Electrical – One hand in the sink and one hand on the stove, I feel a tingle. How dangerous and how to fix? (Not the home)

electricalgroundingplumbing

I was staying with a friend recently and after cooking dinner I was washing up. I had water running in the sink, and one hand in the water rinsing a glass. With my other hand I reached to grab a copper skillet from the electric stove top, to wash it, and I felt a mild tingle across my hands.

Knowing just a little about ac wiring, I was immediately worried and glad my heart was still beating.

My friend wasn't too worried and in fact duplicated my actions just to feel it himself.

I've noticed a couple outlets and pieces of equipment grounded to pipes in the basement. To remedy the situation he bought a couple brackets and a chunky wire and grounded the plumbing to a copper grounding rod in the ground outside the house.

What caused my electrical sensation?
Is the house safe now or a potential death trap at every water fixture?

Best Answer

The house is not a potential death trap at every water fixture. The house is a potential death trap at the stove.

Improving the grounding of the pipes is worse than useless. The only thing to do to keep your friend alive is to immediately stop using the stove and unplug it until it can be made safe to use, or replaced altogether.

A qualified electrician or appliance repairman may be able to repair it or properly ground it, but the labor cost may exceed that of a new stove.