Casing gives current

[MAB]

I feel a slight current when I touch the back of my casing or harddisk when
the system is on. Is this dangerous or damaging for the motherboard/system?
How can I rectify this problem?

thx.

 

[Skeleton Man]

I feel a slight current when I touch the back of my casing or harddisk when

the system is on. Is this dangerous or damaging for the motherboard/system?
How can I rectify this problem?

I would put this down to a buildup of static electricity.. (not harmful to
you, nor the PC while the case is on it)

Regards,
Chris

 

[Freddie Clark]

I feel a slight current when I touch the back of my casing or harddisk when
the system is on. Is this dangerous or damaging for the motherboard/system?
How can I rectify this problem?

thx.

Are you using an earthed power socket??. ie does your wall socket have two
plugs or three??.

regards
Freddie

 

[T Shadow]

I feel a slight current when I touch the back of my casing or harddisk when
the system is on. Is this dangerous or damaging for the motherboard/system?
How can I rectify this problem?

thx.

Have your wiring checked by someone competent immediately. I recently worked
on a friends house wiring and a previous owner had put a string of outlets
into the basement. They connected all of the outlets backwards and to make
things worse they connected all of the grounds up at the boxes but ran the
string to a box that didn't have a ground wire. A very dangerous situation.

 

[Clark]

I would agree you need to check it out. If the current continues after you
have grounded yourself, it is not static electricity. You probably have
something shorted that could cause problems and may be hazardous.

Clark

 

[JAD]

not good.a brief shock would be static.continuous current is WRONG..
stantions for the MB ar incorrectly installed or something has gone
arwy....be very careful.

 

[CBFalconer]

I feel a slight current when I touch the back of my casing or
harddisk when the system is on. Is this dangerous or damaging for
the motherboard/system? How can I rectify this problem?

Probably. Look to the grounding circuitry, either the power plug
or the house wiring.

 

[Carbon]

I feel a slight current when I touch the back of my casing or
harddisk when the system is on. Is this dangerous or damaging for
the motherboard/system? How can I rectify this problem?

I had this happen with an old 486 I built. It turned out that the back
of the board was shorting out on the case. The problem went away when
I remounted the board.

 

[Zotin Khuma]

I feel a slight current when I touch the back of my casing or harddisk when
the system is on. Is this dangerous or damaging for the motherboard/system?
How can I rectify this problem?

thx.

One possibility, esp if you live in a place where house wiring
regulations are not strictly observed (such as in many developing
countries) :

Any or all of these - power socket expansion strip, UPS, computer's
PSU, monitor - may have some form of power line filtering component
built in. This is intended to safely filter out any undesireable noise
in the power line, but a side effect is that it will also provide a
slight leakage path for the mains voltage. This leakage is designed to
flow along the power cord's ground wire, and out to actual earth via
the house wiring.

If there is no proper earth line present, the leakage current will
flow out through whatever path is available, such as your body when
you touch the casing. Normally, the current is well below the danger
level, but may produce an unpleasant sensation if you have a moist
skin. It could conceivably be even dangerous under certain unusual
circumstances.

Accumulated dust esp in a damp environment, can also produce the
effect, again if there is no proper earth line in the wiring.

It could also be harmful to the computer if you touch the case and
some sensitive components inside at the same time while the computer
plugged in, even if it is turned off.

- Zotin

 

[Ron Reaugh]

I would agree you need to check it out. If the current continues after you
have grounded yourself,

LUNACY! Never ground yourself in a situation like this....SUICIDE.

it is not static electricity. You probably have
something shorted that could cause problems and may be hazardous.

Yeah, the coroner will diagnose the ground fault.

"ground yourself"....wacko.

 

[Papa]

It could just be static buildup. On the other hand it could be a dangerous
short circuit which could injure you, or a member of your family. Take it to
a computer shop and have it checked.

 

[Papa]

It could also be a flaw in your household wiring or your wall fixtures. At
any rate, have it checked out. You have a potentially very serious problem.

