OUCH Help

[bscutters]

Can some one please tell me where to begin looking for an electrical shock in my kitchen? If I touch my metal sink I feel a slight vibration. If my hands are wet I get shocked. the closed outlet is 2 feet away. Now my stove on the opposite wall is shocking me. Yesterday I was using the George Forman grill and when I started to place a raw burger on the grill the shock traveled from the grill surface through the meat and into my hand. I don't know what to do or even begin looking for the problem.

[Robert Jones]

Shut off the breaker at the service panel and call an electrician.

[Richard Moore]

What Robert said!

Mainly because of the sink, I would suspect you have a short to the homes grounding system, including the water piping. That would also cause problems with any grounded appliance.

It could be at an appliance that is either hard-wired or left plugged in or it could be almost anywhere in the home wiring. You really should call an electrician, but you might first try unplugging everything portable. You should use a voltage detector of some type at the sink or other ground, not the "vibrating" method. If that's still registering current, then turn off the breaker to your furnace, AC, anything hard wired and try again. You might be able to at least isolate the circuit that way but not necessarily exactly where the short is.

This is all assuming you have tools I suspect you don't have.

Did I mention YOU SHOULD CALL AN ELECTRICIAN?

[Jim Katen]

Yes. As Richard pointed out, your grounding system has become energized. This is really dangerous. Call an electrician.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Doug Jones]

Wow.. He must have more than one problem. A short or hot to ground in addition to a very messed up grounding system. You need an electrican immediatly.. this is very dangerous.

[Tom Raymond]

When I was a kid, we had a similar problem. To make a long story short, it turns out that the neutral cable on the overhead service got hooked on one of the lightening rods during a wind storm. After the insulation wore through, there were very similar symptoms throughout the house, and actually got bad enough that running water in the kitchen sink would throw an ark when the water first hit the basin and then steam would rise from the drain until the water was shut off. This short wrecked several appliances, and cut through the neutral service cable in just a few days.

You need to get an electrician out there as soon as possible. Your service provider might also be able to help. This is very dangerous and you need to do something right away.

Tom

[Steven Hockstein]

I tell my clients that if you are a "Do It Yourselfer" and you make a mistake attempting to repair leaking faucet, you may cause a leak and associated water damage. On the other hand, if you attempt to repair an electrical problem and you make a mistake, you may kill someone. LIKE THE OTHERS SAID-HIRE AN ELECTRICIAN!!!!

[Billy_Bob]

Call an electrician! Now!

(Leave the dishes till later...)

[Michael Carson]

Listen to all the above about calling an electrician. If the electrician cannot find the problem bring in an old priest, new preist......

Call an electrician! Now!

(Leave the dishes till later...)

[dnoel]

Ok, just to clarify.

The George Foreman Grill? Aren't the heating plates electrically isolated? (I don't have one - I know someone whose GFG almost burned down their house)

Do you have a sump pump?

Call an electrician.

Mind you - I'm probably trolling here at 2 weeks old.