Do-it-yourself grounding of a washing machine
Grounding a washing machine, organized in accordance with all safety regulations, is the surest way to extend its service life and protect yourself and your loved ones. Many people install a washing machine and, without thinking, plug it into the nearest outlet or power cord. But connecting to electrical communications is no less important than connecting water supply and drainage, so why is this only remembered when the machine burns out or starts to give an electric shock. That is why we will talk about how to make grounding with your own hands.
Why ground your washing machine?
Not only washing machines, but also all household appliances need to be grounded. Any electrical network consists of two main wires, which are called “phase” (it is energized) and “zero”. In a grounded network there is a third wire, it is called “ground”.
If a machine equipped surge protector, plug it into the network without grounding, then a residual voltage of 110 V appears on its body, which can be felt when you touch the machine. In the case of a violation of the insulation of the wiring of the washing machine, there may be a “phase” on the body, and this is already 220 V, so one touch is enough to give a person a good shock. And if the machine is installed in the bathroom, then this is generally a direct threat to health and life.
In addition, grounding saves the electronics of the machine during voltage surges, as well as when a lightning charge hits a transformer or antenna on the roof of a building. This is why proper connection of the washing machine with grounding is so important, it is safety for you and your equipment.
How to secure a typewriter in an apartment?
Connecting the washing machine to the electrical network will depend on the time the building was built. In new buildings, problems with grounding and safety should not arise, because when they are built, grounding is already organized, and the electrical wiring has a third grounding wire. Household appliances, including washing machines, already have a three-wire wire. This is enough to prevent the washing machine from shocking.
It's a completely different matter if you live in a Soviet-built house. Here you will have to solve a serious problem either yourself, or contact an electrician who will do everything for you. There are two options for solving the grounding problem.
The first option involves organizing grounding from the electrical panel, to which electricity is supplied and from which it goes into the apartment. The work is as follows:
- Two buses are installed in the panel: zero (N) and grounding (PE). Wiring for household appliances and lighting will be made from them.
- We lay a three-core wire with a copper cross-section from the outlet for the washing machine. We connect the wires as follows. Neutral wire (blue) to bus N, phase wire (red) through automatic and RCD – to the phase wire of the meter, connect the grounding wire (yellow-green) to the PE bus. It is prohibited to connect the grounding wire of the socket to the neutral working wire.
Important! Be sure to turn off the electrical power when working with wires.
To lay electrical communications correctly, you will need not only pliers, an indicator screwdriver, a three-core wire, a grounded outlet, a sharp knife, but also patience and accuracy.If such work seems too complicated, then it is better to contact a specialist.
Let's celebrate! This grounding method is legal and the most reliable.
In some old houses, it is also possible that there is no grounding at all, that is, there is no grounding wire in the panel, as we considered in the previous case. In addition, there is no way to organize such grounding if you live on the 5th floor. How to protect your machine from power surges and yourself from “electric shocks”. In this case, the problem can be solved by organizing a potential equalization system. What it is?
If the washing machine is installed in the bathroom, then when two conductive objects touch simultaneously, the current will pass through the human body. The potential equalization system assumes that all current-carrying objects are connected to each other by metal wires. In this case, if, for example, you touch the faucet and the washing machine, then no current will flow through you.
In addition to this system, it is imperative to install an RCD and an automatic circuit breaker in the panel, so that in the event of a failure, the washing machine turns off and the “phase” does not get on the body of the washing machine. In addition, when installing the machine in the bathroom, you need to use a moisture-proof socket; if there is none, then avoid placing the “washing machine” in the bathroom altogether.
When organizing electrical wiring, you need to use solid wires. If docking is necessary, it should only be done in a special box, carefully insulating everything.
An easier way to create a grounding connection is to attach a grounding wire from the washing machine body to a battery or sewer pipe. However, today it is not legal to do this. Secondly, it is not safe, because when you touch the riser, even neighbors can “feel” the current. And thirdly, cracks may form in the pipes, leading to flooding. Therefore, it is better not to use this method!
Organization of grounding in a private house
Laying electrical wiring with grounding in a private house is similar to how it is done in an apartment, as described above. It is also done in relation to the electrical panel. The difference is that the grounding itself must also be done with your own hands. We will describe this process in detail.
- We take 3 metal pipes from 1.5 to 3 meters long. The length must be no less than the depth of soil freezing.
- We sharpen the lower part of the pipes using a sledgehammer, and in the lower part (the third part of the entire pipe) we make holes with a diameter of 5-10mm.
- Now you need to dig a hole in the ground about 0.5-0.6 m deep.
- Next, we drive the pipes into the ground at a distance of 1 to 1.5 m, while leaving 10-15 cm of the pipe sticking out above the ground.
- We take 3 metal plates or fittings 1-1.5 m long and connect the pipes sticking out of the ground using welding.
- A grounding wire must be welded to the fittings, which must be brought into the house to the installation site of the electric meter.
- The grounding wire is connected to the PE bus, and grounding wires are branched from the bus to sockets and lighting.
For your information! In summer, at an air temperature of 350It is necessary to fill the soil with a saline solution once a week, prepared at the rate of 0.5 kg of salt per bucket of water. At a temperature of 300You can do this once a month, this will ensure the distribution of current in dry soil.
You can screw the grounding wire to a bolt on the back wall of the washing machine. This bolt is designed specifically for this purpose.
Thus, reliable protective grounding in an apartment or private house can only be organized by laying a three-wire wire from the electrical panel to all sockets in the apartment or house. And then leading the grounded wire into the absorbing circuit. All other methods are not reliable or safe. If it is not possible or desirable to do grounding yourself, then you need to invite a specialist. It’s better to do it once and conscientiously than to redo it and sigh that the washing machine burned out...
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1 reader comment
The Europeans helped us with connecting the middle point of the surge protector to the body of the washing machine. In reality, the middle point of the network filter should be brought out to the connector for connecting the washing machine, and already connected to the protective neutral conductor in the socket. Then you would not have to disassemble the machine and remove this wire coming from the middle point of the network filter of the washing machine from its body and also insulate it his. And this also applies to other household appliances that need zeroing. Well, in Europe they frankly don’t understand how a reasonable, adequate person in a sober state and in full consciousness can buy and operate household appliances that need zeroing without this zeroing, because it simply doesn’t exist. To make it easier to connect the washing machine to the network, we simply placed the wire coming from the surge protector onto the body of the machine, innovators.And our people simply connect the washing machine to the water, simply lower the water drain hose into the toilet while washing, plug the plug into the socket and wash. And then they complain that the machine gives an electric shock.