UK DIY Shocker!!!

[DIYer Gaz]

Hi guys,

I hope everyone is well.

So to detail my experience, I had a loose wire behind my electric cooker mains plug, so I tested the plug after sorting the wire forgot to turn off the mains at the box and yes as you can guess as I went to push the socket into the wall to screw in, two fingers on eight hand touches the metal box behind the socket all whilst being barefoot standing on the kitchen floor. Never felt anything like it, straight up my eight arm fuzzy head and all that. This was late last night about 10.30pm. Should I be worried? It is fair to say I will be staying away from electrics from now on.

 

[Andy78]

You should ring NHS direct and take their guidance. It's advised to get a check up after a shock, but in the current climate I have no idea what's possible.

 

[buzzlightyear]

That's completely shocking. Me I would have sat down pored a whiskey and said I'm glad to be alive.if there was any blisters on the hand that I would go to hospital.

 

[radiohead]

Hopefully lesson learnt as next time you may not be so lucky. As Andy has said you would be advised to talk to the NHS as a severe shock can interrupt the hearts rhythm without the victim being aware. That said it is probably unlikely. I believe the NHS has expressed concern that conditions other than CV are being left in the present climate, and they have clearly stated if you would normally seek treatment for an accident you should still do so.
I am immensely pleased however that you didn't claim to be thrown across the room, as almost all non-electricians laughably do.

 

[pc1966]

As others have said, there can be longer-term effects but the fact your are alive and well enough to post here 12 hours later is a good sign!

Given that, and assuming you feel OK now (other than psychological shock, so no sign of burns or so on your fingers and no unusual heart beat) it might be worth speaking to the NHS direct just in case, but I suspect the current risk of getting COVID-19 from an A&E trip is probably greater than doing nothing.

But you still have a dangerous cooker to deal with! I would suggest you should put off the cooker circuit at your consumer unit (fuse box) until it can be fixed.

Just now that is probably the last concern, but it has to be made safe and I would see if you can get a local sparky in to check it over. If that is not possible (or you / someone in your home is being shielded as at-risk from COVID-19) then do you have another cooking option like a microwave oven to use?

 

[DIYer Gaz]

Thanks guys. Yeah it was a quick touch and pull away of the hand. Would this be classed as a mild or severe shock given it did not burn my fingers or send me flying across the room? I may have used an expletive or two.

 

[pc1966]

Thanks guys. Yeah it was a quick touch and pull away of the hand. Would this be classed as a mild or severe shock given it did not burn my fingers or send me flying across the room? I may have used an expletive or two.

It sounds like a "mild shock" as you had limited contact and were able to pull away.

The bigger risk is when the shock is hand-to-hand or (in your case suspect) hand-to-foot as then it passes around the heart and can cause fibrillation (disruption of the beating pattern) and that is the most common reason for death, not major burns.

What makes things worse is the shock causes involuntary contraction, in your case probably a pull-away movement, but if you have gripped round something like a pipe/handle/etc then you find you simply can't let go no matter how you try.

These days a lot of circuits have RCD (residual current device) protection to detect the most common danger of a shock from live to earth but not all houses have that fitted, and some don't have it on fixed circuits such as cookers, etc.

As RCD became cheaper over the years the wiring regulations started to specify them on more types of circuit, but the regulations are not retrospective - you don't have to update house wiring that is otherwise safe to the standard it was installed to - and so it takes decades for these to become common.

 

[Strima]

As has been said contact the NHS. All they will do is stick you on the little machine that goes ping for a while to ensure your heart rhythm is correct. Most local treatment centres will be able to do this rather than A&E.

Sooner rather than later.

 

[James]

My concern is that contacting the metal box SHOULD NOT GIVE YOU A SHOCK.

There may be a damaged cable and or a missing earth.
Please get this switched off at the fuse box until it can be properly checked for safety.

 

[DIYer Gaz]

It sounds like a "mild shock" as you had limited contact and were able to pull away.

The bigger risk is when the shock is hand-to-hand or (in your case suspect) hand-to-foot as then it passes around the heart and can cause fibrillation (disruption of the beating pattern) and that is the most common reason for death, not major burns.

What makes things worse is the shock causes involuntary contraction, in your case probably a pull-away movement, but if you have gripped round something like a pipe/handle/etc then you find you simply can't let go no matter how you try.

