Power inverter - shocks

[Gail_5040396]

We use our laptop for the children to watch DVD's whilst travelling through France. We use a power inverter from the cigarette lighter socket. Has anyone else had the problem of static electricity when touching the laptop & if so is there anything we can do to stop this?

 

[hornpipe]

It's important to remember that the shocks are not coming from the electrical equipment but from yourselves. We all pick up static charges from contact with manmade carpets etc and it will go to ground by the first earth route it can find. In your case it's the laptop. You could try changing the floor carpets with man made ones or sitting in bare feet. Or just deliberately earth yourself somewhere else, on a door handle maybe.

j

 

[brian_5039922]

does this problem arise when in the car or van? jake.... is correct. although you could try hanging one of those earth straps from the car/van. however because the van is more wood and plastic than metal the earth strap may not work that well but may be worth a try.

 

[darren_5040167]

are you sure its a static shock?

ie you touch it once, get the initial shock and then can touch it without further shocks.

reason i ask is that i once had an inverter that did the same, but it turned out the inverter had an internal fault and my actual laptop was live with a small voltage.

the symptoms were that you could carry on touching the laptop and keep getting the shock all the time...