PC without ground?

[Crypt1c]

So my house is pretty old and it has no grounds. So what are the possible dangers of not having ground when using a PC. The last time there was a PC in this house is like 12 years ago, and I remember getting esd when I touch the case.

[Lyte Starr]

4 minutes ago, Crypt1c said:

 I remember getting esd when I touch the case.

This is probably the biggest danger of not having a ground and can damage computer components.

[19_blackie_73]

I would first fix electricity in your house before getting a pc. use instead a laptop that does not require 3Pins

[Crypt1c]

15 minutes ago, 19_blackie_73 said:

I would first fix electricity in your house before getting a pc. use instead a laptop that does not require 3Pins

Welp, I'm pretty paranoid now, my family have been using laptops that have 3 pins ever since we didn't have a pc. Hell, I'm even typing on one right now.

[SLAYR]

1 hour ago, Crypt1c said:

So my house is pretty old and it has no grounds. So what are the possible dangers of not having ground when using a PC. The last time there was a PC in this house is like 12 years ago, and I remember getting esd when I touch the case.

If you felt a shock touching the computer case, that could mean that it isn't ESD, but that there is voltage, on the neutral wire which should be taken care of with the ground wire, but isn't since there is none.

 

Highly suggest that you just ground the computer in some way if you do put on it on a two plug outlet. 

[michaelocarroll007]

Just cut the ground part off the Plug Itll Work lol..... Get a low power laptop and it shouldnt have a ground

 

 But what about manually grounding it like running wire from the Ground on the plug to a metal source or something ??  like on a car when you jump it you dont have to put the ground to the battery ground any bare metal works. Or if your installing a Subwoofer the amp you can just Sand paint off metal and attach it like that 

[Squirrel724]

Modern devices are designed to be able to function without a ground but it is not a very good idea. Without a ground your PC is going to be extremely vulnerable to static discharges and in some cases power fluctuations. I would try to get a few modern connections wired up for use with computers etc.

[ThomasD]

The "biggest" danger is that your chassis is made of metal and is in contact with the PSU, so a fault could put full wall voltage in a place that someone might easily touch.  But this would be a truly rare event, and even then, not likely fatal or even harmful.

 

As noted, the lack of grounding makes the computer component more exposed to you.  This would still be a rare event but more likely one with potential for lasting harm.

[WEEEEEE]

The biggest danger is that the metal case of the PC (or at least the PSU housing) could go live. This could happen if, for example, one of the wires within the PSU come lose, and made contact with the housing. Touching the housing in this scenario would, at worst case, electrocute you.

However this is extremely unlikely to happen, so you are probably fine.

Having a ground won't really protect your components from ESD, unless you are also connected to ground (either by a strap, or by just touching the housing, thereby equalizing the potential). This really only matters in the initial build, and the importance of ESD protection while building is also debatable (if you ever think you have damaged a component while building due to ESD, you can also take the sorta sketchy route of saying the component was DOA and RMA it. It's pretty much impossible to tell either way.)

Personally, what I am really worried about is the fact that the electrical wiring in your house does not have a ground. I would check with the laws of your land to see if this is even in compliance with the newer building codes.

 

[kirashi]

15 hours ago, Crypt1c said:

So my house is pretty old and it has no grounds. So what are the possible dangers of not having ground when using a PC. The last time there was a PC in this house is like 12 years ago, and I remember getting esd when I touch the case.

The biggest possible danger of having a house with no grounding plugs in any room is that you might have knob-and-tube wiring.

Knob and tube wiring in itself is not dangerous, but after 20-60 years can become an extreme fire hazard due to deterioration.

I strongly suggest you get the wiring in your house inspected first, and then worry about cutting of the ground plug on your PC power cord.

 

My grandfather built houses for a living, most of which are still standing now, but have had their wiring replaced since being build.

Oddly enough, a couple of additions on his own house still only have two prong outlets.

[Crypt1c]

47 minutes ago, WEEEEEE said:

I would check with the laws of your land to see if this is even in compliance with the newer building codes.

It's not, the regulation requiring grounding system was established 4 or 5 years after the house was built.

[Aniallation]

My family's place in Vietnam has no ground and concequently the PC there isn't grounded either. Still works fine after 6+ years though, and nobody's died yet. You definitely do feel a tingle when touching it though haha