828324/Trail/searchtext>RCD.htm

you will find it lighter to carry than a washing machine

 

[onion_soup]

tristandav get someone qualified to check your sockets

Had a similar problem called out repair man who said no earth in socket

The earth in socket was loose

 

[tristandav]

Hi John

Thanks. I will buy RCD tomorrow when I go to town. Here are the pics thanks for all your help;

1) Pic of fuse box-

2) Pic Close up of fuse box

3) Pic of the wall sockets-

4) Pic of inside the wall socket-

5) Picture of the connection from the wall to the washing machine-

 

[JohnD]

if you press the yellow "TEST" button, what happens?

 

[tristandav]

Hi Onion

Thanks will get an electrician to come at the weekend if I dont solve the problem. Cant leave it too long like this.

 

[JohnD]

Look at those yellow and green wires connected to the metal block. Can you follow them back, tell us where they go, and take a pic of where they are connected at the other end? Ta.

p.s. one last thing - have a look inside the plug, to see if all the wires are in the right place.

p.p.s can you take another pic, a bit to the right of the meter? let's see what's there. Have you got an outbuilding or a flat supplied from that point?

p.p.p.s And unplug the wahing machine every time before you touch it and when your child or dog could get into the room.

 

[tristandav]

Hi john

I pressed the yellow button and all the power of the house switched off much to wifes horror. I had to switch back all the fuses quickly.

will take the pictures to the right of the meter and follow the YG wire and let you know . Thanks

 

[JohnD]

Thanks!

The yellow test button is supposed to check that the big RCD on the Consumer Unit is working. I suspected that it was faulty.

Oddly, it works on test, but has failed to protect you from shock when you touch the washer.

This might happen if there is a wiring fault. Unless we spot something obvious and easy quite quickly, you need to start asking round friends and neighbours for recommended local electricians. When phoning one, ask if he is a member of a self certification scheme; which one; how long he has been a member; and what name he is registered under (write all this down and you can check it). it is one way of verifying that they have the sort of qualifications you need. Many people will say that being a member doesn't make you good; and not being a member doesn't make you bad; but it is a bit like checking that your taxi driver has a driving licence. Would you want one that didn't?

p.s. a picture further to the right, please. I want to see where all those cable are coming from. And there is probably a large suppliers cable too.

Let's have a pic of the inside of the washer plug too please.

 

[tristandav]

Hi John

As requested

1) Here is a picture to the right of the meter-

2) Here is also a pic of the plug that links the washing machine to the wall power socket-

 

[tristandav]

Hi John

Yes I am now making sure that we unplug the machine when it is not being used.

To answer some of your previous questions we live in a farm house and there is a flat above the meter/fusebox area which it also feeds. I believe that the whole house was bodged at one time and that the person who installed the fusebox told us that the whole house was iligal at the time. This was about 5 years ago. Whether he amended all the changes needed I dont know.

Thanks for the advice. I will definetly ask the electrician before we get him in if he is qualified and part of a self certification scheme; which one; how long he has been a member; and what name he is registered under Where do I check his details to see if they are correct?

For your info the washing machine has only been installed in this new room shown on the pic since last night. The previous location for the washing machine was in another part of the house (Actualy in the same room where the fusebox is) There it was giving out the same electrical shock.

The yellow green wire that you asked about seems to run through a number of rooms I will try and follow it back. Thanks

 

[JohnD]

that's great, thanks!

well it appears that you have supplies going in three different directions. only one of them goes to the Grey Crabtree CU with the RCD and the yellow test button. One of them goes to the MEM thing marked "Main Switch" (I think it is in fact not the main switch, it appears to supply the thick grey flat T&E cable, which I would guess goes to a shed, extension, loft or something). i can see the coloured cores of the cables at this switch, which is a sign of an unskilled installation.

I suspect that your washing machine socket is not fed from the Crabtree. That would explain why the Crabtree's RCD does not trip even though you are getting electric shocks. this is a source of danger

If you don't already know what it does, turn off the "Main switch" and see what circuits stop working. make up some labels to identify which circuits are controlled by what.

Also try to trace where the other supplies are going.

You see a squarish plastic box to the right of the meter, very dark brown, with four thick cables going into it in one row, and another four behind them? this is a Henley Block which splits the supplies. One pair of the cables comes from the meter; one pair goes to the MEM; one pair goes to the Crabtre; and one pair goes somewhere else - but where? Garden? Outbuilding? Extension?

I think you are going to need a good electrician to find the fault and tidy up your supplies.

All the socket circuits ought to be on an RCD to reduce the risk of electric shock, but I think that not all are. The RCD adaptor will be a start, but no more than that.

Additionally you have probably got a wiring fault that is causing the shocks, but it is not obvious what is wrong.

It will be useful to see where all the G&Ys go, as this might be easy to improve, but you still need some work done.

p.s. it is possible that the flat is receiving electricity through your meter so you are paying for it - I can't make out the cabling.

p.p.s. there appear to be four G&Ys. there ought to be one going to the Crabtree, one going to the MEM, one going to the water pipe, one going to the gas or oil pipe, and one going to a point wither on an earth spike, or on the supplier's incoming cable. there do not seem to be enough for that. the one going to the supplier's cable or an earth spike is the most important to look for - you can easily add the others if they are missing.