Could the old outlets in my buildings be causing the issues with my imac?

Question

After recieving an i-mac I had every single possible problem go wrong with the computer. Every IT person, genius bar employee and fellow mac users were stumped. Recieved a refund and upgraded to a newer i-mac only to start having the same problems. Looking at all the controls in the situation I have begun to wonder could the outlets in the building I work be causing the problems. I recently heard that if the outlets are old and dont supply the proper wattage or something like this it can cause random failures on Macs. Am I crazy or should I just stop using computers?

Answer 1

You just might have a bad ground in your building or lack of ground.
At the point where power comes into the building a stake is driven at least four feet in the ground and then a wire attached to your breaker box. The round lug and the big flat lug should be connected to the breaker box where service enteres the building. The small lug is the hot connection also connected to a breaker in your box. If this is not the case you will have problems.
You can buy an inexpensive tester at your home store to check the wiring of your outlets. Your Mac doesn't draw a huge amount of power so I would doubt it's a lack of power however low voltage can cause problems but you would notice problems with other appliances in your home. 
Get the three pronged tester check your outlets for correct wiring. If you or someone knows how to use a volt meter, check the voltage especially the outlet for the IMac.
If to many devices are connected on the same circuit you can have problems. Refrigerators and other hard start appliances can cause a sag of voltage. Try a different circuit.
If you feel funny about electricity or you detect ground faults or low voltage, by all means call an electrician.
Your phone/DSL or cable connection should also be grounded so have that checked out as well. Hope this helps.