Potential Electric Shock Hazard ?

Was using my new iPad whilst plugged into the Mains USB Charger
and found I was getting a tingling sensation through my fingers
from the aluminum case.
I found that if I measured between earth and the case I got over 89 vac !?
Anybody else experiencing this and is my iPad faulty ?
Thanks
Message was edited by: DH2010

All very interesting
The power supply for the iPad is a double insulated device and therefore doesnt require an earth (Look at the writing on it and you will see a box in a box symbol). It is the only part of the system that carries mains voltage 55/110/230 at any time
The supply to the iPad itself, either from the power suply of from a USB socket is 5v +/- a bit at max around 1 amp
So 1) there are no voltages above 5V generated or supplied in the iPad
2) the iPad metal case is connected to the 0v rail (Chassis) of the USB cable and so should not be at any potential ideally, its used as the 0v reference. If it was above 5V the the potential difference between the supply and its reference would be zero and the iPad wouldnt be able to charge (the batteries may keep it running)
3) Any fault voltage would be 55v/110V in the US or 230v/440v in the rest of the world as these are the line voltages in use. As the voltage is not this it suggests its an induced charge
So if you are showing such a high voltage then there are only a few potential causes
a)your charger is faulty and is putting 80v out of its 0V line. It would have to be putting 85V out of its +5v line to match this or your iPad wouldnt show charging as it needs to maintain the 5v PD. Easy to measure and reasonably feasable/ also swapping to a cable from a USB port would stop the problem
b) its an induced voltage from a nearby AC source. Unlikely as the chasis is on the 0V rail so again the +5v line would have to be at 85V to get a charging indicator
c) Its static from you. This is the most likely, its common for folks to be charged to several thousand volts (but almost no current) especially if they are wearing insulative shoes/cloths and have nylon carpets. What you feel is the discharge into the ipod Chasis, which cos its not actually earthed is slow
d) The object you measured the PD to is actually the charged object. What did you use your multimeter between when you measured the PD? Try measuring the case to the earth pin on a socket
Also try measuring the current as well as the voltage. 0 for both for my iPad when charging
If there was a true 80V plus on your case you would also be able to light one of those electricians screwdrivers with it. Bet you cant

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Electric Shock while charging IPad

hello
anybody having the same problem as me when i charge my Ipad from the wall socket and touch the back of the ipad i get an electric shock like when you get a shock from a nine volt battery is this normal or should i go to the apple shop near me

Any class II (double insulated) device has a maximum allowed leakage current of 250uA and any class I (earthed) device has a maximum permitted leakage current of 3500uA. I measud my iPad charger and found about 30uA leakage.
The general level of perception to electric current is about 500uA, but some can perceive lower currents. When a class II device is first touched there can be a larger current flowing for a short period (due to capacitive charge effects) but again these are limited to safe levels by the device safety standards (normally IEC 60950 series).
No certified device on the open market will exceed these safe levels and normally will be well under the limits ( e.g a typical class II device will be about 120uA and a class I device about 1000uA).
In countries with poor electrical supplies there is a bigger chance of of a fault with the wiring or installation causing a hazard than the class II charger of any Apple product.

RF electric shock from airport on MBP APPLE PLEASE INVESTIGATE!

Other people have been posting reports of electric shocks from the case of a MBP when the mains charger is connected and battery is near 100%.
I have the same issue. HOWEVER I think that this is in fact related to the AIRPORT card. (I have a phsyics degree and I used to work as a broadcast engineer for a major UK corporation so I know a bit about RF.) The type of shock being received feels to me exactly like an RF shock. It is most noticable if you touch the edge of the case or one of the corners with the soft flesh on your under arm and presents itself as a sharp tingling/pricking/burning sensation.
The other big clue is that if you create as shock and then get a friend or colleague to disable the AIRPORT (as I did) then the shock STOPS at exactly the moment that the AIRPORT connection cuts out.
In metal macs the case and frame become part of the RF aerial and I am pretty sure that what is happening is that the radiated or received power from the 2.4ghz wireless netwoork is just getting powerful enough to cause this VERY UNPLEASEANT tingling shock.
It doesn't happen all the time and it does seem to change according to the position of the machine in the room... all of which seem to support the RF theory as moving the machine about will change the RF signal strength.
PLEASE APPLE you NEED to investigate this... and fix it, because quite apart from the fact that it makes using the MBP with bare arms a rather nasty experience if it does turn out to be RF related it could also be something of a health and safety issue.

