to "ground" outlets

[Dready]

Hello. Can you please explain to me the meaning of this message I got recently from an American friend? I'm trying to picture it in mind but i can't.

"Did you know they don't "ground" outlets in Kazakhstan? The electrician said if we didn't have wood floors and I touched the fridge I would die".

What are outlets? Did she mean socket?

Thank you.

[Rover_KE]

Yes, by outlets she means electrical sockets or power points.

Grounded outlets (AE) are earthed power points (BE).

Rover

[Mr_Ben]

Hello. Can you please explain to me the meaning of this message I got recently from an American friend? I'm trying to picture it in mind but i can't.

"Did you know they don't "ground" outlets in Kazakhstan? The electrician said if we didn't have wood floors and I touched the fridge I would die".

What are outlets? Did she mean socket?

Thank you.

NOT AN ELECTRICIAN

In my very limited understanding, connecting an outlet/socket (American/British English) to ground is a safety mechanism. It prevents the build up of static electricity and contact with dangerous voltage if electrical insulation fails. If you like, you can read a wikipedia article that I can't understand about it. There does seem to be a Russian translation (look in the left-hand column with all of the languages).

[SoothingDave]

The ground conductor is a third wire installed for safety. In the above example, it would be connected to the metal frame of the refrigerator. That way, if something "shorted out" the frame would not be a source for possibly lethal electricity through anyone who touched it.