Why is the washing machine electrocuted: 4 reasons and 3 solutions

Causes of malfunction

If a person touches the washing machine and feels a slight electric shock, it means there is an electricity leak on the body of the device. There are several main reasons why this can happen:

1. Wiring faulty. During operation, the insulation of the wires can become thinner, crack and collapse, exposing the core. If such a cable comes into contact with the body of the device, a discharge will be transmitted to it. Equipment with such a malfunction cannot be operated to avoid an accident.
2. High level of humidity in the room. Water conducts electricity well, and if you touch the body of the device with wet hands or touch it while taking a bath, you can feel a tingling sensation at the point of contact. This is due to the lack of grounding in many (especially old) houses.
3. There is a malfunction in the motor or heating element. If they fail, a breakdown may occur to the housing.

Let's take a closer look at the causes of each malfunction and methods to combat them.

Damage to electrical wiring

To verify the presence of damage, remove the cover with the lining, and then inspect the wires and contact connections. You should be alert to a bare cable touching the machine body or frayed insulation. The problem can be corrected by applying heat-shrink paste to the damaged area or insulating it with adhesive tape.

High humidity levels

This is another common reason why a washing machine may be electrocuted. Here you need to follow basic safety measures: do not touch the body with wet hands and do not allow water to stagnate under the washing machine.

To reduce the level of humidity in the room, you need to install forced ventilation. This measure will not only help to avoid electrical injury, but will also reduce the likelihood of corrosion of the structural components and connections of the washing machine.

The motor or heating element is faulty

It will take a long time to understand that the heating element is faulty, since the laundry will go through all stages of washing, but only in cold water. If the washing machine generates current through the body, you should check the functionality of the heater. To do this, you need to remove the back cover, disconnect the wires and check the resistance of the heating element with a multimeter. If it is missing, the faulty element requires replacement.

When the engine wears out, for example, brushes wear out, a breakdown to the housing is also possible. Replacing this element is a labor-intensive process, and in the case of old equipment, it is not always advisable. A technician from the service department can diagnose such a breakdown.

The washing machine is electrocuted: reasons

Unfortunately, not only the washing machine, but also the refrigerator, hair dryer, and any other equipment can suffer from a similar illness from time to time. This is due to an electrical leakage on the device body. It’s not difficult to make sure that electricity is to blame - just unplug the equipment and touch it.
There is a high probability that the electric shock will not happen again. Important! You should only search for the cause of what is happening when the power is turned off.

The socket is not grounded

Many houses, especially apartment buildings, do not have grounding.
Modern household appliances are designed in such a way that part of the incoming current must leave the capacitors through the housing. If there is no grounding, small charges accumulate on the surface of the device. Then, when touching the unit, a slight tingling sensation is felt. To resolve an unpleasant situation, it is enough to make grounding. In a private house or new building, this is easy to do, but in old-type buildings, for example, in Khrushchev-era buildings, there is no grounding terminal provided in apartment panels. Then you will need to ground the machine itself directly, which only a specialist can handle.

Attention! Small current charges are especially noticeable if you touch the unit with wet hands. If you avoid contact with water, you may not even realize that such a nuisance exists.

Problems with technology

Another common reason may be that the washing machine or its individual components (for example, a heating element or motor) have failed. In most cases, the cause is damaged wiring inside the case. To troubleshoot, you will need:

1. Disassemble the unit;
2. Visually assess the condition of all wires and contacts;
3. If a defect is detected, it should be insulated or replaced with a new one;
4. Reinstall the removed panels.

Important! If a malfunction of internal parts is detected, they should be replaced with new ones. To do this, it is better to hire a qualified craftsman.

High room humidity

Usually the washing machine is installed in the bathroom, where there is too much moisture. Given that the equipment runs on electricity, such a neighborhood can be extremely dangerous for people. Unfortunately, the problem is common among both older models and new ones. Although reliable modern manufacturers are doing everything to minimize it. The only way out is to create high-quality grounding in the room.

Wiring problems

Often the culprit for malfunctions in the operation of equipment is old wiring in the apartment, which cannot withstand the high voltages when operating modern devices.
Changing all the wiring in the house is an expensive and labor-intensive pleasure, which then also requires repairs in the rooms. Until such a possibility arises, you can get by by installing a residual current device. Healthy! If you have a device such as an RCD at home, it will be possible to protect all household members from electric shocks. When a leak is detected, the system will automatically turn off the electricity.

