Feeling electricity when I touch my computer?

[Centauri]

Any idea why this would happen?

It's honestly been happening since I built the thing, but I didn't notice how had it was until tonight when, with my right hand one the front of the case, I flipped on the power supply switch at the back of the case with my left hand and felt an uncomfortable tingle in my right hand.

Definitely get it when touching the heatsink.

I'd been ignoring this because I had total stability for months but in effort to chase down some new and unexplained gremlins I'm wondering if this is one of my problems.

PSU? Mobo? CPU?

Thanks.

 

[Zorander]

Looks like a grounding issue.

 

[RU482]

Is that at your house? If so, how old is the house?
Go to Lowes/HomeDepot and pick up one of those basic ground checkers
http://www.qsource.com/p-13882-stat...ng-plug.aspx?gclid=CI3RhIrenrYCFSdgMgod9R0AHQ

you can always return it after you use it
Suggesting he use it, then return it is unethical at the very least. We strongly prefer that our members don't tell others to commit this type of fraud. -Admin DrPizza

 

[KrAzYaZnFLiP808]

check to see if your underside of your mobo is touching the chassis on the cabinent of case. That would cause some issues. Other then that, probably grounding to house.

 

[Centauri]

The house is from the 50s. I rent. And I noticed after I signed the lease that very few of the plugs in the house are grounded. The outlet I'm on, for example, I had to buy a 3-prong to 2-prong adapter to plug in my surge protector.

If this is the issue; am I going to cause damage?

 

[dma0991]

The house is from the 50s. I rent. And I noticed after I signed the lease that very few of the plugs in the house are grounded.

There's your answer. It could be decay caused by aging cables or just a bad job. Poor workmanship by an electrician can cause grounding problems, even in newly built homes. Had the experience in being in a room where there's improper grounding and it isn't pleasant to be shocked when you least expect or contact with any metal surface(can even be felt on a laptop's arm rest which happens to be metal).

It isn't very life threatening in most cases but it is definitely annoying.

 

[Centauri]

Thanks.

Not going to cause any hardware damage though?

 

[dma0991]

Can't give an accurate answer as I'm not an electrician by profession. Probably could and I do recommend getting the grounding fixed anyway.

 

[czglory]

I have dirty power also and I have been highly recommended by many people to use a UPS.

 

[bononos]

I have dirty power also and I have been highly recommended by many people to use a UPS.

The OP's problem is not dirty power so a UPS won't help.

 

[czglory]

maybe I am misusing the term dirty power, but I have the exact same issue (ungrounded house, slight electrical current running through computer and certain electronics) and have been told its dirty power and that a UPS would be of tremendous help

 

[Rvenger]

OP, I would install a 3 prong and get a ground wire and try and locate it to a copper water pipe. (At least on that outlet if you can)


Electrostatic discharge can damage the system since the power supply relies on a ground coming from the wall.

 

[westom]

... but I have the exact same issue (ungrounded house, slight electrical current running through computer and certain electronics) and have been told its dirty power and that a UPS would be of tremendous help

Dirty power is a subjective expression to describe many completely and different anomalies rather than explain each one. Dirty power is not this topic.

Electronics contain line filters. If a ground is missing, no problem. But if a ground is found via a human, then the human feels AC current passing through his body. So little as to not be harmful. But enough to feel.

That current is not harmful as long as it does not find a path through a body via semiconductors. Ie, if a human touches IC pins so that an AC leakage current passes through human and IC.

A 1950 house never had safety grounds. If receptacles are not three prong, then it never had that third wire. Only way to have a safety ground connection is a new wire from that receptacle to the breaker box ground.

Any three prong appliance connected to that receptacles means the receptacle (or circuit breaker) must be a GFCI type. And the receptacle must have a label that reads "No equipment ground".

A power supply is not damaged by and depend on a missing safety ground. But human life does.

 

[Centauri]

I even tried running a very long extension cord to the PC from an outlet in the kitchen that is 3-prong.

Same problem.

 

[RU482]

let me know if this makes sense...

Should he flip the 2 to 3 pin adapter? If the Neutral line on the wall connected the live line on the PC, and the live line on the wall connected to the neutral line on the PC, would the chassis then be "hot"? And then if so, if his person were "grounded", touching the chassis would close the circuit.

maybe I'm off base here

I'm guessing the 3 prong outlet in the kitchen is a crap shoot in regard to being wired correctly. I wonder if the breaker/circuit box is grounded correctly.

 

[RU482]

I also have a late 50's house that many a handyman owner along the way has monkeyed with.

In one room, I have a light fixture that burns through CFLs abnormally fast. I bought a cheapo LED bulb from Deal Extreme, and installed it. Even with the switch off, the bulb stays very dimly lit!

 

[imagoon]

I also have a late 50's house that many a handyman owner along the way has monkeyed with.

In one room, I have a light fixture that burns through CFLs abnormally fast. I bought a cheapo LED bulb from Deal Extreme, and installed it. Even with the switch off, the bulb stays very dimly lit!

This normally means you have a switched neutral some where, or the hot and neutrals are swapped.

 

[westom]

I even tried running a very long extension cord to the PC from an outlet in the kitchen that is 3-prong.

The house is 1950. Those outlets will only have a safety ground IF new wires were routed to the breaker box.

Many have no little respect for human safety as to change a two prong receptacle with three. Or believe a popular myth about the box already having a ground.

Apparently those other receptacles also have no ground. A hypothesis that must be confirmed with experimental evidence. Get a three light receptacle tester (ie Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Sears, K-Mart, etc). If ground is defective, that tester will say same.

Now, remember that test can only report failures. It cannot report the safety ground is good or sufficient. In your case, it should be reporting missing (defective) safety grounds on many receptacles changed by someone who cared little for human safety.

