Just took a big shock off fridge wire!

[redman2009]

Hi fellas,

Still a bit shook up from before, but please excuse me if i sound like i dont know what im talking about regards electrics, truth is, i dont.

Our fridge freezer cut off before, as in it stopped making any noise, and started to defrost. The light was still coming on though when i opened the fridge so i knew it werent the plug. Theres a little dial inside the fridge, for temperature, but when i turned it nothing happened at all. Now i know this might sound totally stupid to anyone who knows what there doing but i learnt a lesson and wont be doing it again. I unscrewed the little panel inside the fridge which had the dial, and the inside light attatched. There were wires inside, and like a complete noob, i started to check they were all still connected, feeling the connections. Yep i didnt even turn the damn thing off first. I got the biggest shock of my life, my finger were on a wire and i just screamed out **** but it felt like it went through my arm and my chest was like shaking for about 5/10 seconds until i actually got my finger off. The only way i can explain it is when you see on tv them people in hospital with them electric shock things for the chest, it felt like that, and worried me quite alot that it was around my chest area.

Does anyone know what sort of voltage/amps this will have been as i have absolutely no idea about anything like that. Im not in any pain or anything after it, just still shook up. I 'think' that the bit i were touching was part of the inside fridge light wire, or maybe whatever powers that temperature dial. It was right next to a little spring whatever it were. Ive had little shocks before, and this wasn't like it, i felt like a rag doll the way my chest was moving back and forward, all be it for a couple of seconds.

Thanks alot for taking the time to read it, ive learnt an important lesson today. Its mine and my girlfriends new home, young a dumb maybe trying to save a few quid, but one thing for sure is next time i will be calling out a professional.

Mike

 

[kung]

Glad your ok buddy but i bet the big slap on it was followed by some f words ! One thing is if it started working ok when you hit it sounds like a dodgy connection and id get it checked out m8 ! better safe than sorry !

 

[Echo]

Does sound like a loose connection somewhere if you corrected it with a smack, but to save any further heartache, get a refrigeration engineer to have a look at it.

As for the headache thats quite common, I usually get a migraine after I've had a belt and I've had a few

I'd still visit A&E if i was you, for the sake of a few hours it's a no brainer really.

As somebody has already said, if you had an up to date fuseboard installed theoretically the RCD would have tripped. (the electric would have gone off)

 

[nickblake]

Take the guys advise Get to A and E , would also reccomentda proffesional engineer look at you freezer , for the cost of the repair is nothing to the value of your life , plus there are to many house fire caused by faulty fridges and freezer

 

[ukpablo]

like i said, u will be ok! have treated a few shock 'victims' in the past with previous job...........u will be wasting ur time at A&E!..................ringing NHS direct will be sufficient, if they did not request u go to A&E then leave it at that unless u really start to feel unwell.

Thats my advice bud...........and leave electric well alone

U would be dead already or atleast in hospital if it was a bad life threatening shock.

 

[rick]

I've had a couple of shocks and both times went to A&E just to be on the safe side. Doctors (different) both times told me that if serious you would know VERY soon. However it can make you panic a LOT and heart race due to the shock (i.e. panic not electric) so I would always go for an ECG just for the re-assurance.

It does however, make you MUCH more careful about safe isolation etc!!!

 

[GStueyXR]

As for the current that flowed in your body... A few mA at most mate.

Hurts tho eh!