We all have door knobs inside our lovely homes. Our comfort room has door knobs, the door of our room has door knobs, the main door in our sala has door knobs, and even the door at the back of our house has door knobs.
Door knobs are essential because it is the one that locks our door to keep our house safe. Without door knobs, we will not be able to close our doors properly.
Like I have said, all of the doors inside our house have door knobs. This means that you may have experienced this electric shock caused by the door knobs that I will talk about. Many people in forums ask why their door knobs shock them when they touch them.
I have experienced this already and before when I was naive, I don’t understand why my door knob shocks me even though it has no electricity on it. But now, I already know why and I am glad to share the answer with you! So, why does your door knob shock you? Let us find out!
Why does my door knob shock me? It is called static electricity. Rubbing two insulators, your body becomes charged and when you touch your door knob, you get grounded. This happens more frequently in dry air with little humidity. Getting shocked by your door knob usually happens during dry winter.
Almost all of you reading this article have experienced this, which is why you are here to know why your door knob shocks you. I have experienced this myself and I can say that it is not an awesome experience.
Let me explain more about why your door knob shocks you when you touch it so that you will understand why this is happening. Let us go!
Why Does My Door Knob Shock Me?
I have experienced this and this occurred for decades. Even my family members have experienced this, from my grandmother to my little sister.
The reason one gets shocked when he/she touches the door knob, as one scoots across the carpet and another similar flooring, our bodies build up static electricity, and loose electrons form on our skin.
When we touch a door knob or any other metal that is not charged, the electrons want to equalize with you and the knob. So a quick large number of electrons jump from your body to the metal and since it occurs fast, we get a shock.
If we were allowed to move slowly like having a piece of wood between you and the doorknob, the electrons would move to the knob slowly and not be much of a shock.
Rubbing two insulators together, your body becomes charged and once you touch an object which is grounded, the electricity goes to the ground. This happens usually during dry winter or in dry air with little humidity.
What Does It Call When You Touch Your Door Knob And It Shocks You?
That is called the triboelectric effect. If you touch a metallic object just like your door knob, there will be an electrical discharge that goes from your skin to the object and that can be painful.
However, this kind of experience is not that dangerous. If you touch your door knob and it shocks you, you will not die because of it.
How Do I Stop Getting Shocked By Door Knobs?
Are you worried that you might experience this again? Well, let me tell you how you can prevent this from happening.
You can purposefully discharge yourself every once in a while. If you have a metal object with you and touch it to something metal in your house, any electrons stuck to your body will flow through the metal and away, preventing the jumping effect that causes a shock.
Final Words
The reason why your door knob shocks you is that the extra electrons want to jump from you to the knob. Anything that is made of metal has a positive charge with few electrons. That tiny shock you feel is a result of the quick movement of these electrons. It is not dangerous but it will surely shock you.