Failure of the heating element or malfunction in the engine

A malfunction of any internal part of the washing machine, especially an electronic one, affects the operation of the entire unit. If the heater or electric motor is damaged, urgent repairs will be required, which should only be performed by an experienced technician. In the absence of skills and knowledge in the field of electrical equipment, you can not only break the device even more, but also put your own health and life at risk.

Important! Often, malfunctions in the operation of internal components are indicated by the fact that it is not the body itself that is receiving current, but the drum of the machine.

Grounding the washing machine

In modern houses, grounding is mandatory in accordance with new standards. Machines produced by manufacturers are also equipped with a three-wire cord (ground, phase, zero). A completely different situation arises in apartments built during the USSR. There were no requirements for mandatory grounding then, and the number of electrical appliances in apartments was small.

The problem of lack of grounding can be solved in two ways.

1. Equip an outlet in the apartment with access to the panel. If there is a grounding connection on the housing next to the meter, you can invite a specialist or leave a request at the Housing Office for the installation of a separate outlet, the power of which will be supplied directly from the panel. In this case, the two-wire wiring is changed to a three-wire cable with grounding and a separate circuit breaker is installed on it.
2. Set the RCD (residual current device) to 10 or 30 mA. The device will turn off the power on the panel even with a slight leak, regardless of the cause of the breakdown. It should be taken into account that in old houses the RCD may be triggered regularly and the owner will have to constantly turn on the machine when entering the stairwell. In this case, an alternative can be an outlet with a built-in RCD into which the washing machine will be connected.

A working machine can receive an electric shock even if it is grounded. The reason may lie in the wear of the wiring leading to the shield.

Results

Thus we can sum it up. If the washing machine is electrocuted, the first step is to ensure that the outlet is grounded. This can only be done if there is a separate ground wire in the electrical panel. With the outdated type of TN-C wiring, grounding is impossible. In this case, it is necessary to replace the wiring with a more modern one throughout the house. It is also necessary to check the serviceability of the wiring and heating element of the washing machine. To protect yourself from electric shock, an RCD is installed in an electrical panel or socket. The problem of current leakage into the housing should be solved immediately, because your life and health depend on it.

Prohibited Troubleshooting Methods

There are several other ways to compensate for the lack of grounding in the room. However, all of them are not authorized, since they can lead to electrical injury and equipment failure.

What not to do:

1. Route the grounding wires from the machine body to the water pipes or heating radiator. This option can be dangerous, since the entire riser will be energized.
2. Place a rubberized substrate that will serve as a dielectric. In this case, when touching the body of the unit, there will be no short circuit to ground and no current will flow through the person. The malfunction does not go away and can subsequently lead to injury or equipment failure.
3. Disconnect the machine's built-in surge protector. It is believed that during a breakdown, this device directs a charge to the body, so turning it off will lead to the disappearance of the current on the surface of the device. The method cannot be called effective, since the cause of the malfunction remains the same. In addition, the washing machine will be left without the built-in protection provided by the surge protector.

It is also not recommended to pull the wire directly from the machine body to the ground on the panel.

Additional Security Measures

To reduce the risk of electric shock, you must adhere to the following safety precautions:

1. Touch the body and internal parts of the unit only with dry hands.
2. Place laundry in the machine and remove it after washing, having previously unplugged the equipment.
3. After work, leave the car door open, or even better, wipe off any remaining moisture. Thus, it is possible to prevent the appearance of corrosion, oxidation of contacts and damage to the integrity of the insulation, increasing the service life of the wiring.

You cannot delay identifying the cause of the malfunction. If it is not possible to determine the breakdown for a long time, you need to contact specialists without waiting until the equipment completely fails.

Current flows through the mixer or through water

In this case, when the SMA is turned on, it is impossible to use water due to the tingling sensation from the water. This is especially felt if there are wounds or scratches on the hands. You will find answers to the questions why electric current flows through water from a washing machine in the table below.

If the water “bites” even when the SMA is turned off, the problem may be due to a faulty wiring in the wall. You can find damage using a special diagnostic tool for testing circuits and identifying problem areas, but it is better to immediately contact a specialist with the problem.

The washing machine gives an electric shock when you touch the body

In some situations, when you connect a household appliance to an outlet, the body of the washing machine begins to “bite.” This is especially noticeable when touching the device with wet hands. Why does this kind of trouble arise and how to avoid it?

Do not operate the washing machine if the integrity of the insulation is damaged.

Drum Leakage

The causes of leakage and elimination methods are generally identical to the situations described above.