These days a lot of circuits have RCD (residual current device) protection to detect the most common danger of a shock from live to earth but not all houses have that fitted, and some don't have it on fixed circuits such as cookers, etc.

As RCD became cheaper over the years the wiring regulations started to specify them on more types of circuit, but the regulations are not retrospective - you don't have to update house wiring that is otherwise safe to the standard it was installed to - and so it takes decades for these to become common.

Thanks for the explanation. That is worrying that is passed around my heart! Worried about getting checked out with the current pandemic!

 

[telectrix]

check that your pulse is regular. relaxed it should be < 70 bpm.

 

[pc1966]

Thanks for the explanation. That is worrying that is passed around my heart! Worried about getting checked out with the current pandemic!

With "dry" fingers (i.e. not soaking wet like bathroom, etc) and screw-sized contact area you probably won't have had more than around 25-50mA and it sounds like your contact time would have been a fraction of a second, so looking at the typical danger levels here:

Electrical injury - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

You are probably were roughly in the middle of that graph, possibly in in the green area, maybe in to the yellow if contact longer than 1/4 second, but unlikely to have entered the red zone where there is an increasing danger to health/life.

Still best to speak to the NHS direct line and getting a medial opinion based on your health history and so on.

As said already, we (as electrical folk, not medical) are more worried by the risk your cooker may be/become live and present a greater risk of the same or worse!

 

[Midwest]

Thanks for the explanation. That is worrying that is passed around my heart! Worried about getting checked out with the current pandemic!

Ring them God damn you! That's said in a rather fatherly voice.

 

[Ziggie]

The hospitals are working normally. Get there now. They will run a heart trace and its best to be sure.

Do not waste time chatting

 

[radiohead]

Thanks guys. Yeah it was a quick touch and pull away of the hand. Would this be classed as a mild or severe shock given it did not burn my fingers or send me flying across the room? I may have used an expletive or two.

Pleeeese...NO! NO! NO!
I gave you credit for not claiming to have been thrown across the room and now you've gone and completely ruined it by suggesting you could have been!!
For the record.
Anyone claiming to have been thrown across the room is telling whoppers.

 

[Vortigern]

If you are in my area I will come and take a look at it and make safe. I am on the register of emergency call out electricians and with precautions will happily help out. I have registered on local neighbourhood site and will do first call free on it. As these are unusual times.

 

[telectrix]

If you are in my area I will come and take a look at it and make safe. I am on the register of emergency call out electricians and with precautions will happily help out. I have registered on local neighbourhood site and will do first call free on it. As these are unusual times.

is it snowing where you are?

 

[DIYer Gaz]

Pleeeese...NO! NO! NO!
I gave you credit for not claiming to have been thrown across the room and now you've gone and completely ruined it by suggesting you could have been!!
For the record.
Anyone claiming to have been thrown across the room is telling whoppers.

Apologies I was not incoming I was thrown across the room. I remained in the same spot it just jolted my arm back. Can I have the credit back now please?
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Thank you guys for all of your input it has been appreciated! I ended up phoning and they advised a check at A&E like you all suggested. Went on one if those beeps machines got about 20 seconds and the Doctor said all looks fine. I think what I touched was the livewire (from my research and the information posted in here).

 

[pc1966]

Good to hear all is well with you!

But how is the cooker? Switched off at the board we hope.

 

[DIYer Gaz]

Good to hear all is well with you!

But how is the cooker? Switched off at the board we hope.

Hahaha, thanks and yeah off at board flicked off the switch labelled cooker on my fuse box. Would the trip have limited the 9volts when I touched it or would it not have made a difference.

 

[pc1966]

Hahaha, thanks and yeah off at board flicked off the switch labelled cooker on my fuse box.

Good to hear, hopefully you can get someone out soon to take a look.

Would the trip have limited the 9volts when I touched it or would it not have made a difference.

Not sure I understand. If you can post a picture of the consumer unit (fuse box) we might be able to see if it was RCD protected or not.

The 30mA style of RCD is designed to provide additional protection to personnel ("additional" here means after the usual steps of insulation, barriers, etc, designed to prevent contact with live parts in the first place). You can still get a nasty surprise but it ought to disconnect fast enough to keep you out of the danger zone under normal circumstances.

