Safely handling your PC components

When maintaining, repairing or upgrading your PC, there are major considerations you should think about.

1. Your Safety

2. Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

3. Storage

Your Safety

First and foremost, you should always take care when working with any equipment. Before you work inside your PC make sure that the device you are working on is unplugged from the mains. Never be tempted to work with the PC plugged in.

If you are dealing with high voltage equipment such as PSUs and CRT monitors then make sure you are NOT wearing anti-static straps. These devices aren’t affected by ESD and anti-static straps could actually attract voltage from high voltage devices.

Handling Monitors – CRT

Never fiddle inside of a CRT. There is enough high voltage to kill even after unplugged as the capacitors within retain a charge. CRTs require specialist training and also requires specialist equipment so that stored electricity is is fully discharged first.

Handling PSUs

Like CRTs, PSUs use a capacitor to store an electrical charge, even after they are unplugged. Do not take any chances. PSUs are field replacement models and are best off just replaced, even if it’s just the PSU fan. Don’t be tempted to replace.

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

Static electricity is a build up of electrical charges on a person which is caused by an imbalance of electrons on the surface of a material.  For example,  if you walk over a wooden floor with rubber soled trainers, you will pick up a voltage gradient each time you handle some charged object. You may pickup several hundred volts each time this occurs until the static is discharged, giving a shock to the individual or damaging a static sensitive device. This is known as Electrostatic Discharge.

One thing to bear in mind is that if a device receives an ESD charge, it might not fail immediately. This is the fact that the effects of ESD are not felt right away but over time get worse. This is known as hidden ESD.

There are some simple ESD precautions that you take to help discharge the static before handling any equipment and there are a number of gadgets and devices that can help eliminate the effects of ESD whilst maintaining your PC:

ESD wrist straps

Anti-static wrist straps are designed to filter out static and discharge static safely. A 1 mega-ohm cable is connected from you to the an earth ground, usually the earth pin on a normal wall socket. Make sure that only the earth plug is connected. The other two pins should be plastic.

Anti-Static Mat

Mats work the same way as the wrist straps. Components are placed on the mat and static safely discharged. The mat is also attached to earth ground as above.

Anti-Static Spray

Supposedly removes static effectively from clothing but not as affective as above.

Anti-Static bags

Used for long term storage for anti-static precautions. When working with components, leave in bag for as long as possible until needed.

Other Precautions

Dust and debris inside the case can also cause the hidden ESD effect. The dust holds a small electric charge which eventually begin to degrade the performance of internal components. Make sure the inside of your case is cleaned periodically using a vacuum (use plastic attachments only) and a compressed air can to remove the dust.

You may think that taking Anti Static Precautions sound like being a little paranoid and over precautious but have you ever had a shock when touching something metal when static is discharged? Now imagine what that will do to your nice new Q6600. Are you really going to take it to chance?

Storing Components for the future

Proper storage helps to ensure that they work as well as they did when you put them away. Water damage, damp, heat, ESD etc all contribute to bad storage.

I always keep boxes for all the components I buy for several reasons. I may need to store them for future use, sell them or return them to the shop should any faults occur. Returning the component to the original packaging is a great way of eliminating ESD and it makes an impression on buyers too. If you don't have the original storage boxes, then use anti-static bags wherever possible.  Do not use bubble wrap or any other similar material.

Hard disks etc should be kept away from magnetic sources, and high voltage devices.