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4 reasons why things in the house are shocked
How to cope with this nuisance, we will figure it out together with an expert.
The human body generates electricity every day to keep breathing, heart rate, and muscle work. It is safe for health, because the body is not able to accumulate charge. But regular sparks from clothes, bed linen, carpets and even furniture not only cause constant discomfort, but also dry the skin, and due to the accumulation of charge on electrical appliances, you can get serious injury. The expert told why things in the house suddenly unleash a war against you.
Head of the department “Electrical goods” “Leroy Merlin”
1. Faulty grounding or grounding
A broken or missing grounding system is a major cause of injury. A ground wire is needed to drain electricity into the ground if the main wire breaks or burns out. It removes excess stress during voltage drops and sudden temperature changes. If the grounding contacts in the outlet or the grounding wire itself fail, then the cases of the washing machine, refrigerator, stove and other devices permanently connected to the network will accumulate a charge. Standing on a wet floor and touching the body of a washing machine, for example, can get you an electric shock up to 220 volts. Moreover, there is a risk of injury, even if you are just taking a shower while the machine washes your laundry.
Zeroing is necessary to protect devices from high voltage on the case. It creates an artificial short circuit in the event of a breakdown in the insulation and de-energizes the device. The grounding system is more sensitive to wire breakage and burnout and requires constant monitoring. It is still common in older homes today. In the event of a grounding fault, the same thing happens as in case of grounding problems, and the risk of injury is just as great.
What to do? First, see your doctor if you do get an electric shock. Secondly, if you suspect a breakdown, you only need to touch the body of the devices with rubber gloves. For the bathroom, you can buy a rubber mat, they are not only rubberized, but also massage and anti-slip. In addition, you need to check if the contacts in the outlet are burned out, whether the insulation of the wires is damaged, and then call an electrician. You can recognize the ground wire by yellow or yellow-green color, the grounding wire – by blue or blue. And if the ground loop, in extreme cases, can be assembled and installed with your own hands, then only a qualified specialist can solve the problems with grounding.
2. Static electricity builds up
Static electricity will not do much harm to you, but it can damage the appliance. It is especially dangerous for computers. Moreover, it is unpleasant to “get burned” every time, touching a laptop or toaster.
Voltage can build up on the electronics housing for three reasons. First, the device is made of plastic. Then static electricity arises from the friction of parts inside it and remains on the body. The second – dust accumulates on the case, which conducts electricity well. Especially often it is collected on the details of the case and the monitor of stationary computers. This is due to the fact that dust particles enter the power supply unit and receive a charge there, and then they are blown out onto the case by the cooling system. The third – in the outlet to which you connect the device, there is no grounding, and the excess voltage has nowhere to go.
What to do? Wipe electrical appliances with antistatic wipes, purchase an antistatic mat or cover for them. Make sure that there is no dust on the electronics housing. And, of course, check the grounding in the outlet. If you did not install it yourself and are not sure that it has ground contacts, it is better to replace it with another one. Talk to a consultant in the electrical department, and he will help you choose not only the outlet, but also the plug, extension cord and splitter for wires with grounding.
For the safe operation of electrical appliances, you can install a voltage stabilizer. It regulates the supply of electricity to avoid power surges even with increased energy consumption. In case of overheating of the devices, he can start the fan, and in an emergency, turn off the power.
3. There is not enough humid air in the house
If you wipe dust off electrical appliances, but they still shock, the problem may be in the too dry air in the apartment. Moisture in the air plays the role of a natural conductor and grounds the charge, and if it is not enough, then static electricity easily forms on the surface of objects in the house and dust accumulates. Most of all, devices with moving parts that constantly rub against each other are susceptible to this, and devices that either heat up or cool down. The risk of static build-up is higher in winter when the air generally becomes drier.
What to do? More often to carry out wet cleaning, wipe furniture and instrument cases with a damp cloth or antistatic wipes. So that static electricity has no chance, the overall humidity level in the house should be at the level of 50-60%. It can be controlled with a special humidifier ionizer. The most effective are ultrasonic ones. They cover areas up to 20 m², have an antibacterial tank coating for safe spraying of water and have several moisture levels that can be switched. A more budget option is ceramic. They are small, do not connect to the network, but are attached to the radiator of the battery and, thanks to its heat, evaporate the water poured into the tank. Ultrasound can be found in the electrical and ventilation section, and ceramic in the water and heating section.
4. There are a lot of synthetic things in the house.
If not only sweaters are electrocuted, but also bed linen and even the fabric covering of furniture, the reason may be an overabundance of synthetic materials. You put on a thing, take it off, hang it in a closet or leave it lying on the bed – it somehow rubs against other things and against your body and creates static charges.
And it’s not just about clothes. A source of static can be synthetic carpet or even linoleum that you walk on in woolen socks. Any synthetic non-conductive surfaces can accumulate a charge during friction and temperature changes, and if there are a lot of synthetic and woolen fabrics in your house that drape, fold, rub against each other and other objects, this can cause dust, dry skin and unpleasant sensations.
What to do? Give preference to clothing and items made from natural materials, put on and take off woolen items without sudden movements, comb only with a wooden comb. Synthetics can be sprayed with an antistatic spray, and sweaters or socks can be treated with regular hair conditioner to soften the coat and make it less dry. If you have linoleum or synthetic rug, it is best to get home shoes with rubber soles. If you are just choosing a coating, then you can pay attention to a special antistatic linoleum. If you buy a carpet, be careful: the material that is natural to the touch may turn out to be polypropylene.