Dont believe, the PS will kill you.

[oc jason]

Well im a hard headed, and as such in cleaning my enture case of dust on 2 days ago i decide to tkae apart teh PS and remove all the dust. Well its spotlessly clean with the help of a unused painrtbrush and my fingers, i must have touched all the parts in there more than once. never even got a shock, just felt the heat from warm resistors. So i have no idea whaty part you guys sya is deadly, not that it aint true, but i mean do all PS's have it. I grabbed the HS looking thing, resistors, so i can bend them apart and clean between, also grabbed some dirty brown/orage things bout teh size of a aspirin, like a connection between wires. Never anything.

And yes i did know that i couls get shocked, and hurt, so dont say you were an idiot for not knowing nad lucky to not get hurt

actually im just a idiot for knowing and just wanting to see if it would really happen, regardless or the results. I SERIOUSLY doubt that a unplugged PS will kill you. I mean with all the modding going on my various level of experiance i have never heard of a single death from a monitor or a PS (a serious one not hte one we allread al while back)

[flounder43]

Was it as dusty as mine?
http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50867

Mine was unplugged for at least 1 year, so I wasn't worried.

[Smizack]

Well, they do put a warning sticker on there for a reason. How long was is off (unplugged) before you took it apart? They contain bleed capacitors. They loose their charge after a bit, but they can kill you.
You=Teh lucky!

BTW, just for future info, Monitors keep thier charge much longer than Psu's do.;)

[oc jason]

yea i read that already. LoL and yes it was just as dusty. Well id say it was unplugged maybe 30-35 mintues b4 i took it apart and cleaned it. Maybe that is a decent amount ot time, but also its a 200 watt max, so maybe the charge held is so small that 15 minutes it will dissapate?

[Bmxpunk86pl]

yea 200 watts equals 2 amps which is a lot

[Smizack]

Originally posted by Bmxpunk86pl
yea 200 watts equals 2 amps which is a lot

Yep. I think it's actually a little over 1.6Amp

W
------
A | V

Watts 200 / Volts120 =1.66~667

I think, I haven't been in skool in a while...:D

[Crash893]

even knowing it might why would you want to.

just blow it out good thats all you need to do

i would be way more carefull about monitors

i had a monitor that broke so i took it out to the dumpster and beat it up with a pickaxe and on the second blow a spark cameout past my head( it was awsome good thing the axe has a wooden handel)

[loweric]

You can discharge the capacitor by using a resistor touching both end of the cap. Remember to use a high value one.

[Shadow ÒÓ]

you folks are a trip. There are NO capacitors that carry a large enough charge in a PSU that will kill or even hurt you.

If you're silly enough to leave it plugged in, then yes, you can be injured (and in severe cases, killed). But unplugged, it doesn't carry a charge large enough that you could really even notice if you discharged it on yourself.

Proof, if you've ever seen a capacitor from an air conditioning unit (a home system....the large box outside your house) they are the size of about 1/2 a coke can. Commercial units have dual capacitors which are the size or 2 or 3 cans. I have on several occasions taken a charged capacitor and discharged it on an employee. (actually stuck it to his leg/arm/back of his neck) Great laughs! (sick I know)

I first learned of capacitors when I was around 16. My father (HVAC service man) yelled as if injured while I was in the shower. I came charging out to see what happened, only to be greeted on the other side of the shower curtain with a commercial capacitor to my ribs. Disturbing I'll admit, but we constantly played jokes on each other.

Lets kill the myth......UNPLUGGED PSU's can not harm you.

[Maximus Nickus]

I've read a few magazines that said otherwise but you give pretty good evidence and i've fiddled in many PSU's, I just unplug em overnight just to be safe.

Oh well what does everyone else think?

[loweric]

Not sure ready the cap. inside an unpluged TV can kill or not, but it will certain give a big shock (I experience it when I was 10). People have heart desease may get kill by that shock, just my guess.

[BigRed]

you folks are a trip. There are NO capacitors that carry a large enough charge in a PSU that will kill or even hurt you.

