How to ground a computer so that the microphone does not hum
In the home of every modern person there is a huge number of household appliances and gadgets. All of them - from an electric kettle to a smart TV and computer - need grounding. This process itself not only provides protection against damage to computer components, but also protects against electric shock.
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How to properly ground your computer
It is important to understand that the grounding procedure must first be carried out by a qualified specialist. Lack of practical skills and knowledge can lead to serious consequences associated with risk to life. Entrust the work to a professional!
Any modern computer is already ready for grounding. To supply current to the power supply, all modern desktop computers use a cable with three contacts.
Two contacts are responsible for connecting to phase and neutral, and the third is used to connect to the ground wire. However, you need to understand that just the presence of this cable does not automatically ground your computer.
ATTENTION! Whether your computer can be grounded depends on the type of electrical system in your home and the outlets you use.
If your home uses an outdated two-wire electrical network, this means that there is no specialized cable in the network and all working grounding is done through the PEN wire. More modern homes use a three-wire electrical system with a separate grounding cable.
The solution to the problem with outdated two-wire networks may be to completely dismantle the old wiring and replace it with a more modern three-wire one, which is certainly expensive. An alternative solution to this problem would be to install a conductor from the electrical panel to your computer.
To do this you need:
- run a large-section copper cable to the distribution panel;
- clean the cable ends and connection points;
- secure the cable to the electrical panel housing at the location of the fuses;
- Connect the grounding cable to the contact of the socket you are using.
It is recommended to use the socket contact for grounding. Using a direct cable connection to a computer is not safe due to the possibility of breakage.
ATTENTION! Connecting aluminum and copper wires is strictly prohibited, as this can lead to a fire in the panel and poses a threat to life and health.
To ground a computer in houses with a new three-phase electrical network, you can use several methods:
- using a copper cable to connect to the fourth conductor on a three-phase cable;
- grounding when using a metal structure or house frame;
- creating your own individual ground loop.
It should be noted that the use of a metal house structure must be agreed upon with the management company before starting work.In turn, creating your own circuit is a technically difficult task, especially for residents of apartment buildings.
How not to ground your computer
Most articles on the Internet offer easy ways to solve this problem, but completely ignore the description of the possible consequences when using such methods:
- You cannot ground the computer case to the neutral point of the socket. This action can lead to the output of all 220 volts to the housing, disrupting the operation of the entire electrical network and is dangerous to life!
- Grounding to a street lightning rod is strictly prohibited. Even with fuses in the current drainage system, there is a high chance of receiving a shock of up to 5 kilovolts, which will lead to instant death of any person using the computer.
- It is prohibited to connect the conductor to the gas pipeline pipes, as this may lead to a gas explosion.
- Connecting to the heating radiator and water supply pipes is also prohibited, as it can lead to dangerous voltage and pose a threat to the lives of the residents of the house.
Why do you need to ground your PC?
Grounding any household appliance is primarily necessary to ensure the safety of human life. In addition to the very obvious danger of electric shock, it should also be noted that complex equipment such as a computer can suffer significant damage from exposure to static electricity.
Problems with the operation of the processor and hard drive in the absence of grounding are one of the most common problems. Despite the presence of specialized filters in the power supply that protect the computer from the effects of sudden voltage surges, the lack of permanent grounding in the long term will have a detrimental effect on the internal components of the system. In addition, replacing damaged components will not solve the problem, but will only be a temporary, expensive solution.
In addition to the already identified serious problems with internal components and individual parts of the computer, lack of grounding can lead to disruption of the microphone and cause problems with the operation of headphones and speakers. This will manifest itself, first of all, in the form of noise and sound “background”. These noises arise precisely due to the presence of electrical oscillations in the circuit.
How to ground a computer so that the microphone does not hum
The occurrence of extraneous noise and background in the operation of a microphone can be due to a number of reasons: from a normal malfunction of the microphone itself or the use of outdated drivers, to the influence of electrical fluctuations in the network.
In order to determine the root cause of problems with the microphone, it is necessary to listen to the nature of the background.
High-frequency background is typical for problems with braiding or shielding of the microphone cable or a malfunction of the sound card. In this case, replacing and using a new microphone cable may help.
With a low-frequency background, you should talk about problems with the computer's grounding. Dull noise that occurs when recording sound is always associated with a malfunction of the computer’s internal electrical network and voltage surges.
In order to finally make sure that the problem in the microphone’s operation is caused by a lack of grounding, you must first check the integrity of the microphone cable braid, the operation of the sound card and the condition of the connector intended for the microphone.
If it was not possible to identify the cause of the background noise at all previous stages, then we can talk about a grounding problem. In this case, it can be solved by using a grounded outlet, or by installing a direct conductor to the control panel.
