Constant Electrical discharge.

[Moosedrool]

WTF is going on with my hardware?

Ever since I moved to the western cape I'm getting the weirdest thing. Everything in my studio with metallic casings will constantly discharge through me when I'm also in physical contact with the floor.

Equipment effected:

Allen and Heath mixer
PC
Macbook
even my electric guitar when plugged in.

I didn't recognise any of this before but could have been due to the laminated floor and carpeting I had in my studio in JHB. I'm still getting concerned though as I don't know if it's a earth leakage or something. Not an electrician BTW...

The PC, mixer and monitors are all connected via a UPS but the mac does this as well, which is on a normal apple charger thing. I tried my other ac adapter with the same end result. I plug in a guitar amp, same thing. This happens only when barefoot or via some other means physically making contact with the floor. It's not a instant shock like static build up but rather feels like constant discharge.

:wtf:

 

[Sinbad]

WTF is going on with my hardware?

Ever since I moved to the western cape I'm getting the weirdest thing. Everything in my studio with metallic casings will constantly discharge through me when I'm also in physical contact with the floor.

Equipment effected:

Allen and Heath mixer
PC
Macbook
even my electric guitar when plugged in.

I didn't recognise any of this before but could have been due to the laminated floor and carpeting I had in my studio in JHB. I'm still getting concerned though as I don't know if it's a earth leakage or something. Not an electrician BTW...

The PC, mixer and monitors are all connected via a UPS but the mac does this as well, which is on a normal apple charger thing. I tried my other ac adapter with the same end result. I plug in a guitar amp, same thing. This happens only when barefoot or via some other means physically making contact with the floor. It's not a instant shock like static build up but rather feels like constant discharge.

:wtf:

Get a voltmeter and test potential difference between your metal stuff and the ground?

 

[GMAN03]

I believe this is the actual meaning of "earth leakage", current is leaking out of the active circuit to earth. As far as I know it's natural although the amounts are usually minuscule. As you are being used as the path of least resistance to ground I would recommend checking the earthing of your appliances but as it is with many of them it may well be that the impedance of the earth where you are living is just rather high.

 

[Captain Beer]

I had the same problem, turns out the multiplug had a faulty earth.

 

[Beachless]

+1 for earthing issue.

 

[Moosedrool]

+1 for everyone here. I replaced the multi plug with an old one and boom, no weird discharge. I like the one with the power switches though, could have been a faulty unit from the start as it is almost brand new. Thanks for the help.

Edit: Oh yeah and I feel like an idiot now. lel

 

[Pada]

I have the same issue at my office, and sometimes it can be pretty bad when you touch an aluminium door handle

The shoes that you wear makes a big difference, seeing that you can pick up quite a lot of static electricity from the carpets - or at least that is the problem with our office space.

Other than that, it could also be a grounding issue with our PC's, that are connected to on-line UPS' on a different floor, and I'm not sure how our desk's earthing is done. I'll have to ask my colleague that likes to play electrician with his BEng E&E degree

 

[Moosedrool]

I have the same issue at my office, and sometimes it can be pretty bad when you touch an aluminium door handle

The shoes that you wear makes a big difference, seeing that you can pick up quite a lot of static electricity from the carpets - or at least that is the problem with our office space.

That's static discharge and yes I'm also a potential capacitor like that. haha

But my issue was a constant circuit thing. I actually can't believe that the potential is high enough to cause a noticeable effect.

 

[biometrics]

In our previous office I would constantly shock when touching the metal of chairs, door handles or taps etc. I blame the carpet. Try going bare feet and see what happens. Strangely it only really happened to me and not other people. In our new offices of the past year with tiles it hardly ever happens.