If you're silly enough to leave it plugged in, then yes, you can be injured (and in severe cases, killed). But unplugged, it doesn't carry a charge large enough that you could really even notice if you discharged it on yourself.

Proof, if you've ever seen a capacitor from an air conditioning unit (a home system....the large box outside your house) they are the size of about 1/2 a coke can. Commercial units have dual capacitors which are the size or 2 or 3 cans. I have on several occasions taken a charged capacitor and discharged it on an employee. (actually stuck it to his leg/arm/back of his neck) Great laughs! (sick I know)

I first learned of capacitors when I was around 16. My father (HVAC service man) yelled as if injured while I was in the shower. I came charging out to see what happened, only to be greeted on the other side of the shower curtain with a commercial capacitor to my ribs. Disturbing I'll admit, but we constantly played jokes on each other.
hahaha http://koti.mbnet.fi/antiqser/smilies/lol.gif http://koti.mbnet.fi/antiqser/smilies/roller.gif http://koti.mbnet.fi/antiqser/smilies/lol.gif

[Christoph]

I was trying to figure out how to discharge my PS when I took it apart, but I never got anything. I had my heart set on a nice bug juicy spark. What a letdown. There's always monitor breakdowns!

[flounder43]

I am the ghost of flounder43, I made the mistake of trying to vacuum out my psu without the proper precautions, look here: http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50867

Beware of capacitors that may shock you and take your life...

[Christoph]

Your ghost didn't mention anything about being shocked.

[ButcherUK]

I had the PSU open the other day (doing 5v mod), left it off for about 2-3 mins (time taken to remove the cover) and managed not to fry myself. If you look at the caps in there they're like 330µF which is tiny! Also I'm on 240V which is more likely to give a shock than 120V. Monitors are more dangerous due to the higher voltages (like 50kV) but I've had them open after being off for an hour tops without killing myself :p

[oc jason]

Thanks Shadow, and all the others, that posted. I am still believing that a PS cannot kill you, there just is not enought juice in my opinion. I have just grabbed ahold of many to see what would happen, and never got shocked

[Maximus Nickus]

Were gonna get to cocky now and start to fiddle with lightbulbs....:D

Don't do it, flying across the room isn't to fun....

[Malakai]

You guys are hilarious!! just thought id tell ya...that last one from nick had me LOL

[Extermn8rX]

hehe, really good info. All this time i though that psu's were all dangerous "even with the power off and unplugged". Kinda like "if you keep making faces, it will stay that way".

[Hoot]

"It's not the size of the dog in a fight, it's the size of the fight in a dog."

Motor-start capacitors in equipment like Air Conditioners have a completely different function than Filter caps in power supplies. Physical size is generally not the issue as much as the potential stored across them. Motor-start caps provide a phase shift, whereas Filter caps store voltage in performing their job.

You can take a simple .01 uf 5Kv disk ceramic capacitor, the size of a nickel, put it across a 4Kv DC source, remove it, grab one lead with one hand and the other lead with the other hand and I personally assure you, you will not like the sensation you will feel for a brief moment. Conversely, you can take a 100,000 uf 5V capacitor, the size of a propane torch cylinder, put it across a 5V source, remove it and grab the two studs and you will not feel anything.

In most switching supplies, the primary bulk DC is between 150-200VDC. Luckily, these capacitors have a bleeder resistor on them that drains off the charge in a few seconds, once power is removed. Should that resistor fail, you may find that even several minutes after the power is removed, a lethal voltage potential still exists across that cap. You take 200VDC arm to arm and you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Those with weak hearts may not return from that tunnel. Certainly, working on a live switching supply requires vigilence and caution. I use the rule of keeping one hand out of the circuit, usually in my pocket. If you take a high voltage shot across part of one arm, hand, finger, etc., the heart is not in the path of current flow. The greatest risk then is from injury as a result of uncontrollable muscle reflex. I've smacked my hand on sharp case edges several times and with great force, as a result of this type of mishap. If you take a high voltage shot from one hand down through your foot, you can find yourself performing an amazing broad jump, hence the allusion to "flying asross the room". Dont work on High Voltage equipment barefooted.
With proper respect and precaution, there is no reason to fear working with High Voltage. You simply need to think about each move before you do it. That applies to both live and unplugged High Voltage equipment. If you don't feel comfortable with your experience base, leave the PSU turned off for an hour before you work inside it. Bleeder resistor or not, the other components in the HV circuit should discharge the cap(s) by then.