But RCD don't always work, and you should test them twice a year to make sure they do trip when an artificial fault is generated by the test button! When doing such tests remember to shut down and switch off at the mains PCs, TiVo boxes, smart TVs, fridge/freezers, etc, that might not like being switched off and back on quickly while you do the tests.

 

[telectrix]

Hahaha, thanks and yeah off at board flicked off the switch labelled cooker on my fuse box. Would the trip have limited the 9volts when I touched it or would it not have made a difference.

the trip limits the current through your body to <30mA, which is considered to be non-fatal (hopefully). the voltage is just the "force" that makes the current flow ( similar to water pressure making water flow when you turn a tap ( akin to making a circuit)).

 

[Vortigern]

is it snowing where you are?

Eh? don't get it?

 

[telectrix]

Eh? don't get it?

your avatar is white out.

 

[Vortigern]

I guess that is to do with the picture problem that I better not mention as I know our hosts...nvm. Mums the word!

 

[OnlQQker]

Sounds pretty bad OP, hope you're ok. Do you feel recharged?

Doesn't half wake you up though doesn't it...

 

[DIYer Gaz]

It sounds like a "mild shock" as you had limited contact and were able to pull away.

The bigger risk is when the shock is hand-to-hand or (in your case suspect) hand-to-foot as then it passes around the heart and can cause fibrillation (disruption of the beating pattern) and that is the most common reason for death, not major burns.

What makes things worse is the shock causes involuntary contraction, in your case probably a pull-away movement, but if you have gripped round something like a pipe/handle/etc then you find you simply can't let go no matter how you try.

These days a lot of circuits have RCD (residual current device) protection to detect the most common danger of a shock from live to earth but not all houses have that fitted, and some don't have it on fixed circuits such as cookers, etc.

As RCD became cheaper over the years the wiring regulations started to specify them on more types of circuit, but the regulations are not retrospective - you don't have to update house wiring that is otherwise safe to the standard it was installed to - and so it takes decades for these to become common.

Thanks for the explanation on the currents path through the body. I obviously have no idea of these things. I remember feeling my heart skip a beat when it occurred and despite being fully aware of everything going on, my just seeing black for a split second as my hand came away from what I have now deemed to be the livewire I caught at the back of the loose socket. I wondered if wearing a wedding ring on my left hand would at all allow the current to move from right to left arm hence feeling my heart jump/skip, or it would opt for arm to foot? It was just an after thought...

 

[pc1966]

I wondered if wearing a wedding ring on my left hand would at all allow the current to move from right to left arm hence feeling my heart jump/skip, or it would opt for arm to foot? It was just an after thought...

A metal ring (or watch strap, etc) is very bad for you (electrically speaking) as it provides a much larger contact area and is often moist with sweat below so it allows a much higher current to flow

Good job all is fine with you though, and with any luck the cooker will be sorted and no further incidents of this sort!

 

[DIYer Gaz]

Good to hear, hopefully you can get someone out soon to take a look.


Not sure I understand. If you can post a picture of the consumer unit (fuse box) we might be able to see if it was RCD protected or not.

The 30mA style of RCD is designed to provide additional protection to personnel ("additional" here means after the usual steps of insulation, barriers, etc, designed to prevent contact with live parts in the first place). You can still get a nasty surprise but it ought to disconnect fast enough to keep you out of the danger zone under normal circumstances.

But RCD don't always work, and you should test them twice a year to make sure they do trip when an artificial fault is generated by the test button! When doing such tests remember to shut down and switch off at the mains PCs, TiVo boxes, smart TVs, fridge/freezers, etc, that might not like being switched off and back on quickly while you do the tests.

Thanks for your reply. The box in a cupboard in my living room has seperate switches all labelled with the source it provides power to and all says 30 underneath each switch. However, the switch never tripped when I touched the live wire, is this due to me creating a closed circuit with the livewire and the ground?
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A metal ring (or watch strap, etc) is very bad for you (electrically speaking) as it provides a much larger contact area and is often moist with sweat below so it allows a much higher current to flow

Good job all is fine with you though, and with any luck the cooker will be sorted and no further incidents of this sort!