Hi, I'm a Radar Engineer and licensed Radio expert for the last 21 years, and I am certain that the MacBook Pro is NOT an RF Hazard! I do have the equipment at work to measure it , so I will give it a quick test - just to confirm!
You could do a quick test by switching-off the Airport Card using the upper Menu bar icon
I think your problem is answered by my post here
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=614377&tstart=0
(messageID=2994258)
it is almost certainly a mains live-voltage leakage due to the power adapter not being connected to a good (enough) earth. Possibly your adapter will need to be checked to ensure that the leakage currents are in the safe range of 10 microamps to a couple of milliamps, but they normally all give a bit of leakage. The more powerful the adapter - tends to give slightly more leakage. it is a tiny , tiny current - but in europe it is at quite a noticeable hundred volts or so!
My Panasonic Sky Box gives exactly the same feeling, but of course I don't often type things on my Sky Box!
many Macs 512k -> MacBool Pro 2GHz 1GB ram Mac OS X (10.4.7) Yes, I have Key Lime

Little electrical shock/vibration from the bottom of keyboard

hi.
I just bought MacBook Pro around 3 months ago. Since the first time I bought it, if I plug to electricity, i always get little electrical shock/vibration on my hand. The electrical shock comes from the bottom of the keyboard (along the edge of keyboard, below the trackpad). It often hurt my hand; thus, I usually use some fabric to cover it if i use electricity power.
Is it normal or not? I previously used iBook and no kind of this problem occured.
Need your advise.
Thank you.

It's not "normal" to feel a small electrical tingle from the laptop's metal case, but it's not that unusual, either. You don't say where you are. I had this much of the time I lived in London, mostly due to poor electrical systems. I have sometimes connected an alligator clip lead from the case to my metal desk or even to my wrist watch band to make sure the potential difference between me and the case was zero.
A good ground is supposed to be provided by one of the two prongs on the plug, but in some homes/offices the wiring just doesn't do a good job. It helps to use the three-prong plug to provide a separate (and routinely redundant) ground. But this also depends on the quality of the house wiring, and may not fix the problem. If using a 3-prong plug doesn't solve your problem, then you may want to have the wiring checked. (You can buy a little thing from Radio Shack that has lights on it that help diagnose wiring problems.) There could be problems for other sensitive electronics you have.
The tingling is uncomfortable, but it's not dangerous.
I have had to re-wire some rooms in our house. Nonetheless, if I plug into one outlet and connect to a TV or modem connected to another outlet (one on a separate circuit) I sometimes get the tingling effect.

Electric "shocks" revisited

hola a todos,
after reading a couple of posts related to the "case electric shock" problem, i would like to add my own experiences and questions related to that.
to begin with, i have just switched to my first mac and am so far quite amazed with this machine. however, i've also been experiencing this electric shock/tingling sensation that other people have described. since i'm new to the macbook/powerbook etc world i would like to know if this is a) normal (have read posts of other people saying that all alu-case laptops had similar issues) or b) faulty machine or c) related to my house's wirings.
i have made these observations:
- the tingling sensation is most noticable when touching the edges of the macbook with my forearms while writing (like now).
- it only occurs when my feet touch the ground (a bit weird, but reckon it makes sense if it's a grounding issue)
- it also occurs on battery power only as long as there is any plugged-in external device (printer/external hd..) connected to either FW or USB
- my macbook is plugged in with the so-called three-prong cable, and all external devices are also connected with grounded power plugs
i hope anybody can give a few useful hints or other experiences with this.
thanks a lot
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What your feeling is a result of the electric potential between your machine and another source of power flow through your body (such as through your shoes on the ground, etc) -- This is not normal, and I recommend that you find the source of the problem before you hurt yourself or damage your equipment.
Try to unplug all of the other equipment connected in that area, and see if you still have the issue. If you don't, turn on one device at a time until you've located the offending equipment. You may notice that the position you're in, including the type of shoes (don't take them off while you're investigating this issue!) you are wearing may have an effect.
The best (and safest) way to resolve this issue is to ask an electrician. You may have unproperly grounded outlets, faulty electronic devices, and its not something to mess around with.
Golan.

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I have a 2007 MacBook Pro and have been hooking it up to a new Samsung HDTV via the display output to VGA, as well as the audio out port. I have been streaming video off of Hulu or Netflix and after about 20 minutes of me sitting on the couch away from the computer and TV, I get up to cue the next TV show or change something with the computer and I get an electric shock when I touch the computer.
Any thoughts on what may be causing this? Its not the biggest deal but I don't look forward to it every time that is for sure.
Thanks in advance.