73, Hoot

[LJ5L]

Realistically, when working in an environment like a carpeted room and dry hands it is very very hard to get shocked. We have this thing, reflex system, and on dry hands touching something under voltage would induce a slight tingle at first, and progressively increase the harder the object is grabbed (more contact), so if reflexes are in a working order getting hurt is unlikely.

Now if you are a sensation seeker take a salt water bath then play with a plugged in and powered up flyback transformer in a TV, at least 32" CRT for maxiumum effect ;)

[KILLorBE]

Originally posted by LJ5L
Realistically, when working in an environment like a carpeted room and dry hands it is very very hard to get shocked. We have this thing, reflex system, and on dry hands touching something under voltage would induce a slight tingle at first, and progressively increase the harder the object is grabbed (more contact), so if reflexes are in a working order getting hurt is unlikely.

You would be too late cuz when you get shocked your muscles contract.(when you see that you gotta kick em in the butt that way they'll have some time to let go, but you will get shocked)

Originally posted by Hoot
"It's not the size of the dog in a fight, it's the size of the fight in a dog."
.................................................. .............................

73, Hoot

Very well said Hoot.

I've studied electronics long enough to know that it doesn't take much to kill a man, yes I've been shocked several times, but I'm sure I can be killed by less voltage and current.

Accidents involving electricity at work are not as unusual as you might suspect. In fact, statistics indicate that every day one person is killed at work by electricity.
Shocking Facts

• Electrocution is one of the top five causes of workplace deaths.
• Workers younger than 25 have the highest rate of death from electrical shock.
• Many workplace electrocutions involve touching a power line with long or tall equipment.

Sudden cardiac death occurs from an electrical problem in the heart. Abnormal electrical impulses signal the heart to beat too rapidly, sending the normal rhythmic pumping of the heart into chaos. The heart muscle begins to quiver like jelly and stops delivering blood and oxygen to the body and brain.

Some ppl need proof, poke around long enough and there you have it:eek: I just cant believe how ignorant ppl can be.

Go ahead be my guest, but when I meet you in heaven (or hell:p ) don't tell me I didn't warn you.

It doesn't have to be dangerous, as long as you know what you're doing.

[Maximus Nickus]

Hmmmmm, ppl say there is no harm others say there is harm after you've just unplugged it...

I'll just leave it overnight to be safe, but I have been shocked many a times, that flying across the room is no joke, seriously!!!

Although its funny to look back at stupidity its dangerous, and then you do it again.....:D

[cyberey66]

this reminds me of some fun I had with my friends a few weeks ago. They had a broken disposable camera, I always wanted to test the flash capacitor on them. So I charged it (only on a aa battery), and stuck it on my friend. He "f"ing jumped up and his arm had marks on it. It was fun but later he got my in the neck and I fell to the floor. I have it somewhere in my room, I'll post what it was. Playing around with them can be quite fun in a slightly disturbing way. My friends messed up, he did it to his mom when she was watching TV. Trust me, it does hurt A LOT.

[cyberey66]

says, 330WV, 120uF.

[DodgeViper]

An unplug P/S WILL NOT hurt you or kill you. You may get shocked by stored energy in a cap. You can take a insulated screw driver and place across the cap an discharge it. TV's have what is called flyback transformer that can store 25,000 volts. Remember volts do not kill, but amps do kill.

[Shadow ÒÓ]

Ok hoot, that makes sense about the size, but realistically, is there anything inside a psu (w/o being discharged first) that could hurt you?

[RxScram]

I figure for my first ever post, I might post a little theory... according to the books, a 100ma shock through your heart has the capability of killing you. Under worst case conditions (soaking wet with sweat, humid, etc.), a human body can have a resistance as low as 300 ohms.

Using ohms law, E=I*R, you get a voltage of 30v being potentially fatal.

