Shocking iMac screen bolts on the side...

Gwailo

Gwailo

B.A. Economics (Hon)
My house is very dry, despite my humidifier, and as a result I built p a lot of static.

Now when I touch my iMac flat-panel monitor, I shock the little bolts around the outer edge.

Are they connected to the power ground, or am I frying internal components?
 
They are probably not connected to anything. If they are, they are connected to the shielding, which is grounded. Your RAM still works, I suppose? ;)
 
What happens when they zap? Does it actually make the screen go weird? I'm just wondering because the bolts would only be connected to the LCD, not to system wiring. It would be dangerous to connect exterior bolts to the circuitry.
 
No, when I touch them it only zaps me, as though I were being grounded. nothing happens to the screen.

And assuming that Apple doesn't mess up their internal wiring to connect the ground to a lead, it wouldn't really be dangerous to connect the common ground to the bolts...

Hey, when opening the case Apple indicates that you leave the power cable plugged in, ground yourself to the metal plate/bolts on the inside, then disconnect the power cable.
 
Connected or not, enough of a charge could bridge the gap. If I was designing the case, all exterior metal components would be directly connected to ground, just in case.
 
Originally posted by nkuvu
Connected or not, enough of a charge could bridge the gap. If I was designing the case, all exterior metal components would be directly connected to ground, just in case.
Click to expand...

I suppose they are...
 
I asked a AC technician this afternoon, and he said that repeated shocks to those screws can cause display anomalies and permanent damage to the monitor or other components.

He was probably just covering his butt, but STILL those should be connected to the common gnd... Oh well.
 
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