clean pc

Hello
Is it wise to use an anti static wrist band in order to clean the inside of my pc? I know there are several price ranges . What should I expect to pay for a decent one?
Thank you

 

Yes always use one they are only say $5 - 10 US, like i've read before on other forums is it worth risking a large sum of money on knackering your mobo or CPU for the sake of a couple of dollars or pounds in my case !

 

Hi

I'll add to the poll and say always use an antistatic wrist strap when your case is open, regardless of the system being connected to a ground (via the power cable). The reason for this is, electricity WILL go to that ground, whether it's through the motherboard or not.

I will also say that under $10 is a great price for them. If you're in a hurry and buy one at a computer repair shop or the likes, you may pay more, but I found one on Amazon for I think around $7. Be sure to read the reviews if you buy one online though, as some are better than others.

They are so cheap that I have two... one as a backup, in case the one I keep handy is missing when I need to get into my case!

 

"leave the power cable plugged in and the power socket off"

By this do you mean you leave the surge suppressor plugged in but the power to that surge suppressor off?
I read that some inexpensive wrist bands are disposables and you need something substantial, whatever substantil is.
I understand what has been advised and thank you.

 

Hi

Here's the wristband(s) I have, they work great:

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Anti-S...Z5D1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289942834&sr=8-1

 

I'm with Halo here, I never use a wristband, it does the exact same thing as what touching the case does. As long as you touch your case before touching any component in your computer, you'll be alright.

 

I'm with Drizzles and Halo. This year alone I've had my hands in over 100 PC's and never had a problem. But I think beside touching the case before you reach in it's a good idea not to be moving your feet while your hands are in it.

If your standing on carpet you have to be more careful as that will build up static quickly, especially if you are in a dry environment. If you are standing on a hard surface such as tile or hardwood you don't have to worry so much.

As for the power. It's best to leave the PC plugged in but turn the switch on the PSU off. The problem is some PSU's don't have a power switch. On those I sometimes unplug them and sometime forget to. Still, never had a problem...

Another thing, you are just cleaning a PC, so I assume you are just spraying compressed air into it. If you are not touching anything then there is no need for a static wrist band.

 

And, of course, common sense applies. The term "anti-static" refers to static electricity ('duh'), so if you foster an environment in which static electricity is reduced, the risk lessens accordingly.

Ever notice that you rarely get 'shocked' in the summer? In the winter (cold, dry conditions), it's a frequent occurrence to 'zap' someone when (especially) walking across carpet, but you can't make it happen in the summertime, when warm, humid conditions prevail.

Ergo, in the good ole U.S. Army, our repair labs had humidifiers running constantly, with never a static problem.