PC shocking me when i touch it!!!

[FranoM]

Hi there

I just built a PC. Im using a 540 corsair air case it has a metal construction with aluminium sides and a painted steel back. I touched the metal thumb screw and the back gave my a light costant shock. It wasnt an sudden electrical discharge like the one you get when you rub your feet on the carpet, but it was an constant shock. I could bare the light shock so i touched it some more to comfirm it is what it is. I now unpluged my PC and moved it to another room. The question is, is it an hardware mountfunction, did i wire it wrong or since its really close together with the wall with many other cables between it that a bare cable touched the case. Please i need help now!!!!!

 

[JamesHeller]

touching bare metal screw is just like touching wire with bare hands
because maybe you're motherboard or any other metal part was in touch with the outer metallic part

 

[jitpublisher]

There could be many reasons from a bad PSU to being improperly assembled in the case.

 

[FranoM]

There could be many reasons from a bad PSU to being improperly assembled in the case.

Ok. So I moved the case in the living room, expected it and found nothing. I think it can be that there was an bare wire behind my pc. How could I test it now to check if the problem is still there. I dont feel like touching a shocking screw to check if the problem is gone.

 

[nukemaster]

What bare cable touches the case.

In general a computer power supply is grounded(third prong on the AC side). The case is grounded by the screws that hold the power supply to it as well.

This alone should direct any voltage in the case away from you.

I would look into ensuring your plugs are wired correctly. You can get a basic tester with lights that shows you any wiring faults in the plug.

 

[FranoM]

What bare cable touches the case.

In general a computer power supply is grounded(third prong on the AC side). The case is grounded by the screws that hold the power supply to it as well.

This alone should direct any voltage in the case away from you.

I would look into ensuring your plugs are wired correctly. You can get a basic tester with lights that shows you any wiring faults in the plug.

What ever it was its gone. I just hope so it doesn't happen again. I inspected it all and found no problems.

 

[Paul NZ]

I had the same prob a few years ago. I found out that the earth wire inside the power point it was in came out. Only found this out by accident one day when I brushed my arm, along the top of the case, I felt a tingle. And everything in the case was live. Anything I touched I felt a tingle.

I had to get a sparky in to fix the power point.

Not only did it kill the CPU (which Intel kindly replaced), it also fried everything else that was on the same circuit (the fridge , the stereo here), it stuffed up the laser on the DVD. I still have to get this repaired.

 

[FranoM]

I had the same prob a few years ago. I found out that the earth wire inside the power point it was in came out. Only found this out by accident one day when I brushed my arm, along the top of the case, I felt a tingle. And everything in the case was live. Anything I touched I felt a tingle.

I had to get a sparky in to fix the power point.

Not only did it kill the CPU (which Intel kindly replaced), it also fried everything else that was on the same circuit (the fridge , the stereo here), it stuffed up the laser on the DVD. I still have to get this repaired.

That sounds scary. I think it might have been that the main power cable was at an really sharp angle and that it ripped out the ground wire. I borrowed that power cable and later found out it was 20+ years old!!!
I immediately went and bought a new cable. Could that have caused that problem?
Em I safe now since i moved the PC and it stopped and now I bought a new cable?
And could it be that it already damaged something that i have jet to find out?

 

[Paul NZ]

If it crashes (and it didnt before), it may have been zapped a bit

 

[nukemaster]

Part of the computer noise filter system sends this noise ti ground so a missing ground may have been the problem. I use power cables that may be just as old without issues.

Everything on the circuit getting killed sounds more like a power issue(large spike on the line?) than a computer power supply killing things. It is not like a computer power supply without a ground can damage anything but it self(even then, MANY users run them on ungrounded outlets. NOT recommended). If it shorts out, the breaker or fuse will trip. I see a very bad luck day, but find it hard to believe a computer power supply took out that much hardware(fridge and stereo for instance)

 

[Paul NZ]

The power supply in the case didn't cause it, the loose earth wire in the power point did

Well that's the only thing I can think of that would have caused it. It also stuffed up a 29' TV, I had at the time, as well as a washing machine. It fried the main circuit board in it. I had to replace the circuit board.

The only thing that is still working today, is the washing machine

 

[nukemaster]

The problem is ground is a safety more than anything(protect us from a loose wire touching metal casework for instance. being ground this power would just goto ground and keep us from getting the shock.). Even if fails. devices should not just start to get destroyed.

A fridge should be on its own breaker when it can as well because a fridge and a washer starting together could be too much load.

 

[Paul NZ]

Well in this case, I would say you're wrong