Got shocked by a PSU heatsink. Will I explode?

[e56imfg]

Thread where I figured out that the shock will be serious

heatsinks-metal things attached to the mosfets (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) to direct the heat away from the mosfets. these are a little different in every psu, but they are generall a silver in color. the more surface area, the better the heatsink. psus also usually have a fan to aid in keeping the insides of the psu cool so that the heatsinks can dso their job. the heatsinks in a psu are similar in conecpt to those on ur cpu, graphics card, and motherboard chipset. Caution: some psu jeatsinks are part of a circuit on inside the psu, so removing them may cause damage to the cpu. also, touching themcan give you a nasty and potentially fatal shock. there are fanless psus out there, but they are very expensive. or you can do this:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article80-page1.html
LOL!

You managed to post so the shock isn't going to kill you(its an instant kill if its going to) but you may see some burns show up under your skin in a few days, the current travels through the blood vessels not along the surface so it can leave interesting results.

What does he mean by "interesting results"?

Any doctors are more then welcome here...

 

[akxpckwb]

No you won't explode but 2 things can happen:
->the electric current will force cell division which can lead to some extra limbs OR
->your body will become one with the PSU and you will become....the chosen one

Seriously now I've been shocked literally thousands of times (once in my mouth...don't ask) and nothing happened

 

[geekapproved]

So you were actually dumb enough to open a plugged in power supply and touch the inside?

Wow, there's one born every minute.

 

[thently]

Yes.

 

[whatsthatnoise]

If you are still here, it's fine. 😉

 

[Dogsnake]

Please be aware that there are some large capacitors in many of today's PSU. They can deliver quite a nasty jolt if you touch them across the terminals. This can happen even if the unit is unplugged and turned off. Now if it is on and you bridge the terminals you may find you can never father children and if you do they may have two heads. It is the height of stupidity or ignorance to poke arround inside electical devices while they are plugged in.

 

[CaedenV]

death by electrocution is instant (or near instant), so you are fine. In the future be sure to unplug the power before messing with a PSU. They are not as lethal as a CRT monitor or Tube TV (those WILL kill you if mishandled, and they can hold a charge for a very long time), but they can still be dangerous if you do something dumb. Be sure to always wear gloves to give you a barrier, ground your arm with a wrist band, and lastly be very careful.

Personally I have replaced several PSU fans and caps and have never been shocked. I have gotten some pretty nasty shocks working on my house wiring (apparently I had a circuit that was tied into 2 breakers... grr), but even then nothing more than a small burn, and it kicked by hand back a little.

Just remember; Electricity is not Voodoo, it follows very specific laws, and if you follow the laws then you will be fine.

 

[Goldengoose]

This happened to my brother a few years back. it started off as a simple shock such as yours but then things started to go... weird. He started to complain of a dry mouth, then it turned into sweaty hands. it got to the point where his mouth was bone dry and you could LITERALLY see water pouring out of his hands.

We took him to the doctor's and turns out it was a classic case of 'reverse polarity syndrome'. A quick shock with some static electricity and he was right as rain again.

 

[thently]

Ignore them you will explode at some point.

 

[ashdeman]

Due to the increased electrons in your body because of the shock you will most likely notice your head increasing in size. This is known as Bloaty Head syndrome. You will need to go to the hospital were the doctors can literally pop your swollen head and then pump it back up to the correct PSI.

 

[whatsthatnoise]

Ignore them you will explode at some point.

Make sure you videotape it and let someone post it on youtube.

 

[scout_03]

electical shock does internal damage not seen visual but could be a life treat so dont play around if you dont know what you do ,we will miss you is something happens

 

[Dogsnake]

There is a chance that a large electrical shock will magnetize you. However this is rare and easy to detect. It you find yourself sticking to iron metal objects, you better seek help.

 

[voodooking]

Actually you are dead right now.

This whole forum is an existential outgrowth of your current reality. You may run into Jean Paul Sarte here sometime soon and please tell him to ah heck off from the rest of us.

 

[e56imfg]

So you were actually dumb enough to open a plugged in power supply and touch the inside?

Wow, there's one born every minute.

Funny story. I had a very funky looking PSU (it's a mini-itx form factor) so I was looking around to see what was wrong with it. I plugged it in, while I was holding the bare PSU and got a nasty shock. The outlet shut down but I felt normal after that. Just a little shaken by what just happened, though.

Please be aware that there are some large capacitors in many of today's PSU. They can deliver quite a nasty jolt if you touch them across the terminals. This can happen even if the unit is unplugged and turned off. Now if it is on and you bridge the terminals you may find you can never father children and if you do they may have two heads. It is the height of stupidity or ignorance to poke arround inside electical devices while they are plugged in.

There is a chance that a large electrical shock will magnetize you. However this is rare and easy to detect. It you find yourself sticking to iron metal objects, you better seek help.

Not really. Although the cereal I was eating had some strange movements...

Well thanks guys... I guess...

 

[shanky887614]

never open a power supply unless you know what you are doing (bassically competent)


by that i mean i have had training in how the parts inside work

if you must open a power supply.


make sure to use only insulated tools.


capacitors store charge. they are used to start motors. they are not to be messed wit.


if you dont know how to discharge them then i suggest you stay away

 

[e56imfg]

never open a power supply unless you know what you are doing (bassically competent)


by that i mean i have had training in how the parts inside work

if you must open a power supply.


make sure to use only insulated tools.


capacitors store charge. they are used to start motors. they are not to be messed wit.


if you dont know how to discharge them then i suggest you stay away

I knew CAPS had some lethal voltages but I had a funky looking heat sink. Didn't think it was actually the heatsink.

I had some sense in what to look for and what it's made up of.

 

[omega21xx]

Discharge PSU:

1. unplug PSU from wall.
2. Try to turn PC on. Fans may kick for a second and stop.

This usually gets rid of most of the power stored in capacitors on both the motherboard and PSU.

 

[Dogsnake]

If you can't do that simply unplug it and drop it into a bucket of tap water. As a side benefit you will have heated water for a lovely cup of tea. Tks for this thread it has been fun.

 

[AlderonnX]

The 2 headed guy at our local walmart was not amused when i related this thread to him. (well one head might have been kind of amused??) Anyhow, Nah your gonna be fine.

 

[amuffin]

Don't touch metal that is plugged in.

 

[e56imfg]

Best answer selected by e56imfg.