iPad Electric shock/tingle on my ipad 4th gen when charging

dazz87 · Dec 17, 2012

When my Ipad is charging I'm getting a mild shock/tingling sensation. If I touch the back of the device i feel it. I try a different outlet and I still feel it......

Anyone else? Hate having to go back to bestbuy and do another return (with this one 2nd return)

Aspasia · Dec 17, 2012

Are the outlets in the same room? Can you test it on an outlet that's on a different circuit - or in a different building?

That would give you a better idea if it's a problem with the iPad or an electrical problem.

If it's the iPad, it will do the same thing at Best Buy so there should be no problem returning it.

w00t951 · Dec 17, 2012

It happens with non-grounded devices. The iPad's charger lacks a third prong, so you're just feeling what normally gets grounded through that missing prong. MacBooks and other aluminum devices that plug into the wall without a third prong also have that "tingling" sensation.

dazz87 · Dec 17, 2012

Aspasia said:
Are the outlets in the same room? Can you test it on an outlet that's on a different circuit - or in a different building?

That would give you a better idea if it's a problem with the iPad or an electrical problem.

If it's the iPad, it will do the same thing at Best Buy so there should be no problem returning it.

Going to try a different outlet, and also will try it out at home.

w00t951 said:
It happens with non-grounded devices. The iPad's charger lacks a third prong, so you're just feeling what normally gets grounded through that missing prong. MacBooks and other aluminum devices that plug into the wall without a third prong also have that "tingling" sensation.

the problem is that my first ipad 4 didnt have this issue. It was plugged into the same outlet at work as this one. I have the same issue with my notebook (aluminum case)

DollaTwentyFive · Dec 17, 2012

I recall reading some threads here in the past that some people are more sensitive to the electromagnetic current. Since thge charging plugs on the iphone and the MacBook are not grounded, the aluminum exteriors may be carrying a bit of a charge. Some people don't notice it, others are sensitive to it.

Strange that you didn't notice it with your previous ipad, though.

w00t951 · Dec 17, 2012

dazz87 said:
the problem is that my first ipad 4 didnt have this issue. It was plugged into the same outlet at work as this one. I have the same issue with my notebook (aluminum case)

You probably didn't own it for a long enough time to notice it. All iPads, iPhone 5's (to a lesser degree), and MacBooks (greater degree) have this when you have the dual prong charger. There's no "unique" iPad that has some special grounding magic - you're the ground in this case. Exchanging it won't do anything except make you look entitled.

pocketpenguin · Dec 17, 2012

You should not be getting a electrical shock when holding the ipad while plugged in. Mine doesn't. Have someone else test under the same conditions. If they feel it, take it back. Be sure to test the next one in the store.

w00t951 · Dec 17, 2012

pocketpenguin said:
You should not be getting a electrical shock when holding the ipad while plugged in. Mine doesn't. Have someone else test under the same conditions. If they feel it, take it back. Be sure to test the next one in the store.

Dude, it's supposed to happen. Read this.

Wikipedia said:
Signal grounds serve as return paths for signals and power (at extra low voltages, less than about 50 V) within equipment, and on the signal interconnections between equipment. Many electronic designs feature a single return that acts as a reference for all signals. Power and signal grounds often get connected, usually through the metal case of the equipment.

dazz87 · Dec 17, 2012

pocketpenguin said:
You should not be getting a electrical shock when holding the ipad while plugged in. Mine doesn't. Have someone else test under the same conditions. If they feel it, take it back. Be sure to test the next one in the store.

You will not feel it (in my case with both ipad and notebook) when you grab it with both hands. In order to feel it I will need to run my fingers across the back of the ipad.

w00t951 said:
You probably didn't own it for a long enough time to notice it. All iPads, iPhone 5's (to a lesser degree), and MacBooks (greater degree) have this when you have the dual prong charger. There's no "unique" iPad that has some special grounding magic - you're the ground in this case. Exchanging it won't do anything except make you look entitled.

didnt own it for long enough??? IF its there its there, the first thing I did was test it (1st ipad), cause I had the same issue with my notebook (UX31). "All ipads and iphone has" it then we wouldve had more threads on this issue. Today while charging it I grab it by one hand and felt the charge right away.

w00t951 · Dec 17, 2012

dazz87 said:
didnt own it for long enough??? IF its there its there, the first thing I did was test it (1st ipad), cause I had the same issue with my notebook (UX31). "All ipads and iphone has" it then we wouldve had more threads on this issue. Today while charging it I grab it by one hand and felt the charge right away.