C Rob 44 wrote:
So is the solution just to wait till the seasons change?
Not sure if either one of us would call that a solution, but if it is static, the problem should get less and less as winter wanes and humidity rises (depending on what climate you're in, of course). I can't recall seeing any in the recent past, but there used to be products available claiming to lower static in households. I've never looked into them. I do try to be careful and touch something else grounded before touching my MBP as electronics and stray electrical charges are not a particularly good combination.

HT3939 Hi there I've got an iPhone 5 starting to get electric shocks of fone when I leave it on charge! Can you help me in this matter! Fone is constantly over heating the shock I got off phone really hurt! So please can u get intouch on

Hi there I've got an iPhone 5 starting to get electric shocks of fone when I leave it on charge! Can you help me in this matter! Fone is constantly over heating the shock I got off phone really hurt! So please can u get intouch on
<Edited By Host>

This is a user forum and is not Apple. I would definitely recommend that you stop using your iPhone and take it to be checked.

Electric shocks in iPhone 4 and Macbook Pro

Hi
When I first started using my white 32GB iphone 4 a month ago, I felt very slight electric shocks and static-like feeling and a kind of pins and needles feeling in my hands. I soon either forgot about it or got used to it.
Then 2 weeks ago, I got a new 15" 2011 macbook pro (from Smart Deals on Amazon). When I was using the trackpad, I felt even more electric shocks and pins and needles in my hands and my hair has even started standing on end. When I used the laptop on my lap, it got boiling hot and the pins and needles, electric shocks and static in my body got even worse. Now, when I use my old macbook on my lap I'm even getting the same problem.
I have a carpeted 2nd floor flat and lots of electric devices. As far as I know all of my plug sockets are earthed.
I'm now not sure if the problem is psychological. My cousin held the phone outdoors and agreed that it was giving him shocks.
Could I have developed a static sensitivity since using the phone and the macbook pro?
Maybe I need an electrician to come to the flat or see a doctor.
But seriously, is there likely to be a fault with the macbook pro as this is by far the worst of the causes of the shocks and probably what started all of this? I need to get to the bottom of this quickly so I can decide whether to take back my macbook pro and/or iphone.
Thanks
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Steve,
Someone suggested carpal tunnel syndrome to me as well. But I was able to see an orthopedic surgeon a few weeks ago who ruled that out. I'll see my regular doctor in a week for a yearly checkup. It may be worth getting yourself checked out.
When you went to the Apple store, were you able to test other phones to see whether they would give you shocks? That is one of my next steps. I've entertained the idea that it is mainly me--acute sensitivity to electricity but a recenlty acquired sensitivity. It did not begin until I started using the iphone in June. Before that electronic devices did not give me shocks, and I did not feel pinpricks or burning. My habits have not changed. Someone joked that regular yoga may be making my less blocked nerves more sensitive. That I take with a big grain of salt.
I'll call the nearest store to see if they will let me test other phones out.
Thanks and I'll keep you posted,
Tom

Get Electric Shock While I Touch My PowerBook

I always get electric shock while I touched my powerbook.
Although it is a minor shocks, but it happens frequently.
I go crazy about that.
My parents touch me while I am using it,
they can feel that there is current flow into my body.
They tell me that it is harmful to me.
I bought it with applecare, and it is still under warranty.
I need some expertise advise on how should I deal with my PowerBook.

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
I've found this is most common a problem if you don't use the grounding outlet that came with your power cord. That means you need to use a three prong connector to the wall, instead of a two.
The next most common issue is if you walk across a carpet or wet floor, you will pick up static electricity. It is a good idea to discharge your static electricity before touching the computer by touching a desk or other object connected to the floor.
One time I walked across a wet carpet because of a flood, touched a computer keyboard, and fried the computer with my static electricity.
Message was edited by: a brody

ELeCtrIc SHOCK!!! from connecting my ipod to tv

I bought my Ipod-5th generation (80Gb)about 6 months ago and didn't buy the AV connection kit until a month ago. Just recently, I found that everytime I plug in the AV cable to my TV, there is an elEcTriC SHOCK whenever I touch the back (metal) cover of my Ipod (I hold my ipod on one hand while plugging in the cable). I immediately unplug the cable just in case it will damage my Ipod. However, I didn't give up and I tried a couple of times, ended up having the same problem (getting shocked a couple of times too).
I wonder what's wrong with my Ipod or is it a problem of the AV cable? Should I keep trying until I get immuned by the current shock.
Is anyone having the same problem or knowing what the problem or solution is?
Help is much appreciated.
Thanks
Let me know if there is any further information required.

