power? i think i can hear it.....

DevilsJim89

Alright so I got this shitty eMachine....

Intel Celeron 433mhz
64 MB of RAM
6 GB HDD...
looks like an iMac


the thing is, when I have the computer off and the system plugged in, I can hear like small noises and its like power "spirts" kinda. Like I can hear something goin on in there. Any ideas and is this normal?

BOD

my monitor and speakers make noises when they're off and truned on

DevilsJim89

its such a small sounding noise yet its loud enough to bother me.

BOD

trun it off tjhennn...

DevilsJim89

it is off...the computer itself it off....and i can still hear noises.

BOD

i mean tyufn it ioff at the plug

scuse the typin... readxcv my sig....

Bash

IS that one of them all-in-one computers. How about putting a surge protector on your desk, and when you shut down ur PC, shut it down, then turn off the surge protector.

DevilsJim89

Thats actually not a bad idea T-Hut. I do have it plugged in a surge protector. I'll try it out...

and yes it's one of them "All in One" PCs

Bash

I used to have a computer thta did that. So I put the surge protector on the desk.

I also find it quite good for my main PC just in case.

IBMWarpster

You can get switchs for the power cord.

I got one, but its only 2 prong and cant even hang my laptop. But Ive seen ones for move industrial use (EG 110V)

DevilsJim89

Its in a surge protector but I never use the surge protector to turn off my computer...nor did I ever turn the surge protector off.

BOD

wait a minute if u guys only have two porngs how do you earcth stuff

live
neutral
earth

you need 3 prongs for taht surely...

IBMWarpster

2 prong devices are grounded internally I think

the 3rd prong for more electricity consuming stuff is for grounding

Q

We have 3 prongs, but here it's called 'Ground' and you 'ground' equipitment.

Old electrical devices used 2 prongs - hot and neutral. IBMs is from before the ground wire.

-Q

IBMWarpster

Nah,

Its just made for christmas lights and shit

Q

O, OK.

-Q

PS. Not all stuff has 3 prongs even these days.

DevilsJim89

Q wrote:

O, OK.

-Q

PS. Not all stuff has 3 prongs even these days.

True...most of the stuff that I know has 3 prongs is computer power cables and what not.

Q

Yea but stuff like lights and things with nothing to ground don't have a ground.

-Q

IBMWarpster

Yep, theres are TONS of stuff.

Alot are though.


Like some TV's, sterios etc

Bash

Window A/Cs, and most grage tools. a smoker too use 3 prongs

Q

"smoker" ?

-Q

Bash

An electric Smoker

Here is a picture:

BOD

all stuff over here has 3 prongs but theres a few things that are "double insulated" where the third one isnt wired in

... the point of the third prong is to earth stuff and to open the other two holes... but then again our mains supply is twice yours so we need more safety stuff

Q

Yea I never understood the different powers, maybe the EU will stanadardize THAT...

-Q

Thump

BOD wrote:

wait a minute if u guys only have two porngs how do you earcth stuff

live
neutral
earth

you need 3 prongs for taht surely...

The way it works over here BOD is:
One of the two prongs "earths" {grounds} it.
The other is the power at 110. Our three prong
cords just have an extra ground. Except for our
220 electricity and then it's just like yours except
in some cases we have four prongs with one still
being an extra ground. Our 220 is just two 110
plugs and we have to have another for ground.
live
live
earth
Thump

Q

Ground and netutral aren't the same, I don't think...

-Q

Thump

Q wrote:

Ground and netutral aren't the same, I don't think...

-Q

I don't know what it is for sure so I just passed over it.
I would not touch the "neutral" and the ground at the
same time 'cause I really think it's another live wire
since they use 220 over there instead of 110. We
have no equivalent to neutral. Here it's live and
ground with no other choices.
Thump

Q

Um, every electrical circuit (I think) has a neutral. The 2 pronged plugs are just missing the grounding.

-Q

Thump

Q wrote:

Um, every electrical circuit (I think) has a neutral. The 2 pronged plugs are just missing the grounding.

-Q

Q, I'd be a fool to argue with you but maybe it's
just that I haven't heard the term "neutral". If
that term describes the second plug then it is
indeed a ground. Electricity doesn't make
anything work without a ground. The output to
ground is determined by what appliance it goes
through. If it's just a lamp with say a 60 watt
bulb then the output through it and back to the
ground would be 60 watts. Without a ground
the electricity wouldn't go through the bulb and
you wouldn't have a light. It needs a ground at
the end or it won't "flow".
It has to be a complete circuit to do anything and
it's not a complete circuit without a ground.
Thump

Q

OK, Neutral is the return path from the appliance to the power station, ground is a wire that hooks to the ground and the metal chassic of a machine. THis way when a hot wire shorts to the case, instead of electrocuting anyone who touches the case, it gets shorted to ground, overloads the circuit, and trips the circuit off. You're thinking of neutral, which is necisarry to complete a circuit, ground is just a safety measure.

-Q

Thump

Q, you know what, we should just have used
+ and - because that's all there is and term
neutral I haven't looked up. Maybe it's
neutral until it's in use and then it's a ground.

Oh well. I'll just yield.

Thump