electrical problem.

[jakesi]

I quick getting a slight shock from my kitchen sink. Any ideas anyone?

[New Forester]

Turn off the power immediately and get an electrician in! They should check the earth (ground) of your wiring, and also search for a short. Any mains electric shock you can feel could be dangerous. You may even have survived so far just because you had rubber soles on your shoes... You must have a short somewhere, connecting a live wire to the earth. The earth is often connected to the plumbing, on the assumption that this is buried in the ground. However, if the piping is not not well earthed (perhaps the mains pipe is plastic), then the short does not trip the RCD or fuse, and the plumbing all becomes live. Another possibility is that you have electrostatic carpeting, and are getting charged up as you walk about (usually happens only with certain shoe soles). Then when you touch an earth, the charge is giving you a small (safe) shock. However, do NOT experiment with this yet, because if the other explanation is right it could kill you!

[robber1]

From your brief question, it sounds like static electricity. Once you have touched it, do you keep getting a shock if you immediately touch it again?If not its static which discharges after its touched. Wear rubber soled shoes.

[Uriah Heep]

Answer 1 is correct, Act as advised NOW!

[Kev_UK]

Hmmm.. It's my wife that gets a shock when I use the kitchen sink LMAO!!!! (Check that the earth wire is in place, and if so, consult an electrician.. maybe you have one at work who could have a look for you for a few quid)

[robber1]

The questioner says they get a "slight" shock.This would not be the case if it was a 240v current. They would get a "belt". Its more than likely static.

[New Forester]

Robber1 -- A partially earthed live could give you a slight shock, as would touching a live while well-insulated. I had exactly this problem in an outhouse recently -- I kept getting a slight buzz from a light fitting, and when I looked I found the consumer unit earth had become detached from the plumbing (by a horse...). When reconnected, the RCD tripped instantly from a proper mains short in another fitting. It could be static, but it needs checking properly, which is why I said don't experiment. On another occasion during very frosty weather, a static spark from me to a metal light switch ionised the air at the rocker, allowing my spark to connect to a switching spark inside. I got a mains shock on top of the static one.

[Kos]

Take the plug out!!!