TO GROUND, OR NOT TO GROUND. THAT IS THE QUESTION.....

[XWrench3]

so, i just installed a new motherboard. i really have no clue why the first one failed. but it did. i am a bit on the paranoid side, so if there is anything i can do to keep this from happening again, i want to do it. in the basement, where i am now, and where my computer desk is, i am about 6 feet away from the water heater. yes, i know if there is ever a problem with that, my computer will be ruined. but its about the only place i can put my desk, so.... anyway, because i am so close to the water heater, i am wondering if i should run a ground wire from the computer case, to the water heater. in my brain, it seems likely that if static electricity caused my motherboard to die (yes, i have ruined a computer by static electricity), then running a ground wire might keep static from building up strong enough to "quick fry to a crackly crunch" components in my computer. am i off base here? does this seem like it would work?

 

[strollin]

Your computer case should already be grounded via the ground in the power cable. Instead of running a separate ground wire, ensure that the receptacle your computer is plugged into is properly grounded and that you use the correct power cable to connect from your computer's power supply to the receptacle. If you do that then everything will be properly grounded and there will be no need for additional grounding.

 

[Joe C]

so it seems likely that if static electricity caused my motherboard to die (yes, i have ruined a computer by static electricity), then running a ground wire might keep static from building up strong enough to "quick fry to a crackly crunch" components in my computer. am i off base here? does this seem like it would work?

Keep an eye on the humidity in your home. During the winter months your house can get as dry as a desert and that leads to high static risk. If you do not have a hygrometer and a humidifier you should get one. Your furnace and cold air is the major cause for the drier air (the colder the air, the less moisture it can hold). Excessive dust can be a pc killer too. Not just because of heat, but it can add to the possibility of carrying an electrical charge.
I agree with strollin that your case should already be grounded.
Hygrometers can be purchased almost anywhere...digital are better and are more accurate that those you see with the needle pointers

 

[PP Mguire]

+1ing the good advice and going to add a peace of mind. Your machine probably died from natural use and age. Cheaper boards are cheap for a reason, so you probably did nothing wrong to cause it to go belly up, it just did.

 

[XWrench3]

ok. so i guess its time to buy a humidifier for winter time use. i remember as a kid my dad purchased one that fit right onto the furnace. initially we had to add water to it by hand all the time to keep it working the way it should. but after it running dry so many times that he got sick of yelling at us kids, that he bought an add on kit that kept it full all the time. but it gave us a lot of trouble, because of all of the minerals in the water. it didn't last a lot of years.

 

[Joe C]

ok. so i guess its time to buy a humidifier for winter time use. i remember as a kid my dad purchased one that fit right onto the furnace. initially we had to add water to it by hand all the time to keep it working the way it should. but after it running dry so many times that he got sick of yelling at us kids, that he bought an add on kit that kept it full all the time. but it gave us a lot of trouble, because of all of the minerals in the water. it didn't last a lot of years.

Yes... After being in the HVAC field for over 20 yrs... those old humidifiers with those wheeled type that rotate around and were a nightmare to clean! In my own house I live on a concrete slab, so no humidifier on the return air for me. We do use a portable type of humidifier in the winter and we must use distilled water to prevent the lime/rust build up. Even with that I had to add some new copper pennies to the bottom to stop the pink slime from forming on the bottom. (Copper is a great killer of slime/mildew...I also use copper on the roof of my house to kill the liken and moss from the trees) ) If your furnace has a return air on your duct work you can install a new humidifier, these newer humidifiers do not get as nasty as the old one's did. But you must have a drain close by to drain the excess water because new humidifiers are a pass through design. Yes you'll still need to replace the pads and clean them out, but depending on your water quality you should get about 1 year out of it before you need to service it. I worked for a Carrier distributor and I can't tell you how many of these I installed... more than I could ever recall.
https://www.carrier.com/residential/en/us/products/indoor-air-quality/humidifiers/humcrlbp/
I'm not making a recommendation on this brand....but just an idea of what you can use. April Aire also makes a very nice whole house humidifier
https://www.aprilaire.com/whole-house-products/humidifier

If your not handy with tin snips, connecting water lines, pvc drains and running 24v from the furnace to the humidifier, then you might want to hire someone to do this for you. Those portable humidifiers will work too, but it is more expensive in the long run. Ours will plug up in no time with our local well water supply, If your in Mich... you already know what I'm talking about. So we use distilled water... less than $1. pr gallon (wally world has it at .80 cents) We get about 12hrs of operation per gallon

 

[PP Mguire]

Even with that I had to add some new copper pennies to the bottom to stop the pink slime from forming on the bottom.

Oh that's a cool trick.