LG washing machine gives you an electric shock

LG washing machine gives you an electric shock

Any electrical appliance that is powered from the mains can eventually begin to produce an electric shock. Many owners of household appliances face this problem. Washing machines of famous brands are no exception. If your LG washing machine is electrocuted, do not ignore the problem! Unplug the equipment as soon as possible and begin diagnostics.

What exactly hits?

It is worth noting that the cause of electric shocks is not always due to breakdowns of electrical equipment. Also, not all types of problems can be fixed independently. The most common people responsible for electrocution are:

  • Metal drum,
  • Water,
  • External casing of equipment,
  • Water mixer,
  • Homemade grounding.

All the above options will be discussed in detail below. Please note that DIY repairs may require specialized skills and at least minimal knowledge of electrical engineering. Do not forget that only a qualified, experienced technician can most accurately determine the cause of the malfunction. Failed electrical appliances pose a danger to life and health, so it is better to trust their repair to a specialist.

Impact received through liquid.

First, let us consider the situation when electric shocks come from water. For example, you turned on the appliance, loaded laundry and started the washing program. Then they went to the washbasin, turned on the tap and put their palms under the stream - and were surprised to experience an electric shock. As a rule, this indicates that the machine is broken:

  • Electric motor,
  • Heating element.

In such a situation, you can try to fix the breakdown yourself, or replace the faulty component. But remember that tubular electric heaters are considered consumables. Therefore, if they fail, it will be difficult to repair them, and it is easier to simply replace them.

The main factor in electrical shocks is a damaged insulating layer covering the wiring. Do not shower or bathe under any circumstances until the wash program has finished. After this, the first thing to do is turn off the equipment, unplug the power cord from the outlet and call a repair technician.

The second most common factor is excessively high indoor humidity. This leads to the fact that the electric current begins to “leak” through some contact. In this case, you cannot do without the help of a professional, because the car will have to be properly grounded. Of course, if you are good at electrical engineering, you can try to fix the leak yourself.

The third factor is that the residents in the neighbouring apartment use the water supply as a working zero. Grounding the washing machine will solve the problem, but only a specialist can do it. Before calling him, the first thing you need to do is contact the employees of the management company and bring them up to date.

In this case, the wiring can break not only in your home, but it can also be the driveway or house wiring. Only a professional electrician can repair it. You will also have to contact him when the mixer hits.

The body of the equipment is electrocuted.

Touching the body of the unit can also lead to pain due to the action of electric current. Firstly, a damaged contact or abrasions and cracks in the wire insulation can be a factor in the leakage of electricity. Excessive vibration caused by a rotating drum often leads to damage to the integrity of the insulating coating. During the washing and spinning process, the wires rub against each other, resulting in the destruction of their outer sheath.

First, turn off the power to the equipment and open the case by removing or folding the top cover. Then conduct a thorough inspection of the wires inside, located near the body surface. As a rule, frayed wires can be seen with the naked eye.

The next most common factor is using a washing machine in a room with a high level of air humidity. The optimal solution is to dismantle the device and install it in a dry room. If this is not possible, the device will need to be properly grounded. This will protect you from breakdowns during operation.

The last reason is a breakdown of the heating element or electric motor. If the problem is in the heating tube, purchase a similar element in the store and insert it to replace the old one. If the motor fails, you can try to repair it alone; if that fails, replace it with an analogue one.

The beat is received from the drum.

Sometimes current leakage occurs through the drum. What contributes to this? The key reason is deteriorated insulation of the internal wiring or damage to one of the contacts. In both options, you will have to dismantle the housing cover to gain access to its interior for visual inspection. The failure in question appears due to failures in one of two components:

 

  • Heating element,
  • Electric motor.

Note that heating tubes are subject to a strict requirement - regular replacement, which must be carried out at intervals of at least 5 years. Repair of these elements is considered inappropriate. This principle does not apply to the motor part, because motors are characterized by increased reliability. However, they can also wear out their service life, and then this part must be repaired or replaced with a spare part with identical technical characteristics.

The drum may also hit if the unit is operated in the wrong conditions. High humidity harms its functioning. To minimize risks, the equipment should be initially grounded, but the best solution is to move it to another room.

The root cause of operational difficulties when the housing and/or drum is broken may be compression of the electrical cable due to a foreign object. This is the most basic type of breakdown that anyone can fix quickly and easily. However, it is imperative to adhere to safety precautions. First turn off the machine by pressing the corresponding button on the panel, then unplug the cord from the outlet and remove the heavy object from it. If there are defects in the polymer braid, seal them with electrical tape.

Ground strikes

Sometimes the user’s touch to the grounding conductor also leads to mild electrical injury. This happens mainly when the grounding bus is incorrectly organized. Since the core is a copper electrical wire, when it is switched with elements of another metal, contact is lost due to the oxidation process.

In this case, the current from the capacitors passing through the housing to the electrical wire does not then go to the ground, and this is what leads to electrical injury. To prevent injury, you should not create grounding yourself; it is better to entrust this issue to a specialist. If in a private cottage the owner of the property must organize grounding, then in a city high-rise building this must be done by the management company.