Mild Electric Shock When Touching Metal
- How urgent
- Caution
- Who fixes it
- An electrician
What's happening?
Do not touch the metal again to classify it. A brief snap from a door handle after friction is consistent with static, which the static page describes. It is not proof, because a mains contact can be brief too. A shock from pipes, frames or electrical fittings needs assessment even if it was short. Possible causes include an appliance, damaged cable, bonding, or a voltage on the supply earth. The IET notes that a small voltage between the supply earth and the ground can be felt with wet skin, and that a broken combined earth and neutral can put a much higher voltage on the same metalwork.
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What usually causes it?
- An appliance leaking current to its case or to nearby metal
- Damaged cable touching pipework or a metal frame
- Bonding that is loose, broken or missing
- A small voltage on the supply earth, felt more with wet hands
- A broken combined earth and neutral, including via shared pipes
Is it dangerous?
A shock from this metalwork is a warning, whether it lasted or was brief. Wet hands or bare feet can make the same voltage worse. Call 999 if someone is unconscious or not breathing normally. If they seem well, still get a medical assessment: Electrical Safety First says injury, including a disturbed heart rhythm, may not show at once. The static page is for snaps that follow friction, from ordinary handles, not from plumbing or appliances.
Can I fix it myself?
Do not touch the metal again. Unplug an appliance only if its plug and socket are dry, undamaged and easy to reach, and you do not move the appliance or touch its case. Otherwise leave it. Switch off at the consumer unit only if you can reach and operate it without touching suspect metal or standing in water. If you are not sure, keep away and call. Switching off does not clear a supply fault on bonded pipes. Call 105 in England, Scotland and Wales and an electrician. Tell them what you touched, whether the shock was brief, whether your hands were wet, and what else did the same.
When should you call an electrician?
Call for a shock from pipes, frames or appliances, even if it was brief, and when more than one surface does it.
What will the electrician actually do?
- Measure whether voltage is on the metalwork, including after safe isolation
- Test earthing, bonding and the protective device
- Separate an appliance fault from a supply fault that remains after isolation
- Repair what the measurements identify and retest
Who fixes this
What it usually costs
- Emergency Electrician Cost
- £80–£100 / hour
- Electrical Fault Finding Cost
- Priced on survey
Questions people ask
Is a mild shock from metal dangerous?
Why only with wet hands?
Is it the earth?
What if it is only in one room?
Sources & References
Before you book, read how to check an electrician is qualified.
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