So, using this simplified logic, if any of those caps have a 30v residual charge in them, and you are unfortunate enough to have just run a marathon in Florida during a thundershower, you could kill yourself.

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox. Just in case you're curious, or doubt my sanity, some general guidelines on electrical safety can be found at http://www.ebme.co.uk/arts/safety2.htm#gen.

[KILLorBE]

Hi RxScram, welcome to the forums.

I don't doubt your sanity....others do:p

[RxScram]

Thanks for the vote of confidence :rolleyes:

[Yodums]

Damn Flouder talk about dust!

Well to be honest back ago I was very dumb cleaning my PSU and then I plugged everything back in the fan didn't work I reconnected the psu fan and then turned it on not noticing my hand was on the capcitator I got shocked stupid enough it happened again(damn I'm stupid) and it felt like a little shock.

It will harm you in most cases if you do have a power enough PSU opened and have your whole hand wrapped around every capcitator in there...

Happy Holiday

[LJ5L]

While a 30volt capacitor does not have the power to kill this thread does have the power to give a heart attack to someone even slightly enlightened on the subject and common sense.

[CrystalMethod]

...and the moral of the story is...

FER GOD'S SAKE BE CAREFUL!!!

Why take the chance? I've had enough of getting burned, cut, shocked because I was impatient and didn't take all the necessary precautions with stuff.

[Angry]

Emmm K..next time I go swiping fansout of old PS's I think Ill make sure they have been unpluged for like 40mins, (I always test them to make sure they work)

kinda like driveing, in a car your always taking a risk..

[Stephen Castles]

hehe, your ghetto, swipping fans out of old useless PSU's, Just like me:D :p :cool: I find that the older dell machines have the best fans in the PSU's, Panaflo's. I also found that some old compaqs had 92mm Nidec and NMB fans in them. Happy fan hunting.:D

[el]

I took apart a P/S yesterday but it was off for a while so I wasn't worried.


Moral: turn off and unplug P/S b4 working on it or be careful.

[diggingforgold]

Originally posted by Shadow ÒÓ
Proof, if you've ever seen a capacitor from an air conditioning unit (a home system....the large box outside your house) they are the size of about 1/2 a coke can. Commercial units have dual capacitors which are the size or 2 or 3 cans. I have on several occasions taken a charged capacitor and discharged it on an employee. (actually stuck it to his leg/arm/back of his neck) Great laughs! (sick I know)

YOU SICK *******!

J/K

Actually being electricuted (not to the point of serious injury or death) actually feels awesome. It's like a high or something. It's addictive. :eek: :eek: :eek:

[kianss]

put it this way , when i was in school [i was high ass f*** to so] i was in gem witch i never dressd out and the teacher just let me walk around and do whatever i wanted. but i stick some foil from a gum wraper in a socket [ stupid i know] and see im still alive. The light all went dem and the socket blew but hey here i am :) im just alil smarter now though and dont play with sockets when im stoned

[i said im here , i didnt say it didnt blow me up]

[elekt]

http://www.uq.edu.au/education/extra/all.html

[typhoonmike]

Okay so maybe it's not as dangerous as some people make it out to sound. Maybe I can actually take a leak on my power supply or lick all the capacitors and never have a problem but it's still a piece of electrical equipment and should be thought of as potentially dangerous.

I understand that all of the take about how dangerous they are perhaps bothers those that know something about them and feel that some people are missing out on cool mods or just general routine maintenance such as cleaning them out, but I think all this post does is perhaps put idiots such as myself at risk. I have no clue about power supplies and don't really feel I need to go poking around in them. Some other idiot might feel the need to go poking around them and maybe after reading this post feels that there is nothing to worry about. He manages to kill or injure himself because he didn't look at it as a piece of electrical equipment but instead as something harmless.

Okay so maybe you didn't get killed or even buzzed. Great. So maybe they aren't as dangerous as everyone makes them out to be. I still don't think anyone should just think they can go grabbing anything and everything they want inside of one with no fear. There must be some reason why they put those warning stickers on them other then legal reasons.

Btw this was not meant as a flame. I was just starting to see other people's reactions and I suddenly invisioned the boards being short a few members.