The operation of any household appliance requires compliance with basic safety rules. Electrical appliances operating from the mains can shock a person, resulting in not only an unpleasant sensation, but also a health hazard. If the drum of the washing machine is electrocuted, it is necessary to determine the cause of the breakdown and urgently eliminate it.
Causes
The home electrical network is not grounded
Through washing machine design A small amount of current is always transferred to the common house grounding system. The most common reason why a washing machine drum can shock a person with a discharge of electricity is the lack of a grounding device.
If it is not connected to the house, then the walls of the machine will accumulate small charges that can be felt when touched, especially with wet hands. This problem can be eliminated by grounding the electrical wiring in the home. As a rule, in distribution boards of multi-storey buildings, grounding terminals are provided for this purpose. But in some old buildings they may not be there. In this case, grounding must be done directly for the washing machine.
Damaged wiring
When grounding is installed, the drum of the machine may experience electric shock due to a breakdown in the internal structure of the device. The appearance of a charge can be caused by damage to the wiring or heating device.
In order to find the reasons, you should open part of the machine body from the back side, unscrewing the securing bolts. After removing the wall, you need to diagnose the wiring elements, checking for damage and kinks. If a defective wire is found, it must be replaced immediately; if this is not possible, the damaged area must be insulated. If correct, it is necessary proceed to inspection of the heating element.
heating element
The heating device is located in different places for each washing machine model.
On devices manufactured by Ariston, Indesit, Electrolux, Atlant, the heating element is usually located at the back. On devices from brands such as Samsung, LG, Bosch, the heater is often located on the front side. If the machine is top-loading, it is usually accessible through the front or side wall and opens without much difficulty. To speed up the process of finding a heating element, you can use the user manual, which describes its connection diagram.
To check whether the heating element is in working condition, you will need a multimeter. The tester must be set in the mode that determines the resistance by entering 200 Ohms.Then you need to disconnect the wiring from the heater and apply a multimeter using probes to its contacts. The serviceability of the part is indicated by a value from 20 to 30 Ohms, and a breakdown - from 0 to 1 Ohms. The number 1 indicates that the circuit inside is broken, and 0 indicates that a short circuit has occurred in the heating device.
The breakdown is diagnosed using a tester. After setting the buzzer signal mode, one tester probe is applied to the terminal of the heater, and the second to the body of the part. If there is no sound, the heating element is working properly, if the multimeter beeps, this indicates a breakdown. In all cases, the part cannot be repaired; it is recommended replacement only.
High humidity
If the automatic machine is placed in a room with high humidity, then there is also a risk of electric shocks from its drum. While in the bathroom, the device accumulates condensation from evaporation on its parts. Due to this, not only the drum of the machine, but also its body, as well as water and sewer pipes can be shocked. Water, in this case, acts as a conductor. The electric shocks are not felt much, but slight tingling sensations are felt. This situation is considered the norm, but it is still worth taking safety measures.
Security measures
Washing machine care
In each washing machine operating instructions information is provided on what to do to ensure the safety of its use.Some important rules are to wipe the machine dry after each use and leave the door open to dry the internal parts.
Device owners do not always perform these simple steps. As a result, moisture gradually destroys the electrical system of the machine and damages the insulation of the wiring. Caring for your household appliance every time after washing will not only allow it to serve for a long time, but will also prevent current leakage to the drum.
Current protection for wiring problems
In order to protect yourself as much as possible from unnecessary exposure to electric current when operating the device, you must perform the following actions with the household electrical network:
- Install a device that performs the function of protective shutdown with a load current rating ranging from 10 to 30 mA. It will react to even the smallest current leakage by turning off the power supply to the panel.
- Create a system that balances the potentials of all household appliances located in the apartment.
- Check the integrity of the grounding. In some cases, the drum of the machine receives current even when the ground is connected. The problem may be a damaged ground wire. You should find the location of the break, check the conductor and make repairs.
Contraindicated methods for eliminating the problem
If you want to fix the problem yourself, you need to know not only about how to fix a breakdown, but also understand what methods should not be used to eliminate it.
If a malfunction is detected, you should not perform the following actions:
- If there is no grounding, insert the plug into the socket, turning the plug over, or lay a rubber mat on the floor. This method will not completely solve the problem, but will only prevent isolated shocks of electricity. As a result, electric shock cannot be ruled out;
- turn off the power filter of the washing machine. Its purpose is to direct the charge of electricity in the right direction. Stopping the filter does not protect against electric shock when touching the drum of the device;
- connect the ground wire from the washing machine to the elements of the heating system. This method is extremely dangerous and leads to severe injury due to electric shock;
- remove a separate PE cable from the electrical panel. It should be remembered that you cannot install a separate grounding conductor, and also use household appliances using a socket without grounding. In this case, the optimal solution to the problem would be to remove a wire consisting of three cores from the distribution panel and connect an outlet that meets all safety standards.
When installing an automatic washing machine, do not forget about grounding. When it is connected, even in the event of a breakdown, electric shock will not occur. We should also not forget about preventive inspections; if suspicious malfunctions appear, it is better to seek help from a specialist.
Small children should not be allowed to approach the operating device. It is important to remember that such a household appliance as a washing machine carries a certain amount of danger. similar entries from this section