Thanks for the reply. Yeah It was just a wedding ring on the other hand. Cooker is sorted now btw, had someone out yesterday. As you obviously know about the dynamics of electrical current, would there be any after effects I should keep an eye out for? Obviously I have had the ECG about 16 hours after the incident and that said the heart seemed fine. I was not sure with it being a bad shock if there could be any possible delay in symptoms, I think the situation has really scared me given I have not had much of an appetite for a day or two but I suppose that is more mental than physical.
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Sounds pretty bad OP, hope you're ok. Do you feel recharged?

Doesn't half wake you up though doesn't it...

Thanks, yeah I felt recharged after it initially occurred. It was weird and scary. Have you had something similar?

 

[pc1966]

Thanks for your reply. The box in a cupboard in my living room has seperate switches all labelled with the source it provides power to and all says 30 underneath each switch. However, the switch never tripped when I touched the live wire, is this due to me creating a closed circuit with the livewire and the ground?

There are two type of protection in general use that go by the title "Automatic Disconnection of Supply" (ADS) and they are:

• Over-current protection, which is intended to deal with a major fault that could cause the wire to overheat (and ultimately catch fire)
• Earth leakage (residual current) protection, which is intended to protect against electric shock (and to a degree fires from insulation damage such as mice chewing the PVC layers)

Every circuit (with very few exceptions) will have over current protection, but that will not save you from electric shock as the difference is levels are enormous! Your cooker is rated at 30A, and typically you would need 5 times that to disconnect in a fraction of a second, so somewhere around 150A.

Recently (as in last decade or two) there have been moves to cover more circuits with RCD protection but it is still not universal. In particular, a fixed circuit like a cooker may not have had an RCD fitted until recently. To protect you from electric shock an RCD would be designed to trip at 30mA = 0.03A or 5000 times smaller!

If you can post a photo of the fuse box we can tell you more, but from what happened it seems very unlikely you have RCD protection on that circuit.

electrical current, would there be any after effects I should keep an eye out for? Obviously I have had the ECG about 16 hours after the incident and that said the heart seemed fine. I was not sure with it being a bad shock if there could be any possible delay

Without signs of burns, a normal ECG, and no other feeling of problems, it would be very unlikely you have anything to worry about!

 

[Midwest]

Glad your okay.

 

[DIYer Gaz]

There are two type of protection in general use that go by the title "Automatic Disconnection of Supply" (ADS) and they are:

• Over-current protection, which is intended to deal with a major fault that could cause the wire to overheat (and ultimately catch fire)
• Earth leakage (residual current) protection, which is intended to protect against electric shock (and to a degree fires from insulation damage such as mice chewing the PVC layers)

Every circuit (with very few exceptions) will have over current protection, but that will not save you from electric shock as the difference is levels are enormous! Your cooker is rated at 30A, and typically you would need 5 times that to disconnect in a fraction of a second, so somewhere around 150A.

Recently (as in last decade or two) there have been moves to cover more circuits with RCD protection but it is still not universal. In particular, a fixed circuit like a cooker may not have had an RCD fitted until recently. To protect you from electric shock an RCD would be designed to trip at 30mA = 0.03A or 5000 times smaller!

If you can post a photo of the fuse box we can tell you more, but from what happened it seems very unlikely you have RCD protection on that circuit.


Without signs of burns, a normal ECG, and no other feeling of problems, it would be very unlikely you have anything to worry about!

Hi, Thanks for the reply. So I think you would be correct to say there is no RCD on the fuse box. I have attached 4 photos which were sent to me upon purchase of the property in 2016. So the white one is currently what is installed and was done so in 2016. I am just curious to what the black box is and what the item is that is in the white cardboard box photographed?
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Glad your okay.

Thanks.

 

[pc1966]

Hi, Thanks for the reply. So I think you would be correct to say there is no RCD on the fuse box. I have attached 4 photos which were sent to me upon purchase of the property in 2016. So the white one is currently what is installed and was done so in 2016. I am just curious to what the black box is and what the item is that is in the white cardboard box photographed?

Photos have not shown up on the forum, I'm afraid
Site has been having trouble with that for a week or so...

 

[DIYer Gaz]

Photos have not shown up on the forum, I'm afraid
Site has been having trouble with that for a week or so...

oh ok, that is not great. Is there any other way of getting the photos added?

Photos have not shown up on the forum, I'm afraid
Site has been having trouble with that for a week or so...

Oh no, that is not great. Is there any other way of popping the photo on here? Would be very keen to know the extent of the fuse box safety features for future. Thanks.

