You go to press the power button on your washing machine and you experience a minor shock. What is this, can it be fixed, and is it dangerous? Read on to find out.

Causes of Appliance Shocks

Appliance shocks tend to have a few causes. There could be something wrong with the appliance itself. Perhaps the wires are damaged. Maybe the motor is running weak. Perhaps the wiring was defective. It could also have to do with the connection between the cord's prongs and the outlet itself. Or perhaps you're overloading that outlet altogether. A final cause is bad circuitry in your home.

What You Can Do to Fix It

First things first: don't make the mistake of continuing to use an appliance that gives you a shock when you touch it. The jolt may be fine now, but it could get worse and be a serious health hazard. Also, if you have guests with pacemakers or smaller children, the unexpected shock to these people could be more serious. Finally, the combination of a malfunctioning appliance and water could be deadly.

Take your appliance to an appliance services specialist as a first measure. You'll get an honest evaluation of whether the appliance can be fixed or whether it should be replaced. Appliance repair teams don't want to fix your appliance and then have you coming back in angrily a few months later, so they will do their best to estimate the shelf life of the appliance going forward.

If, on the other hand, the appliance shock is due to electrical malfunction in your house, that's a reason for an electrician to come to your home and perform an inspection. There are likely many areas of your home in poor electrical condition if the wiring was all installed at the same time. Wires occasionally need to be replaced or reconditioned, and it's better to do it all at once than one at a time.

What You Can Do to Prevent It

Prevent future appliance shocks by making sure everything that goes into your home is of a high quality when it comes to electrical purchases. That means saving up a little longer for the nice blender, but it also means hiring a certified, master electrician to work on your home's wiring from here on out. Both of these are parts of the puzzle when it comes to protecting yourself and your family.