Power outage happened and now PC case has static shock?

[Davies]

Power went off and on yesterday and now when i touch the PC case static discharge happens, not every single time but it wasn't happening before the outage. What can i do?

 

[BoggledBeagle]

Have you started wearing differens slippers or house shoes? They may start to react differently with your carpet and you may start charging up when walking, especially in the winter when the air is dry. Connection with the power outage may be purely coincidental.

 

[Veseleil]

Did you tried to unplug the PSU from a power line, press and hold the PC case power button until it discharges completely? Does it still persists after power on?

Have you started wearing differens slippers or house shoes? They may start to react differently with your carpet and you may start charging up when walking, especially in the winter when the air is dry. Connection with the power outage may be purely coincidental.

Few hours ago I was leaving my car in the garage, and when I stepped out and touched the metal part of the driver's door, the huge amount of static electricity drained over me. Not nice.

 

[Davies]

I'm not wearing anything new and yes I pressed the power button about 30 seconds with PSU unplugged, I unplugged and plugged back all the cables on the PC and the surge protector. Maybe i am overthinking it. There is nothing to worry about if the discharge is because of my clothes etc. anyways but what are we looking at if it is because of the outage?

 

[meatwar]

A wall outlet GROUND connection is a "MUST" to a PC system... This means you have no device discharge and who suffers is not you with those "static discharge's"... It's the hardware itself.

 

[Wirko]

If what you feel is only a momentary shock, it's static. If it persists for as long as you hold the hand on the case, it comes from the mains voltage.

Is the effect the same if you turn off the mains power switch, the one on the PSU?

 

[Davies]

Both wall outlet and the surge protector are grounded. It's a momentary shock. Didn't try it with PSU off I will do that.

 

[Bill_Bright]

If the shock is coming from you that is one thing. If the case is charged and shocking you, that's another - and not good.

How do you know the wall outlet is grounded? If case really is grounded to Earth ground through the outlet, and it is you who has the built up static charge, then no harm "should" come from this. But I would still try to get into the habit of touching something else first - besides the case or the dog's nose.

But if you have not already, you need to verify the case really is grounded to Earth ground through the outlet. Every home and every computer user should have access to a AC Outlet Tester to ensure the wall outlet is properly wired and grounded to Earth ground. I recommend one with a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) indicator as it can be used to test bathroom and kitchen outlets (outlets near water) too. These testers can be found for your type and voltage outlet, foreign or domestic, (like this one for the UK, or this one for German outlets) at most home improvement stores, or even the electrical department at Wal-Mart. Use it to test all the outlets in the home and if a fault is shown, have it fixed by a qualified electrician.

 

[Tahagomizer]

You might have a ground fault. Ground to consumers is often connected at the transformer. Occasionally - very, but I know such situation from experience - the connection can break or be broken during a repair. The cables will then accumulate some charge. Not dangerous per se, but you lose grounding of appliances' metalwork which is not ideal.
As Bill_Bright mentioned, try an outlet tester, if it shows missing ground call your electricity provider.

 

[Davies]

I didn't test them and I said they are grounded because in my country, the left one is the grounded one and the right one is the one that is not grounded, I have the left one. So the theory is the outage damaged the outlet and it's causing static discharge on the case? I'll try to test the outlet or talk with an electrician. Thanks all of you for trying to help me.

 

[GerKNG]

I constantly get static discharges when i touch my PC.
Just grounding myselfbefore, then standing up and touching the case makes a visible and audible static discharge.

 

[Davies]

If the case was getting charged up wouldn't it shock me every time i touch it? The shockings seem random which makes me believe i am the one with the static but this thing happening after the outage is weird. I don't remember this happening before yesterday.

 

[Wirko]

I didn't test them and I said they are grounded because in my country, the left one is the grounded one and the right one is the one that is not grounded, I have the left one. So the theory is the outage damaged the outlet and it's causing static discharge on the case?

No, you can't assume that just because you're getting static shocks. The static (electric charge) accumulates on you, not the PC, as you move and rub against synthetic or wool clothes and carpets. There's more static if the air is dry. You then feel the discharge when you touch a grounded object - the PC, the microwave oven, a water tap, a hot water radiator, the ground contact on a mains socket. It doesn't matter if the PC is on or off.

Few hours ago I was leaving my car in the garage, and when I stepped out and touched the metal part of the driver's door, the huge amount of static electricity drained over me. Not nice.

People usually assume that the car somehow collected the static while driving. But if you just immediately get back into the car and again out of the car, and the weather is dry, you'll likely get a repeated dose of electricity.

 

[Davies]

@Wirko I know when i rub against things it causes the discharge but it feels like it's happening more than before after the outage, that's what I'm talking about. I could be overthinking it though. I got shocked from the keyboard as well yesterday if this indicates anything.