It's not the iPod and it's not the cable. It's your TV.
In Malaysia, does your AC mains power plug fit in the receptacle one and only one way? If it fits only one way, then the problem that I'm thinking of can not happen. However, *IF you are able to rotate the plug* and insert it differently, try that and see if it helps.
If it's not the power plug, your TV has a serious problem.
+*By the way, DON'T try to use your iPod with the TV until this is resolved!*+
Message was edited by: PhillyPhan

27" iMac electrical shock

I'm getting an electrical shock on the outside aluminum case of my iMac- it is extremely strange and dangerous. This iMac
is a refurbrished one less than a year old. The mac is plugged into a grounded outlet as well. The current is also translating to
any usb device so when I made a move to unplug the hard drive it got shocked as well. How is it that the current is getting translated
to the thunderbolt port and/or any USB device attached. How can the case become electrified??

If it's still under warrany contact Apple immediately and take it back. I'm sure they will replace it. That's not to be messed with.
OT

Electric shocks from macbook pro

I have had my MacBook Pro since november and at first wondered, why my fingers would sometimes tingle, when using the touchpad or just resting them on the area besides the touchpad. I though there might be cooling fans underneath this area, and it was vibrations i was feeling.
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I don't know how strong these electric shocks are, as i have very little grounds for comparison - i don't go around experimenting with electricity and pain.
But is there any danger to myself or the computer or is it just harmless static electricity like what occurs when wearing the wrong shoes with the wrong carpet? If this cannot be answered from my description, then how do i gather more information?

As an addendum to this phenomena it has been noticed (on laptops with metal casing) that small electrical shocks and/or tingling can be felt if using the laptop on battery power with mains powered periferal equipment ie external hard drive, plugged into the usb or firewire ports. This is caused by insufficient grounding on the manins powered device and can be rectified by using the laptop with the three-pronged mains lead.
MacBook Pro 15" Mac OS X (10.4.9) 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo

IPod Touch electric shock.

I have an iPod Touch 4G. When I connect the usb to my computer and the 30-pin to my iTouch, it gives me electric shocks. As it is, the iPod Touch 4G has a metal back, and it really conducts the current. Fortunately, i have a rubber case for the back, so it won't hurt me. I removed thee 30-pin and the charge is at the two sides and the top of the pin. Ok, I tried to lick it, there is still the current. But there is no current when I connect the cable to the USB Wall Adapter. Does anyone know why there is so much current?

Since no problem with a wall charger that suggests a problem with the USB port on your computer.

I'm getting faint electric shocks thro my forearms from my mac book pro. Is this normal as its very uncomfortable and tedius?

I'm getting faint electric shocks thro my forearms from my mac book pro. Is this normal as its very uncomfortable and tedius?

Sounds like something is shorting out inside your machine or electricity is coming up through your ground wire.
Do you have a proper ground in your location? Don't open or touch anything with a live current insdie, it can kill you
The ground is that third plug in the socket, there should be a wire attached to that, perhaps green, that follows to the electrical panel and from the electrical panel to a thick cable that goes outside to a rod driven deep into the ground or attached to metal sewer plumbing (although I think this isn't legal anymore)
Some people plug their three prong computer power bricks into two pronged (no ground) extension cords, this is very improper and offers no safety protection.
Sometimes if you have a electrical problem elsewhere in the location, electricity flows back up the ground wire and you feel a slight pain when using your machine with a metal case. This also could be a improperly grounded system. There are ground fault interupters for this you can buy, doesn't let electricty flow backwards, audio people use them to prevent noise coming into their equipment.
The current level the MacBook Pro's use is very low DC current, you shouldn't be feeling anything but it's possible.
Have your electrical system checked out by a electrician, also take the MacBook Pro to a more newer location with power and see if it continues.
If it occurs while on battery, no power attached, then it looks like a MacBook Pro specific issue. Perhaps your battery is swelling.

Satellite Z830-10 - electric shock while charging

I've recently bought a Toshiba Satellite Z830-10 from PC World UK. I'm experience constant electric shock when my wrist touch the laptop body while charging with the adaptor. No problem when it is on battery.
Does anyone having similar problem?
After some research on the internet, there are some report about laptop with metallic casing when the manufacturer supply with 2 pin plug which does not have earthing.
Other company have replaced their problematic laptop with 3 pin plugs for all their customer. My adaptor is indeed with 2 pin plug.
Could the shock by lack of earthing in this case similar to Dell problem?

Hi
I would really recommend contacting the Toshiba authorized service partner in your country to check the parts and to fix this issue.
A friend of mine is an Z830 owner but as far as I know he did not experience any similar issue.

Potential Electric Shock Hazard ?

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