"Jeffrey wrote in message

The cabinet is supposed to be grounded. This isn't like the classic
"All the wiring is floating" toaster in the bath tub trick.

I'm not sure about that. I think there is a similarity. "Mythbusters" showed
that someone /can/ be electrocuted when a heater or toaster is tossed into a
bathtub.


And if you're foolish enough to try using an electrical oven (or any other
electrical appliance) in a flooded basement, you deserve anything that
happens to you.

Of course! But what would happen if someone waded into the flooded basement
to shut off the breakers (which is what I was thinking of)? If the water
were high enough to enter the oven cavity, the water would be "hot".

I agree that no one should enter a flooded room without wearing waterproof
rubber boots, but... Many possible accidents -- however unlikely -- are
/predictable/. Why not avoid them in the first place, especially when it
adds next to nothing to the cost of the appliance?

Many years ago, my father was using a metal-bodied electric drill in the
basement. He was wearing leather-soled shoes and standing on concrete, which
(as it is in many basements) was faintly damp. The drill's motor shorted out
to the metal body, and he was nearly electrocuted. This was before
double-insulated tools, and outside of not standing on a thick rubber mat, *
he was doing nothing wrong. At least, not by the standards of the day.

In the US, new construction requires GFI outlets near sinks or other water
supplies.

* Black rubber objects often contain carbon, which is more conductive than
you might think. I discovered this more than 30 years ago when trying to use
rubber washers to insulate rack-mount equipment.