my pc shocks me

huanwu26

Honorable
Nov 3, 2012
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10,630
So, a few weeks ago I was taking my computer out of my desk to move it out to clean the area behind it suddenly I got a shock not like when you touch a door knob in the winter, it is the kind with a sustained shock. So i open my computer to see if there was any wires that were bare touching the case. It doesn't happen when I touch my front of my pc but the sides, behind and bottom.

I've had my pc for a year now and it hasn't ever done that before. And it only seems to be doing that when I am not in my flip flops.

So here is how it is connected, it first is connected to a power strip then that power strip is connected to another power strip, and then that one is connect the a power cord that has some three prong adapter attached to it, and finally leads to the roof of the room where all the main wiring is at. Before you guys make fun of me, yes I know its a pretty stupid way of wiring but i did with what my parents had set up when I got the room and it hasn't given me any problems the 15 years I've been in there.

Please help me.
 
Solution
Its not just stupid, its potentially deadly!

The third prong is a SAFETY feature. The outside of your computer and the PSU are all connected to ground so that if anything shorts to either of those housings it will opt to short to ground than through you. By removing your ground prong with the adapter you made it so that the case is just floating, if the PSU were to fail and short to its housing you could have 500V on the case, but your problem right now is likely that your case is just floating at some arbitrary AC voltage which is causing you the shocks.

You should call an electrician, if that is how that room is wired you likely have lots of dangerous electrical issues around.
Its not just stupid, its potentially deadly!

The third prong is a SAFETY feature. The outside of your computer and the PSU are all connected to ground so that if anything shorts to either of those housings it will opt to short to ground than through you. By removing your ground prong with the adapter you made it so that the case is just floating, if the PSU were to fail and short to its housing you could have 500V on the case, but your problem right now is likely that your case is just floating at some arbitrary AC voltage which is causing you the shocks.

You should call an electrician, if that is how that room is wired you likely have lots of dangerous electrical issues around.
 
Solution