 

[wirednuts]

I agree with westom.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Is that at your house? If so, how old is the house?
Go to Lowes/HomeDepot and pick up one of those basic ground checkers
http://www.qsource.com/p-13882-static-solutions-sp-101-electrical-ground-checkergrounding-plug.aspx?gclid=CI3RhIrenrYCFSdgMgod9R0AHQ

you can always return it after you use it

Those are handy to have in the toolbox, I'd keep it even after.

Definitely sounds like a grounding issue and I'd start by testing the ground. If you don't want to buy that device just use a volt meter and test between ground and neutral (the longer blade) and you should get 0 volts. Then test between ground and hot (smaller blade) and you should get 120. If you do, then the issue is at the computer. Test from ground to the computer case. You'll probably have some voltage. The internal ground in the psu may not be properly attached. Fairly easy fix, open it up and check to see where the ground is connecting.

Do you only get a shock during specific situations such as when you hit the switch while touching the case, or is it any time you touch the case and anything grounded? Guess the test from the case to a ground will tell.

There's also a possibility the hot/neutral is switched around somewhere. Heck, maybe the ground is actually hot...

I'd definitely start with testing the outlet and then work your way to the computer power supply itself.

 

[KrAzYaZnFLiP808]

Okay. You have a 2 outlet socket, and a 3 outlet socket. Go outside the house and check to see if you have a metal stake going into the ground with copper cable. This will be your ground, if your house has ground in the lines.

Chck with a multimeter on your 3 prong outlet, Setting Is Voltage AC. On The outlet, Small pin has 120Volts, The larger pin is Neutral, and circle pin is ground. When you are checking voltage, make sure you have the space and do not cross leads while checking. So red lead to Small Pin, and black lead to Neutral, you should have 120 volts. In assuming this is okay, becuase it is powering your pc. Red lead to Small Pin To black lead to Ground, You should have 120 volts. If you have 0 volts, it means that your house is not grounded, and thats why you are getting shocked. Red Lead To Neutral and Black Lead To Ground you should have 0 volts. If you do have 120 volts, wiring to the house is messed up, and need to call electrician. You prolly have a hot neutral line, or something broken in line, shorting with ground, and causing power to ground.

Now, I see what RU482 is saying. when you have only the 2 pin power socket. You want to check to see which one is power, and which one is neutral. So, with multimeter, try put 1 in socket, and one to copper pipe. If thats 120volts, thats the hot line. The other should be 0 volts. Thats neutral. When you connect the 3pin to 2pin adapter. You want to match up the adapter to power line. So, small pin is 120 volts. That goes to power, and Big Pin is 0 volts, that is neutral. You will also notice it has a green wire with a oring. That you suppose to ground to the center of the outlet, as the outlet housing, which is metal, should be ground. Its just a screw, that you take out put the oring connecter, and put screw back on. DO NOT BE TRYING TO PUT THAT INTO THE SOCKETS.

 

[wirednuts]

Those are handy to have in the toolbox, I'd keep it even after.

Definitely sounds like a grounding issue and I'd start by testing the ground. If you don't want to buy that device just use a volt meter and test between ground and neutral (the longer blade) and you should get 0 volts. Then test between ground and hot (smaller blade) and you should get 120. If you do, then the issue is at the computer. Test from ground to the computer case. You'll probably have some voltage. The internal ground in the psu may not be properly attached. Fairly easy fix, open it up and check to see where the ground is connecting.

Do you only get a shock during specific situations such as when you hit the switch while touching the case, or is it any time you touch the case and anything grounded? Guess the test from the case to a ground will tell.

There's also a possibility the hot/neutral is switched around somewhere. Heck, maybe the ground is actually hot...

I'd definitely start with testing the outlet and then work your way to the computer power supply itself.

if the outlet is cheated, you will still get 0 volts in ground because the neutral is just jumped to ground. you need a plug tester to do it right. theyre $5 at harbor freight.

it could also be things like his house not having his water system bonded.. which means his house IS grounded, but the water pipes are at a different potential, so when you touch the panel's ground you will feel the difference in voltages. this is usually not enough energy to do harm, but it can be.

 

[GeeKayCee]

The reason you experience tingling, is the EMI filter, which is a part of your PSU.

How can an EMI filter look: http://www.fcenter.ru/img/article/cases/technique_of_testing/54776.gif

When the PSU is not using a grounded contact the following will happen: Both Cy's are grounded to PSU's metal enclosure, and thus the entire machine. Therefore, you will get half of mains voltage to your body, about 60 V. Since these Cy's have small capacitance, the power delivered to your body is so small - the tingling is not harmful.

This, however, can be harmful to other devices that share the outlet with your computer. For example, a printer. Grounding faults can also affect other equipment.

Any idea why this would happen?

It's honestly been happening since I built the thing, but I didn't notice how had it was until tonight when, with my right hand one the front of the case, I flipped on the power supply switch at the back of the case with my left hand and felt an uncomfortable tingle in my right hand.

Definitely get it when touching the heatsink.

I'd been ignoring this because I had total stability for months but in effort to chase down some new and unexplained gremlins I'm wondering if this is one of my problems.

PSU? Mobo? CPU?

Thanks.

 

[futurefields]

I got one of those tripp lite isobar surge protectors, it tells you if the outlet is grounded and stuff, and they are cheap.

 

[Mir96TA]

Actually your pahse is being flip flop in among different socket.
Some of your Electrical socket have right blade is Live Phase on other it is Left blade hole is live.
It easy to fix.
Switch all your Electrical Socket Polorized
Being house from 50s has nothing to do, but electrician who have wired a plug or Plugs didn't regard that.
Basically your Socket is not mataching UL standards