Grounding your pc?

[ManIkWeet]

When I touch my pc and my rooms radiator (big metal heater thing that goes through the whole house) at the same time, I feel a current flowing (tickling) through my fingers.

 

Now I know that's because my wall outlet isn't grounded, making my touch the ground "wire".

 

Should I ground my pc? Are there benefits? Are there issues? Would it help (overclocking) stability?

[KamiKatze]

Are wall outlets not grounded in the netherlands? Normally your PC is grounded through that.

 

I'd suggest to just not touch both things are the same time. Maybe the room ventilator has some current leaking onto its surface.

[Johannes_Lazor]

Just some back-current, The ground and neutral in your house is joined and some of the current leaks.

You're still alive so the current is not very big, you dont have to worry.

[Makerimages]

I'd not even risk plugging my PC in, if the outlet isn't grounded. 

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Can't you die by that?

[Johannes_Lazor]

Can't you die by that?

Voltage doesnt kill, Current does. Read my reply, The ground and neutral is joined in most houses.

[SkilledRebuilds]

I grounded my computer once, it cannot go online and play with all the other computers...

 

 

 

It was sad, like this joke.

/Okay Ill go back to my cave now...

[ManIkWeet]

Are wall outlets not grounded in the netherlands? Normally your PC is grounded through that.

 

I'd suggest to just not touch both things are the same time. Maybe the room ventilator has some current leaking onto its surface.

Not in old houses, sadly, there are a few but most of them aren't.

 

Just some back-current, The ground and neutral in your house is joined and some of the current leaks.

You're still alive so the current is not very big, you dont have to worry.

I am not worrying...

 

I'd not even risk plugging my PC in, if the outlet isn't grounded. 

I don't have much of a choice, do I?

 

Can't you die by that?

I didn't, sooo...

 

Old houses aren't grounded only in kitchen and shower.

New build houses though always ground everywhere.

You are basically correct!

 

I grounded my computer once, told it that it cannot go online and play with all the other computers...

 

 

 

It was sad, like this joke.

/Okay Ill go back to my cave now...

*Prepares epic laugh*

Ha.

[Johannes_Lazor]

Not in old houses, sadly, there are a few but most of them aren't.

I am not worrying...

I don't have much of a choice, do I?

I didn't, sooo...

You are basically correct!

*Prepares epic laugh*

Ha.

My computer is not grounded, have not been since i built it during 2013. It is only safety, It would not affect the performance if you grounded it.

[ManWithBeard1990]

Are wall outlets not grounded in the netherlands? Normally your PC is grounded through that.

I'd suggest to just not touch both things are the same time. Maybe the room ventilator has some current leaking onto its surface.

Usually they are. Usually here in Belgium they are too. In older buildings though, sometimes not. Power supplies always have a transformer in them such that current cannot flow directly from the primary to the secondary. If some current does go through, because of bad insulation or more commonly capacitance between the two sides, you can sometimes get a tingling sensation if you touch the device if it isn't grounded properly. For performance and stability it makes little difference, it's just a safeguard in case the insulation on a transformer fails of a live wire gets rattled loose and touches the metal case. Usually in European houses we also have differential current meters, which measure current in and out of the circuit. They trip when something leaks to ground, shutting off the power.

[ManIkWeet]

Usually they are. Usually here in Belgium they are too. In older buildings though, sometimes not. Power supplies always have a transformer in them such that current cannot flow directly from the primary to the secondary. If some current does go through, because of bad insulation or more commonly capacitance between the two sides, you can sometimes get a tingling sensation if you touch the device if it isn't grounded properly. For performance and stability it makes little difference, it's just a safeguard in case the insulation on a transformer fails of a live wire gets rattled loose and touches the metal case. Usually in European houses we also have differential current meters, which measure current in and out of the circuit. They trip when something leaks to ground, shutting off the power.

Yeah that sounds about right.

 

We do have a ground switch in the powerbox clauset (built later as far as I know), but it obviously doesn't work on power outlets that have no ground wire!

It's good to know that it makes little to no difference, though I'd assume it does give some extra electrical interference, no?

[Godlygamer23]

Can't you die by that?

If the current is low enough, then the voltage will do nothing. An example of this is static electricity—it can be as high as 25,000 volts, but if you shock someone, they won't get harmed.

[Stefan1024]

When I touch my pc and my rooms radiator (big metal heater thing that goes through the whole house) at the same time, I feel a current flowing (tickling) through my fingers.

Now I know that's because my wall outlet isn't grounded, making my touch the ground "wire".

Should I ground my pc? Are there benefits? Are there issues? Would it help (overclocking) stability?

Yes you should ground your PC for your own safety. Currents that can be felt are dangerous over time because they split your blood into H2 and O2. Gas i the bloid stream is mortal.

But don't woory, it takes time to build up a big amount.

Nevertheless you should run a wire fron the PC to the heater with a ~100 ohm resistor in series.

Your PC is fine with the cuttenr set-up.

[ManWithBeard1990]

Yeah that sounds about right.

We do have a ground switch in the powerbox clauset (built later as far as I know), but it obviously doesn't work on power outlets that have no ground wire!

It's good to know that it makes little to no difference, though I'd assume it does give some extra electrical interference, no?

It does work for things that have no ground wire. If a dangerously large current flows from the power grid to ground through, say, you, the system will protect you... In theory. You'd still feel a nasty shock while it takes the time to react and you'll likely have some burns on the skin.

Yes you should ground your PC for your own safety. Currents that can be felt are dangerous over time because they split your blood into H2 and O2. Gas i the bloid stream is mortal.

But don't woory, it takes time to build up a big amount.

Nevertheless you should run a wire fron the PC to the heater with a ~100 ohm resistor in series.

Your PC is fine with the cuttenr set-up.

That's not why electricity is dangerous at all. It's actually dangerous because, as human tissue has some resistance, as current flows through it there is some voltage buildup across the living cells. That can disrupt the electric signals in the heart and in the muscles and the nervous system. At higher current flows there is enough power being dissipated to cause burns, especially at the skin, where resistance is the highest. Never have I heard of someone getting embolisms because there was a buildup of hydrogen though and I doubt I ever will. Also putting a series resistor on the ground wire is pointless and perhaps even dangerous.

[ManIkWeet]

Yes you should ground your PC for your own safety. Currents that can be felt are dangerous over time because they split your blood into H2 and O2. Gas i the bloid stream is mortal.

But don't woory, it takes time to build up a big amount.

Nevertheless you should run a wire fron the PC to the heater with a ~100 ohm resistor in series.

Your PC is fine with the cuttenr set-up.

It might be easier to get a technician to just get a ground wire to my socket, it'd be a good habit to be in...

[Stefan1024]

It might be easier to get a technician to just get a ground wire to my socket, it'd be a good habit to be in...

There is no need to pay a technican. You can simply clamp a wire on your metal case and on the heater. The resistor is only to limit the compensating current, but it (should) only be leaking through the isolation and therefor limitted.

[TDP_Equinox]

It might be easier to get a technician to just get a ground wire to my socket, it'd be a good habit to be in...

Maybe get all the sockets in your house a ground >.>

(that might be insanely expensive but worth it)