If you’ve ever wanted to repair your computer on your own, then you may have worried about computer repair safety. As fun and rewarding as PC repair can be, some people worry about dangers like electrocution or hardware failure. Is it actually that dangerous to repair your computer on your own?
Fortunately, repairing your computer is very safe, and it’s easy to avoid causing harm to either yourself or your computer by following a few easy guidelines.
The most important thing to know about computer repair is that there is absolutely no danger of being electrocuted, as long as you’re not taking apart your power supply or your monitor. The components inside your PC cannot electrocute you, and electrocution should be the least of your worries when you’re repairing your computer.
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be aware of the electricity inside your computer. It’s very important to limit the amount of static electricity you generate, or else you risk short-circuiting your hardware. To do this, always turn off your power supply before working on your PC. However, leave the power cord itself plugged into the wall. If your power supply is grounded (which it will be if it has the third ‘grounding’ prong on its socket), then you should be able to touch your power supply – or any part of your case – in order to ground yourself and discharge any static electricity buildup.
If you don’t want to worry about remaining in contact with your power supply, there are other ways to ground yourself. You can wear an anti-static wrist strap, for example, or touch another grounded metal object.
One thing you should be aware of when repairing your PC is that computers can have sharp edges. The inside edges of a computer case are often left unrounded, which means that they can leave little cuts and marks on your skin. If you hit your hand in the right spot, it can even draw blood. Be aware of this when you open up your PC, and try not to rush through the PC repair process.
Ultimately, working on your computer can be a safe, fun, and rewarding experience. Provided you’re not fiddling around with the parts inside your power supply, or taking apart your monitor, your safety is virtually guaranteed.