Power Supply made "cracking" noise when I turned it off (at wall)

[bradwiggo]

When I turned my PC off today, I turned it off at the wall after shutting it down (as I always do), the PSU (I assume it was that, maybe it was something else in the PC) made a kindof cracking sound (basically a click but "deeper" if that makes any sense lol). It's never done this before. (I turned it back on and shut it down again and it did it again, so it's definitely the computer not just something else in the room that happened to make a noise as I shut it down). 

 

Is this the power supply? If it is does this means it's about to break or something? It's a really good EVGA one, only a year old. 

 

Plus if it does break is it gonna take my entire computer with it? 

[Bombastinator]

Is it about to break? I don’t know.  It sounds to me like an electrical arc which would be bad.  If it goes and it safeties fail it can take your computer with it though.

[bradwiggo]

8 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Is it about to break? I don’t know.  It sounds to me like an electrical arc which would be bad.  If it goes and it safeties fail it can take your computer with it though.

Does arcing also cause a spark? 

 

Are the safties likely to fail if it's a decent power supply though? Or would that just be on a knock off one?

[Spotty]

48 minutes ago, bradwiggo said:

I turned it off at the wall after shutting it down (as I always do)

Why are you turning it off at the wall every day?

 

Leave it on.

[Bombastinator]

34 minutes ago, bradwiggo said:

Does arcing also cause a spark? 

 

Are the safties likely to fail if it's a decent power supply though? Or would that just be on a knock off one?

An arc is a spark.  I don’t understand the safeties stuff very well or how they work.  I just understand there are more of em now than there were 10 years ago and it’s one of the reasons PSU warranties have doubled.  I also understand they aren’t put on all units because the minimum standards more or less don’t exist.  Houses have the unified electrical code at least.  PSUs don’t have anything.

[bradwiggo]

38 minutes ago, Spotty said:

Why are you turning it off at the wall every day?

 

Leave it on.

I dunno I just always have as I'm a bit paranoid about fires and surges and stuff, plus I have other things plugged into the expension lead that need to be off (specifically lights), is it bad to turn it off? 

[Spotty]

5 minutes ago, bradwiggo said:

I dunno I just always have as I'm a bit paranoid about fires and surges and stuff, plus I have other things plugged into the expension lead that need to be off (specifically lights), is it bad to turn it off? 

It's best to leave PSUs powered on. 

 

If you are worried about power surges and there are other devices plugged in to the same power strip I would recommend investing in a good quality surge protector that has switches for each individual outlet. That way you can turn the lights off without needing to turn everything off.

[Letgomyleghoe]

14 minutes ago, bradwiggo said:

I dunno I just always have as I'm a bit paranoid about fires and surges and stuff, plus I have other things plugged into the expension lead that need to be off (specifically lights), is it bad to turn it off? 

Just unplug the lights from the surge protector then

[bradwiggo]

10 hours ago, Spotty said:

It's best to leave PSUs powered on. 

 

If you are worried about power surges and there are other devices plugged in to the same power strip I would recommend investing in a good quality surge protector that has switches for each individual outlet. That way you can turn the lights off without needing to turn everything off.

I'll have to look into a surge protector like that thanks, I didn't know you could get ones with individual switches. Do you think the weird PSU noise is to do with the fact I always turn it off? 

[bradwiggo]

10 hours ago, Letgomyleghoe said:

Just unplug the lights from the surge protector then

Yeah I probably should it's just always much more convenient to turn it off at the wall. I think I'll look into getting a surge protector with individual switches or having one power strip for the lights and unimportant stuff then one for the PC and Monitors. Is it okay to run 2 monitors, a Switch and a 500W ish PC off of one wall output? Or would it be best to split that over multiple? 

[Spotty]

15 minutes ago, bradwiggo said:

Do you think the weird PSU noise is to do with the fact I always turn it off? 

Yes. As you switch it on/off you're bridging the connection and it can arc across as the connection is being made, creating the crackling sound. If you leave it on this won't happen.

[bradwiggo]

Just now, Spotty said:

Yes. As you switch it on/off you're bridging the connection and it can arc across as the connection is being made, creating the crackling sound. If you leave it on this won't happen.

It's only just started happening though, I don't normally hear the noise. Does it only happen once the PSU isn't really "new"