{mild} Electric shock from amp

[sibelius7]

Hello,

Need some advise from people who understand eletronics.

Recently moved my NAD C320BEE amp and noticed that on occassion, when i touch the metal casing i get a mild eletric shock. It feels like my finger has been pricked.

I'm pretty sure this shouldn't happen........ :O

Is this something that will get worse and is it fixable?

Thanks!

 

[Covenanter]

Get it fixed now!

Chris

 

[John Duncan]

Have you got carpets?

 

[floyd droid]

Static prolly.

 

[Trefor Patten]

If , like me, you have no idea what 'prolly' means. Let me add to what I think Floyd Droid was trying to say. It may be only static discharge and nothing to do with mains power. If you build up a charge by, for example, walking on nylon carpet, it will discharge when it finds a short route to earth, in this instance the case work or your amp. See if it still happens when you wear different shoes, or try touching a metal doorknob.central heating radiator, etc before using the amp. If you get a mild shock from the radiator instead, case closed.

 

[floyd droid]

Zackly.

 

[iQ Speakers]

I’ve experienced something like this on my farther in laws kit in Spain it’s like a continuous ***** spike! not comfatable.

I suspect it more likely to be DC (continuous). Intrigues me ill have a look into it.

PS DC is worse than AC it does not throw you off. Though at this level I don’t think there is too much to worry about.

 

[plastic penguin]

Hello,

Need some advise from people who understand eletronics.

Recently moved my NAD C320BEE amp and noticed that on occassion, when i touch the metal casing i get a mild eletric shock. It feels like my finger has been pricked.

I'm pretty sure this shouldn't happen........ :O

Is this something that will get worse and is it fixable?

Thanks!

Agree with John. I get terrible static with my turntable. If you have carpets remove your shoes/trainers and see if the same thing happens.

 

[fr0g]

Do you have a trampoline?

 

[chebby]

I blame Rega.

 

[floyd droid]

Thats twice you have cracked me up with that response , pmsl.

 

[sibelius7]

Hmmm, i'm pretty sure it's not static - i don't get it from any other metal hardwear. I also don't really wear shoes inside ("shoes are for outside" as my wife would say...)

A friend of mine commented it might be fluff getting inside causing this? Apparently he had the same problem with a Christmas tree!

" in my case it was Christmas tree leaves. They'd got in one of the potentiometers as well and made it all fuzzy. If it still does it it'll be something failing on the internals - if it's got a metal case you could earth it inside back to the plug end, then it might trip the house RCD if there's a big earth leak, so that's potentially much more fun. Or you could lick it and enjoy the sensation."

Just another piece to the puzzle - i only noticed this the other day which is also the same day i implemented a new DIY isolation technique which involves the amp resting on some wooden blocks which as in turn resting on some sections of giant bubblewrap. Don't suppose this might be leading to a static build-up?

 

[fr0g]

I get static a lot from our trampoline.

And occiasionally indoors from various things.

We don't wear shoes indoors here in Sweden, at all. Socks are worse for static too...

 

[philipjohnwright]

It could be an earthing issue - inadequate earthing on your mains that is. I've had this is a previous house - the taps on the bath hummed when you touched them. Scary as I only found out when my two kids were in the bath!

Solution is possibly to get an electrician in to check the problem - mine was solved by sticking a bigger earth spike in - low cost, quick and easy solution.

Although this would tend to affect more than one appliance if it was a general problem, so I could be misleading you.

 

[chebby]

I get static a lot from our trampoline.

And occiasionally indoors from various things.

We don't wear shoes indoors here in Sweden, at all. Socks are worse for static too...

No slippers either?

Not even when cooking?

So you've accidently dropped a bottle or jar on the floor. The glass has gone everywhere and lots of the small shards are invisble in the contents of the bottle or jar.. No-one else is in. The glass is between you and the brushes / dust-pan (and your shoes) and anything else you need to clear-up the glass. There is no door behind you.

Do you just walk through it, hope for the best and patch up feet afterwards? Stand still until someone else comes in? Launch yourself from a trampoline and hope your trajectory takes you over the glass?

 

[fr0g]

I get static a lot from our trampoline.

And occiasionally indoors from various things.

We don't wear shoes indoors here in Sweden, at all. Socks are worse for static too...

No slippers either?

Not even when cooking?

So you've accidently dropped a bottle or jar on the floor. The glass has gone everywhere and lots of the small shards are invisble in the contents of the bottle or jar.. No-one else is in. The glass is between you and the brushes / dust-pan (and your shoes) and anything else you need to clear-up the glass. There is no door behind you.

