this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2024
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hmmm
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PC power supplies don't work the way you think they do.
I think OC has a case of the Kruger peak...
ATX power supplies are literally some of the safest power supplies to exist, and a GFCI breaker would prevent this scenario from even happening IMO lol
Where exactly do you think the middle pin from power outlet goes?
If not to ground the metallic husk, then the third pin is useless there. It's there with a purpose: it's meant to ground, generally (present at the best of electrical house infrastructures) going all the way to a buried copper rod that creates a short circuit with the ground present when someone is touching the metallic husk. Also, in US, IIRC (I'm from Brazil so I don't know the US electric system so well, although old Brazilian outlets are inspired by US outlets) they have GFCI (Ground fault circuit interrupter): if GFCI detects flowing energy at the ground, the outlet shuts off, protecting people from electrical shock.
However, on many houses, neither GFCI nor proper ground is present. Some houses (it's common in Brazil with older outlets inspired by the US outlet) route ground wire to the "neutral", be it on the outlet, be it on a DIY extension cord. The latter will allow for neutral to be plugged into phase, so ground will be phase as well. From there, I guess I don't need to detail what happens if someone touches a phased ground. Zap!
In Brazil we have a different kind of outlet, one with a specific shape (inspired by the Swiss power outlet) that won't let us plug reversely. With these outlets, phase goes to phase, ground to ground and neutral to neutral. Old houses still have the US-based outlet, tho.
Modern US plugs have a wide blade for "neutral" or "return path" and a narrow blade for "live" or "hot" (plus the round ground pin). In my part of the US, we only have GFCI near water (restrooms and kitchen) but always proper circuit breakers and ground to water pipes where the mains AC enters. There still exist many 2-prong appliances, but those will never have the case connected electrically!
If you don't have a proper earth ground, then tying anything together is bad news. You could have one appliance shorting out and damaging others on the same circuit, or burning your wires in the wall. Regarding the PC switch-mode supply, AC in goes to a transformer which doesn't care if hot and neutral are swapped.
Sorry if I sounded like a jerk. I've been working on PCs and appliances for decades and only once ever had an energized case; not a PC. Touching two machines each plugged into a seperate circuit, got a metallic taste in my mouth, pulled out the meter and measured ~80VAC! Verified my vending machine and outlet were wired correctly and recommended getting their popcorn machine and outlet checked out.