The light went out on my mom’s range hood and the fan wasn’t working. What I found was (potentially) shocking
My mom had a range hood over her stove that was there for a couple of decades. The light went out and shortly after, the fan stopped working. I thought I would either rewire it or replace it.
When I got there, I pulled out the voltage tester. These little devices will sense electricity without direct contact. When I tested the range hood, I found that THE WHOLE HOOD WAS HOT.
That could have easily led to a fatal shock. Fortunately no one had come in contact with bare metal and a ground at the same time.
The hood was wired with a cord and plug. It was installed in the days before polarized plugs. Either the polarity was reversed or something had shorted. Also, it was a 2 prong ungrounded plug.
Most hardware stores sell the testers. It would probably be a good idea to go around the house and see if anything appliance is hot. You can also test metal switch and outlet covers.