Electric Cooker Shocked by Electricity ? For some time now, have you been getting an electric shock whenever you touch your electric hob? Feeling an electric shock when you touch an electric hob is most likely due to an insulation fault. If there is a fault with the earthing of your appliance, the electric shock comes from the fact that you yourself are forming the link between the appliance and the ground, because your feet are touching the floor and the current is discharging via you, which can be very dangerous. Please note that it is mandatory for all household appliances to be earthed. Learn all about current regulations in force. It is therefore essential that you inspect your electrics. Discover the various factors that can cause this type of problem.
Why Does the Electric Cooker Shock Electric?
The connection to the earth wire is defective or non-existent
If your earth connection is not properly connected, then the current flowing through your hob’s wiring will not be properly discharged. It will then pass along the active conductors, which explains any potential discharging. This issue may be due to many different causes:
- There is no earth connection (if your electrics do not comply with the standards in force), meaning you will need to set one up as soon as possible.
- There is an earth connection but it is not connected to the hob. You must then ask an electrician to see if there is any earthing for the hob and get them to connect it up properly. If there isn’t an earth connection, you must get them to add one
- If the wiring connecting the hob to the earth connection is faulty, it is because it may have received a shock or may have been damaged by an external element. It then needs replacing.
- The earth wire is badly connected to the eletrical terminal block or is loose.
- The electrical terminal block may be damaged or burnt out (most of the time this is due to loose screws).
There is electrical leakage
If liquid has leaked underneath the hob’s hot-plates, the electrical wiring inside may be damaged. It can melt or burn and the current it contains may then escape and spread through certain parts of the appliance at higher or lower intensities. Current leakage may be due to:
- Abare wire (electrically powering one of your cooker’s controls or switches or circuit board) that is touching the hob’s bodywork and releasing the current into your appliance
- Awire that is no longer properly connected to its lug
- Twowires touching each other inside the circuit and thus creating electric discharges which could lead to a short circuit.
Did you know?
To cut the power to your cooking appliance completely, you have to switch off the main off button and switch off the circuit breaker too. If you want to make sure that no areas of your hob are still live, simply test the terminal block with a multimeter.
Another appliance is causing the issue
Another possibility may involve another household appliance connected to your electrics. It may be sending current through the earth wire and then sending it right through all of your household electrics, especially to your hob. Please note that it is mandatory for all household appliances to be earthed. Learn all about current regulations in force.