Oh my God. Believe what you guys want. You'll feel it with every iPad, iPhone 5, and MacBook - as long as it's ungrounded, you'll have residual charge running through the aluminum case. It's the way they were designed. It might increase or decrease depending on the amount of static charge held by the device, but it's always going to happen. Return your iPad a million times. You'll still be stuck with that tingling.

And I thought Asus would know enough about electronics to add a proper third prong to their power adapters. I guess my experience with their monitors carries over to their laptops, too.

virginblue4 · Dec 18, 2012

dazz87 said:
You will not feel it (in my case with both ipad and notebook) when you grab it with both hands. In order to feel it I will need to run my fingers across the back of the ipad.

didnt own it for long enough??? IF its there its there, the first thing I did was test it (1st ipad), cause I had the same issue with my notebook (UX31). "All ipads and iphone has" it then we wouldve had more threads on this issue. Today while charging it I grab it by one hand and felt the charge right away.

The 1st iPad you owned, also would have had this. As the other poster said, all of Apple's almuinium products do this. It is not faulty, it is perfectly normal. My iPad and iPad mini both do it and always have.

TJ61 · Dec 18, 2012

If you take a 9V battery and place a finger across both contacts do you feel a tingle? I don't. And that's almost twice the voltage that's coming out of your iPad charger. If there were a fault with the charger such that a much larger voltage were passing to your iPad, you would not have a working iPad. So, whatever you're feeling, I don't think it's coming from the charging circuit.

Regards,
Tom

wabbit42 · Dec 18, 2012

dazz87 said:
You will not feel it (in my case with both ipad and notebook) when you grab it with both hands. In order to feel it I will need to run my fingers across the back of the ipad.

didnt own it for long enough??? IF its there its there, the first thing I did was test it (1st ipad), cause I had the same issue with my notebook (UX31). "All ipads and iphone has" it then we wouldve had more threads on this issue. Today while charging it I grab it by one hand and felt the charge right away.

This issue? It's not an issue, it's an unavoidable side effect of not having an earthed plug.

wrkactjob · Dec 18, 2012

dazz87 said:
When my Ipad is charging I'm getting a mild shock/tingling sensation. If I touch the back of the device i feel it. I try a different outlet and I still feel it...... Anyone else? Hate having to go back to bestbuy and do another return (with this one 2nd return)

Lick it, see what happens.

w00t951 · Dec 18, 2012

wabbit42 said:
This issue? It's not an issue, it's an unavoidable side effect of not having an earthed plug.

A reasonable man.

TJ61 said:
If you take a 9V battery and place a finger across both contacts do you feel a tingle? I don't. And that's almost twice the voltage that's coming out of your iPad charger. If there were a fault with the charger such that a much larger voltage were passing to your iPad, you would not have a working iPad. So, whatever you're feeling, I don't think it's coming from the charging circuit.

Regards,
Tom

Someone knows absolutely nothing about basic electrical engineering.

SnowLeopard OSX · Dec 18, 2012

That's pretty strange. I've never experienced anything like that.

TJ61 · Dec 19, 2012

w00t951 said:
Someone knows absolutely nothing about basic electrical engineering.

So then you should be able to explain to me how a device that's only connected to a 5VDC source (assuming the charger connected to 110VAC is operating properly) can deliver a sensible electric shock to human flesh.

I'll be waiting.

Regards,
Tom

Factor1 · Dec 19, 2012

I have had a consistent tingle from my Macbook and iPad when plugged in for over two years. The electrical outlets that I use are not grounded here in Europe. Everything still works fine (but I back up, and unplug my backup drives often).

Arran · Dec 19, 2012

I remember getting this sensation years ago. Mostly from audio amplifiers with brushed aluminum front panels and other appliances. I assumed it was induced current (since the part doing the 'tingling' is metal and it's in the vicinity of an alternating current). Simple physics.

Anyway, this discussion got me wondering so I Googled 'tingle' and got quite a few eye-opening hits. Some were very educational, but not appropriate here. I bookmarked those for later.

