Floppy Drive Blew --> Electrical Fire

[newPCbuilder]

When plugging in my floppy drive to the power source and turning on my new computer (as is being built) for the first time, it starts spewing smoke, and the power line between it and my brand new hard drive caught fire and burnt down to the wire in many cases.

There doesn't seem to be any damage beyond my hard drive (the fire didn't spread up the line any further), but I don't know if the line, or maybe even the whole power supply is comprimized or not. Also, the power outlet to the floppy drive has fused with the floppy drive itself, so I can't remove the drive as easily as I put it in. Would cutting the power wire further comprimize the integrity of my power supply, and if not, what would be the best way to cut it (I assume at the junction with the next power outlet, currently on my hard drive). How badly affected might my power supply be? (An Enermax 4XX Whisper model)

[mjc]

I would say that it is very possible that the entire power supply is compromised. I wouldn't trust it.

[YODA74]

Cut the wire any where and don't use the PSU It's most likely toast anyway.

Take the PSU out of the case and use a volt meter and see what you have comeing out of each line. unless you have wired something wrong like extra fans or something else. can't see why this fried unless the PSU was junk to begine with.


on the PSU see what voltage and amperage is coming from the leads that are left and then try to get a reading from the fried wires( being VERY careful)anything that was hooked to that line is most likley shot. do you have an extra PSU lying around?

[newPCbuilder]

Its a new PSU and I just had it in tested and was running my motherboard and video card only on it no problems. The floppy I was using was old, and I don't trust it. I'm worried about the PSU integrity, its supposed to be a good model and did seem to stop the electrical fire at the first junction it hit.

How should I deal with the cut wires so they don't cause any problems of their own? (Not that competant with dealing with electricity, just computers).

[YODA74]

All we can do is give advice the rest is up to you. you can cut the wires any where --where they have not been fried and cap them off BUT I would strongly advise againset using it in my PC NEW or not it could fry the rest of the system.

[ranchdog]

Good ol' Enermax...

Shades of iisbob trying to blow up his cat. :eek:

The PSU should have tripped itself before ever
getting to the point of a wiring harness burning/melting
itself down such as that. Overload protection.

IMHO that PSU should be given to someones Mother-in-Law.


RD.

[newPCbuilder]

In my online research, Enermax came highly recommended, save for their RMA policy. Is there a better power supply out there?, because I thought I was getting one of the best.

[BigBlue66]

You could try the Antec True Power series. I'm running a 330 and a 430. They're very quiet and the voltage rails are right on target.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

It could simply be that the floppy drive was shorted and because there was no other peripherals in use, the circuit breaker did not trip due to there being less than 15 or 20 amps at the time of the fire.

Can you try a voltohmeter (VOM) and see if the floppy drive is shorted? The red and the black wires are where to tell if it is shorted. 15 to 25 ohms is OK, what we're looking for is a dead short that puts the needle right to zero. VOM's can be bought for around $15 dollars at various places and for anyone doing any electreical and/or pc work, they are a NECCESSARY TOOL of the trade.

Then you can test the voltages from the power supply as well with it and determine whether you can get a refund after determining if it is a defective product. Maybe with a big IF .

[iisbob]

Shades of iisbob trying to blow up his cat.:eek:


Hey! I didn't try to blow up Puss, he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time! :D

BTW, it was an Enermax that blew, since then i've switched over all my systems to Antec Truepower series.

[randyrhoads1981]

Sounds like you may have used to long of a mounting screw in the floopy drive and may have grounded it. I was thinking that the power connector to a floopy was only 5 Volts?..someone may correct me as im not positive..if it wasnt grounded ,id be one unhappy fellow.it may have been a defective PSU that sent way more than 5 volts to that floopy. In which case it could have somehow sent a current through the floopy ribben cable into the motherboard and may have damaged it..i just picked up on this thread and noticed you had another having problems with the new floopy and it couldnt be detected. If this turns up true.. someone would be buying me a motherboard.