 

[Andrew]

It's 'a very bad thing' (tm). It's not suppose to be there. Many bad things
can happen. You could get a fatal shock of electric. You could fry your
mother board. You could fry everything and have to buy a new computer. You
could also start a fire while your sleeping. I would have someone who
actually knows what he's talking about look at it.

 

[Chris van Bladel]

I feel a slight current when I touch the back of my casing or harddisk when
the system is on. Is this dangerous or damaging for the motherboard/system?
How can I rectify this problem?

Do you use a walloutlet with or without ground? Always use an earthed
walloutlet for your computer. About the danger, the shock is not deadly
but can be anoying. In this case you have also lost your failsafe, when
your PSU will die, you will be out of light, but again not deadly.

Chris

 

[JS]

Do you use a walloutlet with or without ground? Always use an earthed
walloutlet for your computer. About the danger, the shock is not
deadly but can be anoying. In this case you have also lost your
failsafe, when your PSU will die, you will be out of light, but again
not deadly.

Chris

Something potentially fatal to you and your computer is wrong. This 'not
deadly' nonesense is dead wrong. Get this fixed by someone who knows what
they're doing. I don't mean to flame or belittle anyone but this is a very
dangerous situation and it should be resolved. Voltages in your power
supply can KILL you.

 

[Papa]

Very poor advice. Never trivialize something that has the potential (pun not
intended) to kill you.

 

[Chris van Bladel]

Something potentially fatal to you and your computer is wrong. This 'not
deadly' nonesense is dead wrong. Get this fixed by someone who knows what
they're doing. I don't mean to flame or belittle anyone but this is a very
dangerous situation and it should be resolved. Voltages in your power
supply can KILL you.

I am not insulted or felling flamed by your remark or that of Papa. I
wpould like to clear up one or two things. I am a professional and
diplomated??? system and display repair person. I have been electified
by differant DC and AC currents and voltage from a wide range of
computerapliances. I have to admit, confessing this doesn't give me and
credits with you guys or improve your conidance in me because it was in
all cases my fault and i shoud have taken beter care.

The voltages in computers and monitors aren't deadly, but it hurts like
hell and doesn't feel great. The OP has a problem with the grounding of
his computercase, this voltage isn't deadly only anoying, it can however
damage his computer.

Because much people don't understand electronics, volts and currents
they overreact and scream murder and death as soon as the hear the word
current. This will automaticly panic the OP and people will feer
currents and volts even more.

Hope this clears up a few things and explains my post.

Chris

 

[spodosaurus]

LUNACY! Never ground yourself in a situation like this....SUICIDE.




Yeah, the coroner will diagnose the ground fault.

"ground yourself"....wacko.

I think he meant grouding oneself BEFORE touching AGAIN but not DURING
the touching. It was poorly written (dangerously so).

 

[kony]

The voltages in computers and monitors aren't deadly, but it hurts like
hell and doesn't feel great. The OP has a problem with the grounding of
his computercase, this voltage isn't deadly only anoying, it can however
damage his computer.

Because much people don't understand electronics, volts and currents
they overreact and scream murder and death as soon as the hear the word
current. This will automaticly panic the OP and people will feer
currents and volts even more.

Untrue.
Just because one (or a few) person(s) survive shock, does
not mean everyone will. In a "normal" system the user
should not be exposed to over 12V, but clearly something
here isn't right, it's well beyond 12V, and there is at
least 100V going into the box with no true current
limiter... certainly enough to kill the average person in
the wrong situation.

 

[CBFalconer]

.... snip ...

The voltages in computers and monitors aren't deadly, but it
hurts like hell and doesn't feel great. The OP has a problem with
the grounding of his computercase, this voltage isn't deadly only
anoying, it can however damage his computer.

Because much people don't understand electronics, volts and
currents they overreact and scream murder and death as soon as
the hear the word current. This will automaticly panic the OP and
people will feer currents and volts even more.

Hope this clears up a few things and explains my post.

Internal voltages are usually fairly harmless, but mains voltages
are not. Some people seem not to understand that there exist many
mechanisms by which those voltages are exposed, possibly
lethally. Most of these start with an open or missing ground, and
are combined with poor design, component failure, whatnot, even
dust.

The fact that you appear to be ignorant does not lessen the
danger.