Feel a current when iPad charging

delpy8 · 24 Dec 2010 at 12:40

Hi forum just noticed when I removed the switch easy cover from my iPad
And placed it on my table with apple mains charger I feel the current on the
Metal on the back

It feels like one of those metal lamp bases that you can turn the lights on and off

Is this common or is it a fault

PardonTheWait · 24 Dec 2010 at 12:54

Do you have the full length cable plugged in, or the shorter one? (i.e from the brick do you have the small plug or the extension plugged in)?

With the MBs the shorter one doesn't have a proper ground so you can feel it through the chassis, may be the same thing here.

delpy8 · 24 Dec 2010 at 13:01

I still feel the current using all three cables I did however find my original iPhone 4 plug a tried it in that and I don't feel the current

delpy8 · 24 Dec 2010 at 13:04

Is this a problem that can damage the iPad???

PhillyDee · 24 Dec 2010 at 13:08

delpy8 said:
Is this a problem that can damage the iPad???

Doubt it, but keep it on your lap whilst it is doing it and you may not be able to have children in the future

delpy8 · 24 Dec 2010 at 13:10

PhillyDee said:
Doubt it, but keep it on your lap whilst it is doing it and you may not be able to have children in the future

Ha ha cheers for the feedback

Caged · 24 Dec 2010 at 14:00

PardonTheWait said:
Do you have the full length cable plugged in, or the shorter one? (i.e from the brick do you have the small plug or the extension plugged in)?

With the MBs the shorter one doesn't have a proper ground so you can feel it through the chassis, may be the same thing here.

I've no idea where this came from, but there's no electrical connection between the earth pin on the charger and the dock connector / MagSafe. It's a double insulated appliance. No laptops / phones / low voltage appliances have a connection to earth.

kylew · 24 Dec 2010 at 14:09

I get the same thing when plugged in to the mains with my iPhone 3G and iPod Classic.

PardonTheWait · 24 Dec 2010 at 14:39

Caged said:
I've no idea where this came from, but there's no electrical connection between the earth pin on the charger and the dock connector / MagSafe. It's a double insulated appliance. No laptops / phones / low voltage appliances have a connection to earth.

Then I don't know the proper reason, that's just what I was told. All I know is quite often when you can feel the tingling, swapping the short plug for the longer stops it. If there's no reason why that would make any difference, then I dunno. Coincidence? It certainly seems to do it, possibly I just have the actual reason confused.

OzyOly · 24 Dec 2010 at 15:05

PardonTheWait said:
Then I don't know the proper reason, that's just what I was told. All I know is quite often when you can feel the tingling, swapping the short plug for the longer stops it. If there's no reason why that would make any difference, then I dunno. Coincidence? It certainly seems to do it, possibly I just have the actual reason confused.

It's because the full length cable is earthed where the short cable isn't.

OzyOly · 24 Dec 2010 at 15:06

Caged said:
I've no idea where this came from, but there's no electrical connection between the earth pin on the charger and the dock connector / MagSafe. It's a double insulated appliance. No laptops / phones / low voltage appliances have a connection to earth.

Well they must have something earthing it, otherwise where is all that static going when the full length charger is used?

Blackhawk47 · 24 Dec 2010 at 16:05

Never noticed anything like this with my Macbook (aluminuim unibody) or iPad, iPhone etc. Must be down to the plug socket itself.

As far as I know there is just the plug for the iPad...least mine didn't come with a power brick to extend the cable.

PardonTheWait · 24 Dec 2010 at 17:18

OzyOly said:
It's because the full length cable is earthed where the short cable isn't.

That's what I said but he said I'm full of ****

Earth and ground are the same thing, aren't they? (honest question!)

Gas Panic! · 24 Dec 2010 at 18:59

Felt this on a few unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Never been an issue.

PaulyD · 25 Dec 2010 at 02:44

PardonTheWait said:
That's what I said but he said I'm full of ****

Earth and ground are the same thing, aren't they? (honest question!)

Yep, same

"andy" · 25 Dec 2010 at 08:06

OzyOly said:
It's because the full length cable is earthed where the short cable isn't.

It's not

MikeHunt79 · 25 Dec 2010 at 08:30

When you say you can feel the current do you mean that you're getting an electrical shock?

edscdk · 25 Dec 2010 at 09:31

its probably NOT the ipad, you probably have a fault on your electrics...

if its a odd sort of tingling I have had it several times..

CAREFUL how you go about testing this, in the past the better earthed I am the worse the tingling which can also jsut decide to zap you...

speak to a proper electrician,

i had it at home twice (a faulty tumble dryer, and a fridge), and at a customers once with a faulty fridge, another time it was faulty wiring..

despite it being a mains fault I never received a mains shock just a very odd tingling so dont rule out mains because it did not kill you...

delpy8 · 26 Dec 2010 at 20:41

MikeHunt79 said:
When you say you can feel the current do you mean that you're getting an electrical shock?

no no just a slight current I do not get it with the iphone 4 white plug usb one but still get the current using the ipad supplied mains to usb charger and my ipod usb to mains charger..

Chief Wiggum · 27 Dec 2010 at 20:03

Is it a bit of a tingly vibration on your fingertips? (ohh err

). Mine does that, but not always when it's plugged in, I find it's the surface that it's resting on, the iPad seems to dislike certain surfaces and makes you feel a bit funny...