Repairing An Xbox 360 Yourself - Hazards That Can Harm You And Your Xbox
Marc Sandford
October 14, 2009
Electricity can be hazardous to both you and your Xbox. For people, the problem is the 110 AC power that your Xbox gets plugged into that can cause harm. For the electronics in your Xbox, static electricity is the problem.
Part 1 - Keep yourself safe.
It is commonly believed that electricity is only dangerous when you're dealing with thousands of volts. However, it isn't the voltage, it's the current or amps that flow through your body that is lethal. It's not unusual for people to get electrocuted by ordinary appliances that use 110 volt AC.
How can this happen? If the current finds a path of low resistance going through your heart, 110 volts is just as deadly as 1000 volts. Skin that is dry, thick and calloused provides greater resistance to electrical current than wet skin such as moist sweaty skin, scraped skin that is bleeding, or even your tongue. A large area of skin contact with an electrical source has less resistance to electrical current than skin contact over a small area.
Current going into your hand and out your wrist may be harmless if painful. But the same current going into the right hand and out of the left hand can stop your heart. This is because your heart is on the pathway between both hands.
This is also true for electrical current traveling from your hand to one of your feet. Sometimes an electrician will keep one of his hands behind his back while wearing insulated boots to prevent current from flowing through the vital organs.
So what does this mean to you? Before you open the console, remember to unplug the power supply from the wall outlet.
Part 2 - Keep your Xbox safe.
We've all been zapped by a doorknob when the weather was very dry. We may have been shuffling our feet across a carpet before reaching for the knob. This spark is caused by static electricity that was generated by the walk across the carpet. Static electricity can potentially destroy micro electronics.
Static charge buildup by itself doesn't cause damage, it's the discharge of this buildup. If a static discharge happens after touching your Xbox's motherboard, there's a good chance that damage has been done.
Situations favorable to static electricity are carpeting, very dry air, wool and polyester clothing. When disassembling your Xbox, wear clothing made of cotton. Work in a room without a carpet with a humidifier turned on. The room's relative humidity should be at least 35%.
Try these simple red ring of death fix suggestions before spending time or money on Xbox repair. These Xbox 360 troubleshooting tips are free.
Part 1 - Keep yourself safe.
It is commonly believed that electricity is only dangerous when you're dealing with thousands of volts. However, it isn't the voltage, it's the current or amps that flow through your body that is lethal. It's not unusual for people to get electrocuted by ordinary appliances that use 110 volt AC.
How can this happen? If the current finds a path of low resistance going through your heart, 110 volts is just as deadly as 1000 volts. Skin that is dry, thick and calloused provides greater resistance to electrical current than wet skin such as moist sweaty skin, scraped skin that is bleeding, or even your tongue. A large area of skin contact with an electrical source has less resistance to electrical current than skin contact over a small area.
Current going into your hand and out your wrist may be harmless if painful. But the same current going into the right hand and out of the left hand can stop your heart. This is because your heart is on the pathway between both hands.
This is also true for electrical current traveling from your hand to one of your feet. Sometimes an electrician will keep one of his hands behind his back while wearing insulated boots to prevent current from flowing through the vital organs.
So what does this mean to you? Before you open the console, remember to unplug the power supply from the wall outlet.
Part 2 - Keep your Xbox safe.
We've all been zapped by a doorknob when the weather was very dry. We may have been shuffling our feet across a carpet before reaching for the knob. This spark is caused by static electricity that was generated by the walk across the carpet. Static electricity can potentially destroy micro electronics.
Static charge buildup by itself doesn't cause damage, it's the discharge of this buildup. If a static discharge happens after touching your Xbox's motherboard, there's a good chance that damage has been done.
Situations favorable to static electricity are carpeting, very dry air, wool and polyester clothing. When disassembling your Xbox, wear clothing made of cotton. Work in a room without a carpet with a humidifier turned on. The room's relative humidity should be at least 35%.
Try these simple red ring of death fix suggestions before spending time or money on Xbox repair. These Xbox 360 troubleshooting tips are free.
Print
Email