 

[pc1966]

If you can put them on some image-sharing site (not Facebook!!!) and post a link to it then we can have a look.
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Another trick is to put them in a PDF document, the site seems happy to have those still.

 

[DIYer Gaz]

If you can put them on some image-sharing site (not Facebook!!!) and post a link to it then we can have a look.

Never knew you could do this. Have these worked?

1

Image 1 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

2

Image 2 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

3

Image 3 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

4

Image 4 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[GBDamo]

Anyone claiming to have been thrown across the room is telling whoppers.

That's interesting can you explain why?

Whilst labouring as a kid I was on the third rung of a step ladder and chasing a horizontal chase in a travel agency.

I'd have been 15-16 at the time and most of the details are those I was told as my recollection is very limited.

Anyway, one minute I'm chasing away the next I'm ten feet away, on my arse, covered in travel brochures, bleeding from my head with (bizarrely the only thing I vividly remember) a cracking view up the skirt of the travel agent lass who had come over to help.

I was told I had gone through a "415V armoured".

I saw the bolster that had a two pence sized semicircular chunk missing.

The lass in the travel agent said there was a flash and bang and I "flew backward and up, hitting the shelves on the wall (10ft)behind me"

Their was blood and hair on the top shelf, which was highr than I was initially working.

It may be possible I jumped backwards and up??

Would like to know why being thrown is not a possibility though.

 

[DIYer Gaz]

That's interesting can you explain why?

Whilst labouring as a kid I was on the third rung of a step ladder and chasing a horizontal chase in a travel agency.

I'd have been 15-16 at the time and most of the details are those I was told as my recollection is very limited.

Anyway, one minute I'm chasing away the next I'm ten feet away, on my arse, covered in travel brochures, bleeding from my head with (bizarrely the only thing I vividly remember) a cracking view up the skirt of the travel agent lass who had come over to help.

I was told I had gone through a "415V armoured".

I saw the bolster that had a two pence sized semicircular chunk missing.

The lass in the travel agent said there was a flash and bang and I "flew backward and up, hitting the shelves on the wall (10ft)behind me"

Their was blood and hair on the top shelf, which was highr than I was initially working.

It may be possible I jumped backwards and up??

Would like to know why being thrown is not a possibility though.

That sounds nasty! I take it you were okay then? Is something like that worse than what is described in the OP? I would imagine 415v would be deadly.

 

[ipf]

That's interesting can you explain why?

Whilst labouring as a kid I was on the third rung of a step ladder and chasing a horizontal chase in a travel agency.

I'd have been 15-16 at the time and most of the details are those I was told as my recollection is very limited.

Would like to know why being thrown is not a possibility though.

I must admit to something like that, at a similar age. There was a big bang and a power down resulted. Then the bloke in charge grabbed me by the collar and threw me across the room.

Seriously, this instance is just another example of the danger involved with DIY electrical work. Glad you're OK.
Live and learn, not all do.

 

[DIYer Gaz]

I must admit to something like that, at a similar age. There was a big bang and a power down resulted. Then the bloke in charge grabbed me by the collar and threw me across the room.

Seriously, this instance is just another example of the danger involved with DIY electrical work. Glad you're OK.
Live and learn, not all do.

I have definitely learnt from this experience. I just worry of the lasting effects such instances can have on the body.

 

[telectrix]

I have definitely learnt from this experience. I just worry of the lasting effects such instances can have on the body.

metinks you worry too much. over the years i've had similar several times, and i still got me own hair at 73. back in the days before safe isolation and meters that didn't need winding up, we used to test for a live cable by swiping the finger on. if it tingled it was live.

 

[pc1966]

Never knew you could do this. Have these worked?

Yes, it has!
The first image is of an old Wylex fuse board with the rewirable fuses, they were common until the 70s and very reliable in use (many are still working today). By the 80s boxes with circuit breakers became the norm, and no more faffing about with fuse wire after a light had gone pop! and taken it out.

Picture 3 is simply the box the new consumer unit (CU, what the fuse box / fuse board became known as one it no longer had actual fuses in it) came in, you can buy them more or less empty (fit your own choice) or sometimes with a common selection of devices fitted.

Pictures 2 & 4 show, of course, your new CU. It shows one with RCBO - these are combined over-current protection (MCB = miniature circuit breaker) and RCD (shock protection) devices as a single unit and so I am a little surprised it did not trip when you got a zap. Each of them has a test button at the top - if you press that it simulates and earth fault (with a lot less pain than poking the wires) and should result in the device tripping.