Back on point, this one, while it doesn't explain the root cause, is interesting:

Technical Reasons for Experiencing a Tingling Sensation

All electrical devices, including laptops, printers, PDAs, etc., powered by AC Adapters with a two-pronged power cord (without a ground wire) may exhibit an electrical potential (voltage) between the exposed metal parts of the device and earth ground. The human body can be thought of as a wire which can conduct electric current. Depending on the conditions of a person's skin -- oily, dry, etc., and the surrounding environment (humidity level, flooring or desk material) -- the body can be more or less conductive. If conditions are right for the human body to be less conductive, such as having dry hands or wearing rubber soled shoes on a carpeted floor, the probability of sensing the tingling (electric current) is reduced. If conditions are right for the human body to be more conductive, such as having wet hands or standing barefoot on a concrete floor, the probability of sensing the tingling (electric current) increases.
Note:

Connecting multiple devices that use two-pronged power plugs increases electrical potential between exposed metal parts, thus increasing the potential of feeling a tingling sensation.

The voltage potential between exposed metal parts of the device and earth ground can be observed using various voltage measuring devices:
It is possible to measure a voltage potential between 0 and 100 Volts or possibly higher.
If a high impedance-measuring device (i.e., oscilloscope or digital voltmeter) is used, the voltage can be measured as high as 70 Volts or higher.
If a low impedance-measuring device (analog voltmeter) is used, the measured voltage should be 30 Volts or lower.

The lowering of the voltage can be demonstrated by using a high impedance-measuring device and then touching the metal back plate of the computer; the voltage will drop, due to the lower impedance of the human body.

My bold.

Full article: http://support.euro.dell.com/suppor...B1A222771A7495097F2C0C5AC42BB2C&isLegacy=true

pantograph · Dec 26, 2012

I also noticed a tingle when touching the case of my new iPad while charging this morning. Reversing the non-polarized plug of the 12w USB power adapter was effective in eliminating the tingle.

I measured the AC voltage from the case to ground with a digital multimeter and found about 4.5 volts and 2 volts depending on the polarity of the AC plug. Unfortunately, the AC current measuring range on my meter didn't seem to be working, but when touching the case with one hand and ground with the other, the voltage dropped about in half. Then I measured the resistance between my two dry hands and found about 1.3 megohms. Based on this, the adapter internal impedance is probably around this same value, so the leakage current with wet skin might be up to about 5 microamps, which should be safe. BTW, the tingling sensation is a lot more obvious when touching both ground and the case.

It's likely that there is some capacitive coupling between the AC line and ground (RFI filter capacitors and/or capacitance between isolation transformer primary & secondary windings) that causes this. It's very common with 2-wire appliances.

All in all, probably not a big deal, but try reversing the AC plug and see if the tingling is reduced. Too bad Apple doesn't supply an adapter with a 3-prong AC plug, which would ground the case and eliminate the issue.

Awakener · Dec 26, 2012

w00t951 said:
It happens with non-grounded devices. The iPad's charger lacks a third prong, so you're just feeling what normally gets grounded through that missing prong. MacBooks and other aluminum devices that plug into the wall without a third prong also have that "tingling" sensation.

This is not normal, never felt it ungrounded or not.

.macbookpro. · Dec 26, 2012

even in england, which have a grounding plug, i feel sometimes feel it in both my macbook pro and ipad

sectime · Dec 27, 2012

Factor1 said:
I have had a consistent tingle from my Macbook and iPad when plugged in for over two years. The electrical outlets that I use are not grounded here in Europe. Everything still works fine (but I back up, and unplug my backup drives often).

When I used an aftermarket charger with my iPhone I felt the tingle. As others posted, I only felt it when moving my fingers on the back. Very noticeable

jibjc · Feb 6, 2013

I have notice this before on my ipad 4th Gen and thought nothing of it but tonight my girlfriend was holding the ipad and when I touched her skin it gave the same sensation, it was very weird. try it!

Gav2k · Feb 6, 2013

.macbookpro. said:
even in england, which have a grounding plug, i feel sometimes feel it in both my macbook pro and ipad

Just to clarify the plug has a grounding pin purely to open the gates on the live and nutral it's not actually used.

As has been said its completely normal and usually worst in dry environments (low humidity)

iPad Electric shock/tingle on my ipad 4th gen when charging

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