Taking apart a PSU

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agreed, it takes experience to mess w/ the insides of a psu. u'd be better off getting a $30 psu to replace it (i assume an anceint gateway doesnt need a 1kW psu, hehe)
if you let it sit for a day or two, the capacitors will probably leak all their power, but its just not worth it
 
I've decided to just leave it be. I might just get some insulation for the case and leave it at that. Not really worth getting shocked over.
 
I've messed with old AT PSU,s before, almost blew out the electrical socket and fryed the PSU cord i was using once when i wired the main switch back wrong (**** AT's). All you really need is ATLEAST a basic understanding of Compacitors and electricity but, i dont recommend breaking into a PSU if you're willing to keep your life
 
Well, I usually clean the inside of my PSU once a year, and I haven't been shocked to death yet :).

I just get it out of the case, take the cover off and spray some compressed air on the components. I then remove the fan and make sure the bearing is lubricated (I usually add a drop of oil).
 
Yes, working with them can be dangerous, but I too have taken a few apart, and cleaned them. I moded one too from an old P3 system... it was a 200ish Watt PSU, and wasnt' good for anything anymore, so I made it a test supply, to test out fans and other junk and whatnot... it is actually quite useful, and easier than lugging a tower around, or pulling the PSU out of a tower.... I wouldn't suggest it unless you know exactly what you are doing...

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very impressive, but did you really need to take it apart to do that? Couldnt you have just cut the wires that were already comming out of the psu and attached the connectors there? or were you going for neatness?
 
Re:

Hello,

I've opened up PSUs, to clean and to oil or replace the fans. I didn't really think about the dangers at first, but after looking into the harzards more thoroughly I try to avoid opening up PSUs now.

Some suggest that leaving the PSU unplugged for a day will make it safe to open up.

Some also suggest that before opening up the PSU, all you need to do is unplug the PSU from the power outlet (keeping the ATX connector connected to the motherboard) then press the computer's power button, which will drain any remaining charge in the PSU's capacitors.

I say avoid opening up the PSU. If you really really want to open up the PSU, then as already suggested, I'd advise you wear rubber gloves (as thick as you can). Wearing rubber shoes and standing on a rubber mat may also be a good idea.
 
If I ever open up a PSU, I just unplug it, then I press the power button on the PC. the PC will turn on for about half a second.

That discharges the capacitors pretty well.
 
First of all, don't discourage a person because you don't understand the principles of a power supply. If you hate noise (like me) then replacing the power supply fan is one of the easiest things you can do. Just unplug the power cord, take out the power supply, open it up (do not touch anything if you want to make sure you see your vent buddies afterwards), drop a paper clip on a capacitor to rid its charge or touch it with a voltohmeter, then replace the fan. However, some power supplies have the fan soldered on so you might be out of luck from the beginning. If the fan is connected otherwise, then get a 3 pin - 2 pin adapter (sold here ), make the simple connection - fan to adapter to power supply connector obviously - and you are done.
 
decibaL said:
First of all, don't discourage a person because you don't understand the principles of a power supply. If you hate noise (like me) then replacing the power supply fan is one of the easiest things you can do. Just unplug the power cord, take out the power supply, open it up (do not touch anything if you want to make sure you see your vent buddies afterwards), drop a paper clip on a capacitor to rid its charge or touch it with a voltohmeter, then replace the fan. However, some power supplies have the fan soldered on so you might be out of luck from the beginning. If the fan is connected otherwise, then get a 3 pin - 2 pin adapter (sold here ), make the simple connection - fan to adapter to power supply connector obviously - and you are done.

Shorting the capactors to discharge them is an idea. However, a lot of people avoid doing this because, since there is no resistance when shortening the capacitors directly, it can damage the capacitors and or circuitry, shortening the life span / reliability of the capacitors. Instead, it's much better to slowly discharge the capacitors using a resistor.

Here's an article which I have found useful: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/captest.htm#ctsdc
 
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