Why does my macbook give a slight tingling sensation when it is charging and what could i,we or Apple do about it?

Question

I have been facing this problem since the time of purchase. I think the shocks go away once it's fully charged. I experience shocks regardless of whether I sit directly on the tiled floor at my home, or on a chair with my feet on the ground, or with my shoes on at my workplace. I use the official two pin charger that came with the box. I reside in India. I have gone through the following posts

• Electric shocks from MacBook
• Alu macbook is shocking me
• macbook is shocking me
• electric shocks from macbook
• shocks from macbook

• my macbook gives me electric shock when I charge it

  Please help me. Many of my friends are also facing the same problem.

This question also asks what could be done by apple about it? and as to why apple is seemingly ignorant of its widespread prevalence?

Solution 1

It's pretty much standard with 2 pin chargers and a metal case. It's not dangerous, just electrical "noise". The intensity may vary slightly if you plug it into a different wall socket, or go through the other wall sockets and disconnect devices that likely add noise (such as chargers, transformers, both even if turned off). Depending on the circuit the tingling can even be affected by the light switch being on of off.

Solution 2

It definitely sounds like their MacBook is not properly grounded. Take it to an Apple store for service.

Solution 3

I am in Canada and have observed a similar phenomenon with some devices (nothing to do with Apple). These devices have 2-pin adapters, and plug in to 3-pin domestic outlets which consist of "live" (120V), neutral, and ground; live and neutral are blade-shaped pins, ground has a round or rounded section. Outlets can accept either a 3-pin grounded plug, a 2-pin polarized plug or a 2-pin non-polarized plug.

A polarized 2-pin plug has unequal blades to only fit the socket one way round; but a non-polarized can be plugged in either of two orientations (as I believe occurs with your power system).

I have sometimes noticed a slight tingle when I touch the surface of a device when its 2-pin non-polarized adapter is plugged in; I have also noticed that the tingle effect disappears if I plug it in "the other way around" (pins transposed).

For North American power, the explanation could be due to some sort of leakage and the fact that one blade is at alternating mains voltage, where the other should be (but is not necessarily) at ground potential. Perhaps your issue is related and the solution is similar - try plugging it in the other way around.

Comments

[Tetsujin]

Read up on 'switch mode' power supplies. They don't need to be grounded [earthed] in order to be safe, although the MacBooks come with a grounded 3-pin plug option which will help reduce the sensation, assuming you have grounded sockets.

[Tejas Shetty]

Even my friend also faces the same issue. I think it is common among current models @Keltari .

[davidgo]

As its 2 pins, the Macbook is almost certainly not grounded. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO IT YOURSELF, but ask an electrician about grounding Neutral. (There should not be a difference between Ground an neutral - but here there is - hence the shock). You don't want to do this yourself as it could be lethal if done incorrectly. That said, it should not be a big job unless you live high up in an apartment complex.

[Tejas Shetty]

will try @davidgo

[Tejas Shetty]

Is it harmless in the long run ?

[davidgo]

The tingling in and of itself is probably not very harmful - but there voltage where there should not be, and no guarantee it won't get worse - and conceivably become dangerous (although this is not saying it is likely to do so)

[Peter]

It is harmless as long as the wiring of the socket you're plugging into is ok. The only way to make it reliably go away, and increase safety, is to attach a ground connection to the case - which is what the 3rd pin in 3 pin wall plugs is.

[J...]

@davidgo That's wild speculation and terrible advice. Neutral bonds to ground at the service panel only - adding extra bonding between neutral and ground elsewhere in the electrical system is insane, wrong, and dangerous.