We can safely say that every person, to one degree or another, has experienced an electric discharge. Not only an electrical appliance, but also a person can receive an electric shock. Bioelectric impulses appear when life begins and disappear with the onset of death. Let's consider how contact with electricity affects a person and how to avoid it.
Reasons why electric shock occurs
There are people who are often shocked by everything. What is the reason for this phenomenon is sometimes completely unclear. Obviously, an electric shock can be obtained by touching an object under voltage above 36 V. In this case, a short circuit occurs through the body, resulting in an electric shock. But a person receives a release from things that are far from tension.
The reason why everything gets electric is static electricity. It occurs when charges accumulate on the surface of physical bodies that do not conduct electricity well. They persist for some time, then a discharge occurs, causing discomfort.
Electrostatic charges arise as a result of friction, so they accumulate faster in winter, when the air becomes drier and a person wears wool, fur and synthetic clothing.
What to do if the boiler electrocutes through water
If there are problems with electric current passing through the water, you must first check the sockets to which the appliances in the room are connected. To do this, phase and zero are examined, but the problem is predominantly present in the zero region.
It is worth noting that if a current leak is detected in a room, this does not mean that if the defect is eliminated, it will not occur again.
To exclude this, you need to familiarize yourself with a number of preventive safety measures when operating electrical appliances. An RCD or a residual current device for a differential circuit breaker is installed in an apartment or access switchboard. They are mainly mounted on units that are most susceptible to electric shocks.
Recommendations:
- An incoming protective device is installed in the distribution panel, through which safety is ensured if the RCD fails.
- A protective grounding must be installed in the electrical power supply network.
As already noted, when using water in the bath, electric shock is possible if the neighbors were negligent. All this is due to the fact that it was the pipeline that began to be used as a grounding conductor, which is strictly prohibited by law.
Why does a person get electrocuted?
We can say that a person is a kind of electrical system, so he receives an electric shock when there is a large accumulation of electrical charges. This happens for two reasons:
- The body, like a mini-power plant, produces its own electrical currents . They are not felt by humans, and can only be measured with ultra-sensitive instruments. Part of the biocurrents is used to maintain the vital functions of the body, and the excess is converted into static energy.
- Input of static electricity from outside . An electric charge, positive or negative, can accumulate on the surface of any substance (the so-called triboelectric effect). Electrification occurs when objects are heated or cooled, irradiated by energy sources, when a frictional force acts on them. Synthetics, fur, wool, and hair are especially strongly electrified (but cotton fabrics, wood, and glass are not “charged”).
The human body is well electrified. This is facilitated by the lack of grounding, wearing clothes and the fact that his skin is covered with hairs. When a person touches an "uncharged" person with a hand or other part of the body, a discharge occurs, which is manifested by a crackling or tingling sensation. Often bioelectricity of great power hits its owner painfully: he gets an electric shock from everything he touches.
Tips for those who regularly receive electric shocks
For those who are already tired of electric shocks, there are a couple more practical tips:
Reduce discomfort.
To minimize shock pain, touch the metal object to parts of your body that are less sensitive. These are the elbows and knuckles.
While the vehicle is being refueled, all passengers must leave the vehicle. Otherwise, there is a high risk of static discharge and sparks. And it is already capable of causing a fire.
Materials that ignite quickly should be stored in a safe place.
Conditioner for removing electricity from the carpet.
After spraying the carpet, let it dry completely. Otherwise, the expected effect will not occur.
How to quickly remove static electricity from clothes:
The real story of why a person gets electrocuted
My friend has a “gift” - she can give an electric shock. No jokes, in all seriousness. As soon as she touches the interlocutor, an electric discharge shocks him with all his might. This amuses us and makes us happy. But she’s already pretty tired of this. The situation gets worse with the arrival of autumn, when the central heating turns on.
She recently told me this story: her husband comes home from work, she opens the door for him, kisses him, and they both get an electric shock! Both twitched and laughed. After a couple of minutes, the husband says that he has a headache and asks her to touch his forehead. She touches her forehead and everything repeats. The friend rushes to the bathroom in a panic, puts her hands under the stream of water and, as they say, hits her worse than before! She is in despair, does not understand what to do about it. Fabric softeners, antistatic sprays and other tips do not help. By the way, everything is in order with the wiring; she and her husband checked the apartment in detail for electrification. Maybe this is not connected with electricity, but with esotericism?! Who knows…
I think the question is: “Why does a person get electrocuted?” interested everyone at least once. If you are tired of being an electrical charge accumulator, use these tips!
We can safely say that every person, to one degree or another, has experienced an electric discharge. Not only an electrical appliance, but also a person can receive an electric shock. Bioelectric impulses appear when life begins and disappear with the onset of death. Let's consider how contact with electricity affects a person and how to avoid it.
Why doesn't every person get an electric shock?
Each person accumulates a different amount of electrostatic charges because they have individual resistance and electrical capacity (the ability to accumulate electricity). There is a theory according to which the amount of biocurrents produced also depends on the psycho-emotional state.
High static voltage in humans is a phenomenon that scientists still cannot solve. Such people (there are not many of them, they have lived at all times) can withstand mains voltage of 220 V and higher, so they calmly pick up wires with their bare hands. Their body can be used as a conductor to light a light bulb, but touching a carrier of extreme bioelectricity is dangerous.
If you get an electric shock in the bathroom: safety measures in the room
Electrical wiring in a room with high humidity is already a great danger, and therefore care must be taken to minimize the likelihood of problems occurring.
Experts recommend installing special covers on:
- Sockets;
- Switches;
- Lighting fixtures, etc.
