Is it a bad idea to take a part a PSU?

[GeorgeKellow]

What safety steps should I take? 

 

ITS BEEN UNUSED FOR 6 MONTHS 

[DaltonM]

Just make sure you don't rip any wires or puncture anything. Also make sure it's unplugged from everything. 

[givegomezthegun]

If you don't know what you're doing, please don't take a power supply apart.

[iamdarkyoshi]

Unplug it, short the black and green wires together on the output to make the PSU try to drain anything left, take it apart, and then check the main filter capacitors with a multimeter before going any further.

[Guest]

After you unplug it from wall leave it for 10 mins for capacitors to empty.

[Oshino Shinobu]

I wouldn't advise it. If you don't know what you're doing, it can be dangerous. 

 

You'll want to make sure the capacitors are drained before you start touching anything. I'd say that if you don't know how to check if the PSU has any residual power in it, you shouldn't take it apart. 

[SkywardKkalox]

Unless you know how to work yourself around electronics, just don't. There are circuits in there that are dangerous for untrained and inexperienced individuals.

[DXMember]

Why exactly do you want to take it apart?

you do know it can kill you if you don't know what you're doing, right?

[Vivilacqua1]

Hmmm. Yah. Apart from loosing the warranty. YOU CAN DIE.

[GeorgeKellow]

Why exactly do you want to take it apart?

you do know it can kill you if you don't know what you're doing, right?

I'm just cleaning the fan on it to re-sell it 

[DXMember]

I'm just cleaning the fan on it to re-sell it 

or you could just use compressed air?

[GeorgeKellow]

or you could just use compressed air?

Don't have any on hand 

[Coaxialgamer]

After you unplug it from wall leave it for 10 mins for capacitors to empty.

capacitors can take days to empty

[DXMember]

Don't have any on hand 

then blow on it

there's no reason to take it apart for cleaning

[GeorgeKellow]

Hmmm. Yah. Apart from loosing the warranty. YOU CAN DIE.

Um, how 

[ThomasD]

PSUs do have high voltage capacitors that can hold a serious charge for an extended period of time.  The chances of pain are extremely high, the chances of serious injury are decent (surface burns being the least worry - deep thermal burns, the kind that require reconstructive surgery are possible),  death is a remote, but conceivable outcome.

 

You also need to be aware that those capacitors can actually regain a portion of their charge all on their own.

 

http://toptinkers.com/node/41

 

Ideally the way to address this is by using a high wattage power resistor of suitable value and connecting it to the high voltage portion of the PSU circuitry the entire time you are working on it.

 

This is really the sort of basic information you should already have before going into a PSU.  Absent that sort of knowledge you probably lack the other sorts of knowledge needed to accomplish anything productive.

 

 

capacitors can take days to empty

Generally no.  The circuit either has a safety discharge system built in, or it doesn't.  If it does then discharge to safe voltages will occur within a few minutes.  If it doesn't then the caps could hold their full charge almost indefinitely.

[Guest]

capacitors can take days to empty

Yes but i suppose that there is circuit to drain all high voltage ones if power supply is new. Sure he shouldnt just go and touch everything.