I guess you never do this test?

You really should test them! Not necessarily every month, but at least twice per year, say when the clocks change. Best if you switch off stuff that might not be happy with the power going off and back on quickly, like mains powered computers, broadband modems, TiVo boxes, smart TVs, some fridge/freezers, etc., and press each test button in turn. That should result in the main leaver tripping off. You then reset it by pushing the main leaver up again.

Finally remember to put stuff back on once more, especially any fridge/freezers that were powered off!

If any do not trip from the test button then you really should get a sparky out ASAP to investigate it.
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metinks you worry too much. over the years i've had similar several times, and i still got me own hair at 73.

Yes, great hair and a nice wet nose, judging by your picture

 

[Andy78]

Never knew you could do this. Have these worked?

1

Image 1 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

2

Image 2 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

3

Image 3 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

4

Image 4 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

Your consumer unit seems to have been upgraded in 2016. Each circuit breaker incorporates RCD protection. You can test the devices by pressing the black test button at the top of each one. the lever should trip down. To reset, push the lever back up.

 

[telectrix]

wet nose... never did get the hang of getting all the beer in gob.

 

[DIYer Gaz]

metinks you worry too much. over the years i've had similar several times, and i still got me own hair at 73. back in the days before safe isolation and meters that didn't need winding up, we used to test for a live cable by swiping the finger on. if it tingled it was live.

Yeah I am a worrier! Wow what a way to test. I unfortunately started losing my hair at 19 years old!

Yes, it has!
The first image is of an old Wylex fuse board with the rewirable fuses, they were common until the 70s and very reliable in use (many are still working today). By the 80s boxes with circuit breakers became the norm, and no more faffing about with fuse wire after a light had gone pop! and taken it out.

Picture 3 is simply the box the new consumer unit (CU, what the fuse box / fuse board became known as one it no longer had actual fuses in it) came in, you can buy them more or less empty (fit your own choice) or sometimes with a common selection of devices fitted.

Pictures 2 & 4 show, of course, your new CU. It shows one with RCBO - these are combined over-current protection (MCB = miniature circuit breaker) and RCD (shock protection) devices as a single unit and so I am a little surprised it did not trip when you got a zap. Each of them has a test button at the top - if you press that it simulates and earth fault (with a lot less pain than poking the wires) and should result in the device tripping.

I guess you never do this test?

You really should test them! Not necessarily every month, but at least twice per year, say when the clocks change. Best if you switch off stuff that might not be happy with the power going off and back on quickly, like mains powered computers, broadband modems, TiVo boxes, smart TVs, some fridge/freezers, etc., and press each test button in turn. That should result in the main leaver tripping off. You then reset it by pushing the main leaver up again.

Finally remember to put stuff back on once more, especially any fridge/freezers that were powered off!

If any do not trip from the test button then you really should get a sparky out ASAP to investigate it.
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Yes, great hair and a nice wet nose, judging by your picture

Thanks for the info, I will give the test button a push! It has tripped in the past when we have had the oven and the 4 rings on the hob on. So I assumed it was working. But I have not tested it recently.

 

[pc1966]

Thanks for the info, I will give the test button a push! It has tripped in the past when we have had the oven and the 4 rings on the hob on. So I assumed it was working. But I have not tested it recently.

They can trip for two very different reasons:

• Overload
• Leakage

Both are possible reasons with a cooker/oven circuit.

If it tripped due to all loads being on it suggests the circuit is not adequate for the cooker. It is unusual to see only 16A for that, but not exceptional (my own flat, for example, has a 32A circuit which is more traditional, though the oven only takes 13A or so max). Do you know the rating of the appliance? Or the make & model to look it up?

Also oven heating elements have a tendency to absorb moisture so can be leaky if not used for some time. That can trip the RCD side, but usually after reset and heating up they dry out internally and all is well for ages.

 

[radiohead]

That's interesting can you explain why?

Whilst labouring as a kid I was on the third rung of a step ladder and chasing a horizontal chase in a travel agency.

I'd have been 15-16 at the time and most of the details are those I was told as my recollection is very limited.