If there is even a minimal probability of water penetrating inside the cavity of the socket, then this becomes the cause of current leakage; accordingly, if you touch the wall, a tingling sensation occurs. Unfortunately, if the problems are not corrected, you can even get a severe electric shock, which may require medical help.
To prevent such situations, craftsmen recommend using plug-in designs, since such electrical devices have reliable protection against moisture penetration inside.
To ensure a 100% safety guarantee, you must first buy high-quality devices operating from the network and check that their technical characteristics coincide with the actual performance. In addition, when purchasing devices, you need to inspect their tightness and reliability of insulation. Despite this, the housing protection must be present, and if it is missing, then it must be installed independently. When laying electrical wiring, the equipment is installed in such a way that the switch is not close to the bathroom. The installation of the distribution box is carried out where there is no humidity, and the box itself must be completely sealed.
Why does water beat with electric current?
Water is a conductor of electricity, so if electrical wiring and plumbing cross paths, you may feel an electric shock when washing your hands from the tap. The reason for this phenomenon may be the following:
- lack of proper grounding in the apartment;
- damaged insulation of bathroom electrical wiring;
- damage to the apartment's electrical network;
- installation of sockets, switches, lamps not intended for use in damp areas;
- use of water pipes for grounding;
- breakdown of the heating element in the boiler, water heater, washing machine;
- an ungrounded electric stove or dishwasher located in the kitchen near the sink.
The problem can be caused by neighbors who connect the neutral wire to the water pipe, stealing electricity. You can check this by turning off the power to your apartment: if the water is electric, then the cause is from outside.
How to determine the cause and why the zero does not give an electric shock
If headphones or a gas pipe are electrocuted in the house, then you need to diagnose this problem. Likewise, if current starts flowing during welding, it means there are exposed wires somewhere. Initially, in order to eliminate the cause, it must be discovered.
It is much better to entrust such a process to professionals who have:
- Knowledge in this area;
- Work experience;
- A necessary tool.
For a specialist of the highest category, it will not be difficult to identify moments in the form of theft of electricity, which is often carried out by neighbors, as well as breakdowns in wires. Such a sensitive situation is detected using a special highly sensitive device, which is owned by special companies.
Diagnostics is needed in any case, regardless of which particular object in the house is experiencing electric shock, for example, a bathroom, boiler, etc.
As a rule, it includes a number of activities. The presence and correct grounding of all electrical appliances in the house is checked. External damage to the wires is detected, for which it is enough to disconnect the devices from the network and simply identify the problem area. After proper diagnosis, it should become clear why it is impossible to use the faucet in the bathtub due to constant electric shocks.
How to remove static electricity
In everyday life, static electricity creates many unpleasant moments, so let’s look at a few recommendations that will tell you what to do to remove the increased charge:
- Wear underwear made of cotton fabrics.
- Add conditioner to rinse clothes after washing.
- Use special products (“antistatic agents”) for clothes made of synthetics, silk, wool and carpets.
- Do not use plastic, but wooden or metal combs.
- Attach a metal pin to the garment from the inside out.
- Walk barefoot on a wooden floor, or on the ground in summer.
- Wear antistatic wrist straps when working with electrical appliances.
One of the ways that effectively removes static electricity is humidification. The static charge caused by contact with synthetic clothing will decrease by 1.5 times if the air is humidified from 40 to 60%. For this purpose, special devices are used and the room is ventilated more often. A good effect is achieved by laying a damp towel on the radiators.
To remove static electricity from the car body, antistatic belts in contact with the road are used, and in modern cars special devices are built in for this purpose. The apartment uses a special potential equalization system, which is combined with the ground loop. To quickly remove an electrostatic charge from yourself, you need to touch any grounded metal with a metal object.
It is impossible to avoid contact with electrical charges; they surround a person everywhere and are inside him. Biocurrents, small in power, do not cause harm to life and health. But regular exposure to them can cause malfunctions in the body and lead to death. Therefore, you need to regularly get rid of static electricity.
How to neutralize static electricity quickly: step-by-step instructions
Steps | Meaning |
Step #1: Use a pin. | Simply attach a pin to the seam of your pants or to the collar of your shirt. All electrical charges will be concentrated on the metal of the pin. |
Step #2: Use metal hangers. | To quickly remove the charge from clothing, touch it with a metal hanger. They will immediately collect all the charge on themselves. |
Step #3: Carry something metal in your pocket. | If you are the “lucky one” who gets electrocuted on a regular basis, put a coin or metal keychain in your pocket. Touch this thing from time to time, it will “ground” you. |
Security measures
At home, you can protect yourself from static by using the following measures:
- Humidify the air and ventilate the rooms every day;
- Regularly carry out wet cleaning to reduce the amount of dust and use special antistatic brushes;
Using a brush helps relieve accumulated tension.
- If possible, use furniture made from materials that remove static: special linoleum, wood;
- Do not pet animals in too dry air or comb them with wooden or metal brushes - the plastic is highly electrified;
- Use antistatic sprays for clothing, remove woolen items slowly to reduce friction;
- An anti-static strip should be placed on the underside of the vehicle to reduce the formation of static.
In production, electrostatic voltage can be reduced by reducing operating speed, using special materials and grounding. Also, according to GOST, the energy of charge accumulation on the surface of objects should not exceed 40% of the lowest ignition energy.
Precautionary measures must be taken in production
Static electricity is considered by many to be harmless, although not particularly pleasant. However, everything depends on the strength of the charge: in industry or when transporting large quantities of flammable liquids, the accumulated discharge can be very strong and lead to a fire.