Do you just walk through it, hope for the best and patch up feet afterwards? Stand still until someone else comes in? Launch yourself from a trampoline and hope your trajectory takes you over the glass?

It's never been a problem.

Seem to go barefoot mostly in the summer too.

Many people do have indoor shoes/ slippers, many don't. However you ALWAYS take your shoes off when you visit someone. I even have to take them off when I pick my son up from school.

 

[sibelius7]

I don't wear slippers either.

It's easy, you shuffle! Firsly you don't stand on the glass and you kinda sweep it up too. Simples

 

[Covenanter]

I'm amazed peopel are so blasé about this! Ok it could be static but why justthis piece of kit. I'd have an electrician in asap if I were you.

Chris

 

[iQ Speakers]

OK i think you may know a static shock swift and instant. Does it continue no matter how many times you touch it and does it last as long as you hold your finger on it? If so its caused by a leakage of current possibly caused by as your friend says dust building up and becoming moist sticky and conductive! hence the shock. It can be caused by a transformer breaking down and by capacitance leaking to the chassis. Most domestic products are double insulated, i doubt you have a earth pin in your mains socket? if so Double insulated.

Take to top off and give it a good vacume and use a paint brush as well.

Its very unlikely to kill you even 240v will just through you off an electrician wont help you in this situation either.

Just dont lick your amp!! with or without slippers.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

OK i think you may know a static shock swift and instant. Does it continue no matter how many times you touch it and does it last as long as you hold your finger on it? If so its caused by a leakage of current possibly caused by as your friend says dust building up and becoming moist sticky and conductive! hence the shock. It can be caused by a transformer breaking down and by capacitance leaking to the chassis. Most domestic products are double insulated, i doubt you have a earth pin in your mains socket? if so Double insulated.

Take to top off and give it a good vacume and use a paint brush as well.

Its very unlikely to kill you even 240v will just through you off an electrician wont help you in this situation either.

Just dont lick your amp!! with or without slippers.

Most likely it's just static - have you fitted new carpets or gotten new slippers for your birthday or something?

However, iff you've got an earth fault causing the chassis to charge up get it checked out by an electrician ASAP and don't use the device until you have - better 20 quid on a sparkie than a few hundred on a 6-foot pine box.

 

[BenLaw]

I get static a lot from our trampoline.

And occiasionally indoors from various things.

We don't wear shoes indoors here in Sweden, at all. Socks are worse for static too...

No slippers either?

Not even when cooking?

So you've accidently dropped a bottle or jar on the floor. The glass has gone everywhere and lots of the small shards are invisble in the contents of the bottle or jar.. No-one else is in. The glass is between you and the brushes / dust-pan (and your shoes) and anything else you need to clear-up the glass. There is no door behind you.

Do you just walk through it, hope for the best and patch up feet afterwards? Stand still until someone else comes in? Launch yourself from a trampoline and hope your trajectory takes you over the glass?

It would give you an opportunity to pretend you were a domesticised Bruce Willis.

 

[sibelius7]

Not sure it was static. I remember touching it, getting a shock, then immediately touching it again so see what would happen and getting another shock (this makes me sound a bit like an idiot... :shifty: )

I gave everthing a good blow yesterday (no laughing), and touched various parts of it - nothing. Maybe it was just dust afterall!

 

[jakesterboy]

The likely hood is that the NAD is a double earthed product, ie it has no earth connection at the mains plug, as it is not needed. The metail elclosure 'floats' with respect to earth, and can sometimes float a a voltage high enough to give you a sensation of shock, though the current is harmless.

 

[Inter_Voice]

Have you checked the LIVE and NEUTRAL connection in the power plug and see if the connections are correct ? There is a possibility that the two cables (brown and blue) were reversely connected.

 

[toyota man]

OK i think you may know a static shock swift and instant. Does it continue no matter how many times you touch it and does it last as long as you hold your finger on it? If so its caused by a leakage of current possibly caused by as your friend says dust building up and becoming moist sticky and conductive! hence the shock. It can be caused by a transformer breaking down and by capacitance leaking to the chassis. Most domestic products are double insulated, i doubt you have a earth pin in your mains socket? if so Double insulated.

Take to top off and give it a good vacume and use a paint brush as well.

Its very unlikely to kill you even 240v will just through you off an electrician wont help you in this situation either.

Just dont lick your amp!! with or without slippers.

Before carrying out any kind if work / cleaning unplug unit 240v is more than enough to kill you any more than 10ma is enough to fibulate the heart (heart attack) so please be carefull mains electric can kill