Experiencing the apparent electric charge when you touch your Apple device; MacBook, iPad, iPhone or iPod? It is because your Apple devices was not properly ground; electric grounding (Earthing). I, shamelessly live with the problem for three years and now I want you to know how to avoid it.
Disclaimer: I am not an electrician.
Human electric conductor
A small amount of electric charge (like static shock) can be felt with the touch of your fingers or wrist during charging. It’s actually painful and I normally unplug the charger and continue working.
Metal products prone to electric charge if improperly ground. Apple products are mostly encase with aluminium body; MacBook with Unibody design, iPad, iMac or your iPhone 4/4S/5 are made of aluminium. Therefore, you will probably notice the small amount of electric charge more often than not during charging.
In fact, the entire household electrical appliances made of metal have the ability to release this charge. When we come into contact with the metal surface — we become the human electric conductor.
Can be fatal
If your house were properly ground you have less chances getting fatal shock; chances are higher if you do not have a proper grounding installation. A proper grounding can went bad due to wear and tear, example; corrosion.
[quote]Although most electrical systems have fuses or circuit breakers for protection against a major fault current or short circuit, the human body may be fatally shocked by a current of less than one amperewell below the point at which a fuse or breaker will operate. Grounding helps prevent such a hazard from occurring. In some cases, however, as when a person handles an electrical device while standing on a wet surface, there is a risk of fatal shock from a leaking current even from a properly grounded electrical circuit. — HowStuffWorks[/quote]
As for my MacBook, It was just a small amount of electric charge and it won’t kill me but it truly a common nuisance that I live for 3 years.
How to avoid electric static/charge on MacBook?
Your MacBook and MacBook Pro comes with a 3-pin plug (the one with long cable), use that. I recently replace my broken 60W Magsafe, in side the box (picture below) were a set of proper earthing 3-pins adapter cable.
Apple’s good and bad grounding plug, how to identify?
Safe for use
This is my beautiful MacBook charger with a very long cable and I am happy I don’t need to endure electric boogie pain. I hope this one solved your problem.
Please share this article to your friends if you find it helpful, comment and ideas are welcome.
10 responses to “How to Avoid Electric Charge on MacBook”
It work at my mac book, the feel of electric charge was disappeared when i use the long 3 pin cable. The electric feel occurred when i use the 3 pin (head only) converter that convert 2 pin into 3 pin. Seems this problem still happen at the latest mac book pro..(i’m using mac book pro with retina display)..Anyway thank for the solution. It work to me 🙂
Wow Faizal, I love the MacBook Retina Display! I’m glad this solve your electric boogie issue 🙂
Does it work? I dont see any metal connections to the metal stud for grounding. It is really driving me nuts.
I know how you feel, I’ve been there!
It work for me. Make sure you use the 3-pin plug (exactly like the last photo in my post)
If it doesn’t solve the problem, if you can invest (no guaranty it will work), try look for Belkin (earthing) plug. I have not use it but my friend did and it work beautifully for him. I will need to buy one since some of my equipment like DVD player, Astro box, Media player, Samsung HDTV and etc are using the 2 pin plug. The electric static is killing me!
Anyway, good luck! Let me know if it work for you.
Cheers and thank you for commenting.
Great article. I now have iPad and iPhone and no problems with electric boogie! But in the future, I may buy MacBook Pro, the newer faster thinner one and I hope it will have a better charger than this 🙂
I realized this electric boogie thing happen almost none on a high rise building (like my office) only when I came home it happen.
I want a MacBook Pro too! I am drooling just by looking at the rumors photos. It’s time for me to have something with longer battery hours and a backlit keyboard. drooling
Great hope am lovin it as time goes by with a little bit of help from my jongly friend. tQ in advance.
Anytime buddy 🙂 I’ll ne at your service for no charge.
So far so good for Bananaz cos of the banana peel insulating the electric charge haha but occasionally get static shock from door knobs & metal stuff. Juz got myself an iMac recently thinking to have a bigger screen so as not to hurt my eyes and going for a change. Still having a challenge in the switch to biting Apple after wiping Windows for half my life and heading to be iBananaz soon haha.
Awesome iBananaz!!!! Finally your a Mac! Hahahaha
I am so sure you will love it So much that yoThe static charge — can not be help. The positive and negative chi bring balance to life. You get sh I was doing the commenting while working. that’s what happen 🙂
Anyway, where was I? I was meaning to say — You will love your Mac so much that you forgot you had Windows before *ROFL*
I have never miss Windows, not even slightly 😀 –> Nino can confirm this LOL.
I hope you will love your iMac as much as those Apple guy inventing it. 😀