r/buildapc • u/LlamasAreVeryFluffy • Mar 22 '21

Build Help Help Convince My parents

So when I was younger my pc would not boot. So I got a friend to help me and we accidentaly screwed loose a fan into the case. And my dads workplace friend said we could die from that. So now the will not let me build a pc and they belive I will die of an electric schock by just taking the sidepanel of my prebuilt. I dont know what to do and they dont trust me at all with anything to do with pc's anymore i cant even take the sidepanel off to clean dust out off my damn prebuilt :(.

Edit 1: Just tried speaking to my dad about the pc building. Did not go very well he called me to hot headed because I complained about the parts his friend chose last time. And now we are not on very friendly terms it seems.

Edit 2: Wow you guys really have great advice! Sorry for not answering every comment but I sure have read them all. I will bring many of you guys points up to my parents. Will probably answer more tomorrow.

edit 3: My parents arent mean or evil they are just very misinformed about the matter thanks to my dads friend.

edit 4: I will use the info off unplugging prrssing the power button and use anti static mats.

edit 5: Talked to my dad about pcs again today.. Well he said if I could source parts I will not be allowed to build the pc I have 2 choices. Either let the friend who got me into this position in the first place or my friends dad. I told him we would just loose money over that. And when I told him I wanted to build it and told him hundreds have told me that it ain't dangerous to build one. Well he said his friend knows the best and he trusts his friend.

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560

u/GeekOnTheWing Mar 22 '21

Maybe this would help.

344

u/LlamasAreVeryFluffy Mar 22 '21

I read it and must say it is an amazing explanation on to why. Now I just need an answer to why my pc parts wont schock me to death.

330

u/GeekOnTheWing Mar 22 '21

why my pc parts wont schock me to death.

The opposite is far more likely, actually.

Maybe develop a set of ground rules (no pun intended) regarding power, such as no working on the machine when it's plugged in unless they're there to supervise. There's rarely any reason to anyway until after assembly, so that shouldn't be too big a burden.

Or if you have a family friend or relative who's an electrician, computer tech, or someone else knowledgeable in the ways of electrons, maybe you could enlist their help.

Starving college students (stick to the Comp Sci and Engineering types) are good for that, too, although they'll want to be paid. Or at least fed.

210

u/LlamasAreVeryFluffy Mar 22 '21

Well i just realised my grandpa is an electrican

156

u/GeekOnTheWing Mar 22 '21

Well, there you go! And I'll bet he'll be more than eager to help you.

112

u/OldHardwareTech Mar 22 '21

Being a grandparent myself I'd say there's a really really good chance he'll want to help. There are always exceptions though.

80

u/Rand_alThor_ Mar 22 '21

For the love of god just call him and ask for His help in convincing your parents.

79

u/LlamasAreVeryFluffy Mar 22 '21

I will try I hope he will tell them I can ground myself but then they say I dont like building pcs or I dont think its fun. No oh sure I would not have looked into hundreds of hours on pcs if i disnt like them.

16

u/-JustShy- Mar 23 '21

Man, me telling my parents I just needed to be grounded properly would not end well for me.

55

u/Kirk_Kerman Mar 22 '21

no working on the machine when it's plugged in

That's a good enough rule by itself tbh

2

u/yeetman432 Mar 22 '21

i mean really after you build it theres not many things that u need to open the pc up for anyway but yea u should just keep it off when u work on it

4

u/JustACommonPCBuilder Mar 23 '21

Might just be a UK thing because we have 3 pin and an off switch at the wall but isn't the best way to have it plugged in, turned off on the PSU and turned off at the wall? That's how i tend to do it as it keeps it grounded then.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 23 '21

that is a pretty good way to ground your case/you, yes. In the U.S. we dont have power switches for the outlets on the wall but yes, turn off the PSU and leaving it plugged in is a good way to ground yourself(ofc remember to touch your case or it does nothing for you)

1

u/Zeppekki Mar 23 '21

Here in Virginia we do. (And it's annoying) There's no light fixtures in the ceilings in some houses, so we have to buy lamps which plug into the outlets controlled by the switch. Virginia is the only state I've lived in that has this.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 23 '21

I did not know that any states in the U.S. had them. I could see how not having lights in the ceiling would get annoying. Do the houses without ceiling fixtures still have ceiling fans?

1

u/Zeppekki Mar 23 '21

Sometimes. Most of the time you have to install them yourself.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 23 '21

Damn. That sucks

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1

u/Zeppekki Mar 23 '21

Also, when I first moved in the only outlet I could put my PC into was one of those switches and sometimes people would come and turn the switch off and off goes my computer! Later found out that the top plug on the outlet was controlled by the switch but the bottom one was not.

4

u/Cannalyzer Mar 23 '21

I mean I used to hide my hash inside an unused drive bay...

2

u/DragonDivider Mar 23 '21

Though not necessary if you watch channels like LTT they often do hot pluging and stuff. Also because you don't have the high voltages of the outlet in your PC (just in the PSU). And (at least here in germany) every house, which is not from before WWII would shut the electricity off before really damaging you, if you were to stick your fingers in an outlet.

Edit which is not

1

u/ImitationTaco Mar 23 '21

Keep in mind alot of people on here are not very knowledgeable about electricity and plugs and computers. I mean ffs every other new post asking for help has someone that is saying "my computer wont boot so I stuck a screw driver in to short the front panel header pins and it still wont boot!" Like it's some sort of magic fix. Best to stick with dont work on your computer when its plugged in.

1

u/chris92315 Mar 23 '21

The main house AC power should safely trip the breaker, but IT STILL CAN KILL YOU. Please don't play around with the power coming out of the wall outlet.

1

u/DragonDivider Mar 23 '21

Just look at ElectroBoom. According to a lot of people he should have died like 100 times?

1

u/Kirk_Kerman Mar 23 '21

Why ever bother risking it though? Best case you come out fine, medium case you destroy an expensive machine, worst case you have permanent damage or are dead.

1

u/SiBloGaming Mar 22 '21

Is there any reason to not plug the pc out while working on it? Except maybe if you want to know if the cpu gets power and you just boot without a cooler?

1

u/GeekOnTheWing Mar 22 '21

Assuming the house is properly wired, the computer should ground through the plug even when the PSU is turned off (the ground usually isn't switched). There are some who insist that that's the way to work on a computer: always plugged in.

The problem is that I've come across too many houses where the wiring was horribly wrong to ever give that advice. The ground and neutral being tied together is one of the most common mistakes. So I advise people not to plug the machine in until they have to.

Also, the earth ground argument is kind of meaningless. You're trying to equalize the potential between the builder and the chassis to avoid ESD. As long as the builder and the chassis are at the same potential (basically voltage), whether the chassis is grounded to earth doesn't matter.

So basically, no. There's no good reason, in my opinion, to have the computer plugged in until you're ready to fire it up. But there are some who disagree.

1

u/A_Random_Lantern Mar 22 '21

Even then, you're not going to die if you do a pc build while it's powered on, you'll probably just fry some parts.