Anyway, one minute I'm chasing away the next I'm ten feet away, on my arse, covered in travel brochures, bleeding from my head with (bizarrely the only thing I vividly remember) a cracking view up the skirt of the travel agent lass who had come over to help.

I was told I had gone through a "415V armoured".

I saw the bolster that had a two pence sized semicircular chunk missing.

The lass in the travel agent said there was a flash and bang and I "flew backward and up, hitting the shelves on the wall (10ft)behind me"

Their was blood and hair on the top shelf, which was highr than I was initially working.

It may be possible I jumped backwards and up??

Would like to know why being thrown is not a possibility though.

In the case of a non fatal electric shock contact with live parts must be very brief or it would be fatal, in your case you must have jumped away violently, a natural reaction. Fatal electric shocks usually occur when the victims muscles contract causing a hand to tighten onto the contact and being unable to release.
The energy required to physically hurl a person through the air would be considerable, in effect being in contact with an explosion, and undoubtedly fatal.
It's very common for people to tell me their story of getting a shock and they invariably claim to have been 'thrown across the room', it's standard procedure to dramatize the tale. Sorry, but if they had been they would be dead.

 

[DIYer Gaz]

They can trip for two very different reasons:

• Overload
• Leakage

Both are possible reasons with a cooker/oven circuit.

If it tripped due to all loads being on it suggests the circuit is not adequate for the cooker. It is unusual to see only 16A for that, but not exceptional (my own flat, for example, has a 32A circuit which is more traditional, though the oven only takes 13A or so max). Do you know the rating of the appliance? Or the make & model to look it up?

Also oven heating elements have a tendency to absorb moisture so can be leaky if not used for some time. That can trip the RCD side, but usually after reset and heating up they dry out internally and all is well for ages.

Hello, I just tested the trip button and the power did trip to the cooker. So an after thought given the further information. Would the circuit trip if by some chance I managed to touch the neutral and livewire at the same time?

 

[pc1966]

Hello, I just tested the trip button and the power did trip to the cooker. So an after thought given the further information. Would the circuit trip if by some chance I managed to touch the neutral and livewire at the same time?

No, if you were unlucky enough to touch live and neutral (instead of earth) it would simply see you as a "normal load". It only notices if the current going out of the live wire is not balanced by the same current returning on the neutral (to within the 30mA trip level).

That is the most common sort of danger, for example, if there is a fault and you touch a live wire (or metal case that has become live) while also touching earth (actual ground, or something connected to it like a water pipe or radiator, etc).

It is unusual to get a L-N shock unless poking inside stuff, which is not uncommon on this forum!

Hopefully you also tested the other RCBO trip buttons? They are more complex than a MCB so it is really a good idea to check periodically.

 

[DIYer Gaz]

They can trip for two very different reasons:

• Overload
• Leakage

Both are possible reasons with a cooker/oven circuit.

If it tripped due to all loads being on it suggests the circuit is not adequate for the cooker. It is unusual to see only 16A for that, but not exceptional (my own flat, for example, has a 32A circuit which is more traditional, though the oven only takes 13A or so max). Do you know the rating of the appliance? Or the make & model to look it up?

Also oven heating elements have a tendency to absorb moisture so can be leaky if not used for some time. That can trip the RCD side, but usually after reset and heating up they dry out internally and all is well for ages.

The oven is a Diplomat Select 620 electric oven, it has a power supply of 230v - 50hz, power max usage is 4.07kW and fuse rating is 20amp. There is a separate electric hob too.
[automerge]1589209735[/automerge]

No, if you were unlucky enough to touch live and neutral (instead of earth) it would simply see you as a "normal load". It only notices if the current going out of the live wire is not balanced by the same current returning on the neutral (to within the 30mA trip level).

That is the most common sort of danger, for example, if there is a fault and you touch a live wire (or metal case that has become live) while also touching earth (actual ground, or something connected to it like a water pipe or radiator, etc).

It is unusual to get a L-N shock unless poking inside stuff, which is not uncommon on this forum!

Hopefully you also tested the other RCBO trip buttons? They are more complex than a MCB so it is really a good idea to check periodically.

So for me to have received the shock I did, I must have just touched the live wire? However, would it be safe to say the current did not exceed the 30mA if the trip switch did not activate? I just don't understand why it never tripped if it is working. Would footwear, ring on opposite hand etc, have a bearing on the circuit not tripping?