 

[Veseleil]

What @Wirko said. In most cases the accumulated electricity is on the person, and discharges through other conductive surfaces. The higher capacity is (larger surface, better grounded, etc.), the effect is more pronounced. Example: A person is done with a shower, wipes the body with a towel, touches the valve, gets shocked, blames bathroom's grounding.

 

[meatwar]

From the keyboard??? Oh my god... that's bad... you or the ground connection...lol

A simple test to the PC...not to you, lol
Get this, with the system off but all plugs connected, touch a metal zone on the system tower, if it lights the ground connection is null or weak.
By the way can we know your country? Just for curiosity of AC standarts.
And another thing... having outlets with ground is one thing, if they are connected correctly that's another...
Many construction firms, would only connect WC and Kitchen outlets with ground, leaving the rest of the house unplugged from the circuit...because that was a lot of wire money saved in their pockets.

 

[Wirko]

Many construction firms, would only connect WC and Kitchen outlets with ground, leaving the rest of the house unplugged from the circuit...because that was a lot of wire money saved in their pockets.

Now I'm wondering what part of the world that was...

If the shock is coming from you that is one thing. If the case is charged and shocking you, that's another - and not good.

That's true but if it's meant as a diagnostic guide - how do you know who shocked whom? :wickedvioletsmiley:

 

[Waldorf]

@Tahagomizer
virtually all "old" homes in the US dont come with ground on (all) outlets,
especially if the house had "add ons" that werent properly wired.

@Wirko
if i would be asked on a game show, south/north american continent..

 

[de.das.dude]

The ground on your socket isnt functional, fix it and the static shock issue will go away.

Or have you considered that the static is being discharged from YOU to the PC? in that case try touching anything metal like a faucet, before touching your case

 

[Waldorf]

@de.das.dude
just because it has a ground on the outlet, doesnt mean its actually connected/wired,
so it might not be easy to fix (without an electrician coming in).


im running a dehumidifier (extremely high humidity all the time), combined with wearing rubber clogs (that insulate me),
i actually expect this, and it happens almost every time i plug something into usb.

doesnt mean i will run (regularly) into another room, just because i want to use the pc.
and unless your hw is +10y old, most boards/rigs, wont even take a hit from it (happening),
so not really an issue (hw wise)..

 

[meatwar]

Now I'm wondering what part of the world that was...


That's true but if it's meant as a diagnostic guide - how do you know who shocked whom? :wickedvioletsmiley:

You're a genius sir... never thought of that, now i know that all my school professors were doing it wrong, damm "acid's"... They didn't feel anything and now i know the reason.
They were "HIGH" as HELL

 

[Davies]

If something was wrong with the outlet the entire time this issue would happen before the outage, wouldn't it? The keyboards base is fully metal, so that could be from me as well. I made some movement and touched something metal and discharge happened, sure. I touch the case nothing happens I make some physical movement and touch it again and discharge happens sure but why don't I remember it happening before the outage I built this PC 8 months ago. I will do the thing @meatwar suggested, but for the outlet stuff I should call an electrician. The country is Turkey.

 

[meatwar]

If something was wrong with the outlet the entire time this issue would happen before the outage, wouldn't it? The keyboards base is fully metal, so that could be from me as well. I made some movement and touched something metal and discharge happened, sure. I touch the case nothing happens I make some physical movement and touch it again and discharge happens sure but why don't I remember it happening before the outage I built this PC 8 months ago. I will do the thing @meatwar suggested, but for the outlet stuff I should call an electrician. The country is Turkey.

The PSU could be affected... cheap ones more subjectable to it. You refer to a surge protector, not a UPS, some surge p. have fewer sensitive fuses and not break when they should... the next component will suffer from this, the PSU. But i would bet you have a weak/null ground connection.
You can also test yourself, the ground connection with a voltmeter if you have one
A quick example here: How to Check Ground Wire with a Multimeter ? - Geeky Engineers
All the best and good luck

 

[Davies]

Well I didn't cheap out on the PSU, it's Asus Rog Strix 650W Gold 80+. I'll try to test the outlets if I can't I can call an electrician. Is there anything else I would experience in this case other than the static? The performance seems the same. Thank you for the help.

 

[Waldorf]

@Davies
i would get an outlet tester first, cheaper than getting someone,
and its always good to (probably) know the cause, so they wont sell you on stuff that doesnt need fixing.

on the long run, try to get a UPS.
not only provides cleaner power, they tend to have a resettable fuse, so you dont need to throw out the whole strip,
and will provide power in case of brown/blackout while your using the rig, allowing to close/safely shutdown.