PSU Smoldering?

[samurai nightling]

So i came home yesterday, open the door to my room, and notice it smells like burnt plastic or something. I keep sniffing, looking around, and then go to the back of my old computer i had build and the smell was coming from the power supply. The computer was off, just plugged in, and the PSU smelled like it was smoldering and i felt it once i unplugged it and it was getting hot. What could be the cause of this? I still have yet to try and see if the comp still works cuz ive been busy this weekend. I was just glad i noticed it before oh say a fire or something broke out in my room.

Any possible explanations? I'm gonna open it up and look inside soon to see if any components were burning up.

Edited December 14, 2008 by samurai nightling

[samurai nightling]

Update: Tried starting computer, won't turn on. PSU must be fried. Gonna take apart the PSU soon to look inside and see what exactly went wrong if i can.

Funny this happens just as im praising Antec PSUs in other topic sections. But hey, it ran about 24/7 for over 4 years.

[bushwack]

Sounds to me like the fan failed.

[samurai nightling]

The computer wasn't even turned on though. The fans don;t run in the PSU if the computer is off. Therefore it simply fried while sitting plugged into my wall outlet, cuz i didnt have time to put it on a surge protector.......

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Crap. Thats prolly it, i just figured it out right now maybe. We blew a fuse a couple nights ago, wonder if it got a surge of electricity. Dangit.

[Preacher]

would be best to remove the PS and replace it rather than attempt to use it connected to a working system. If a surge did occur, it's possible that's a big paperweight.

[dwEEziL]

Even with a computer turned off, if you haven't flipped the power switch on the PSU, current is still flowing through it. Hope no other component blew out too.

[anonymo]

The fans don't run in the PSU if the computer is off.

 

Oh they most certainly do. Unless you hit the switch on the PSU itself it will keep sending current to the board and still require cooling.

[ZeroDamage]

Spend a hundred bucks or so and pick up an Battery Backup with built in Surge Protector. They will protect against such things.

[samurai nightling]

The fans don't run in the PSU if the computer is off.

 

Oh they most certainly do. Unless you hit the switch on the PSU itself it will keep sending current to the board and still require cooling.

 

I have not once seen or heard fans in a PSU run while the system is turned off.

Yes, i know current flows through it still, hence the light on the mobo still being lit all the time, im not that dumb but in any computer I've ever owned the fans do not spin. Maybe if you only put it in sleep mode? I never do so i wouldn't know.

And all im gonna do now with this comp is use the spare parts as backup if i ever need them. As long as they aren't fried either. I'm not even bothering with buying a cheap psu.

[anonymo]

I have not once seen or heard fans in a PSU run while the system is turned off.

Yes, i know current flows through it still, hence the light on the mobo still being lit all the time, im not that dumb but in any computer I've ever owned the fans do not spin. Maybe if you only put it in sleep mode? I never do so i wouldn't know.

And all im gonna do now with this comp is use the spare parts as backup if i ever need them. As long as they aren't fried either. I'm not even bothering with buying a cheap psu.

 

It might be that some PSUs keep throttling their fans even when the board is switched off and others just don't, I couldn't tell you. I know mine will throttle now and then while off and my work computers do the same.