Laptop power adapter sparking noise

just got my Refurb Dell XPS studio 16 3 days ago, and there was a weird sparking noise(nothing visible) coming from the brick. So, I disconnected the adapter and plugged it back in. That reduced the noise, to where I can only hear it if I stick my ear to the brick.

I called Dell Tech support and they said they will send a replacement. So, 2 questions

1) Is it normal to hear that sound if you put your ear next to the adapter(It's like some sparks are going on inside)

2)Also-I recieved a 3 pin adapter with the comouter, from which I broke off one pin since my apartment has only 2 pin wall sockets. When I ship the orignal adapter back to Dell will they charge me for sending back the adapter with a broken pin?



Thanks

 

I would say 'No' to both of your questions. Wait for the new PSU to arrive and hopefully the problem is corrected. I would be a bit concerned about the 'breaking the third pin' off to make it fit in a 2 pin outlet. If you are in the US we are talking about the ground which is something you want to have. Might want to look into an adapter of some sort instead of breaking off one of the prongs/pins.

 

Well the noise you hear is the transformer inside of the power brick. It is completely normal to hear a humming noise from your power brick.

Plug a digital voltmeter to the output side of the power brick and see if the voltage output matches the sticker on the power supply.

The three pins on the plug, are: two are for AC, and the lower middle one is a ground. You can remove the ground, but its not really the best idea to do so.

Damaging the power brick, can and may cause electronic problems with your laptop, and most likely will void your warranty. Removing the ground means that you are tampering with a product. That violates the dell warranty

K-TRON

 

The part of the power brick that plugs into your wall socket is a removable cable. You can always buy one that's only two-prong.

I suggest you get a surge protector or something similar that plugs into a 2-prong outlet and allows you to plug in 3-prong devices.

 

I had that sparking noise myself the first 5 days of my XPS16, but now it seems to be gone. What's left is a very low & faint humming noise when I put my ear immediately next to it. Otherwise quiet.

 

I am hearing the same noice. Have had my XPS 16 for 4 days

 

Same here on 3 of them bricks..

 

No that noise is not normal.
No, you dont have to return you old adapter.

 

when I first had that prob I looked around online and someone said they just called up Dell, convinced them that this was really happening, and Dell just shipped overnight a new power adapter for him.

 

I finally got around to contacting Dell about my power adapter. They ended up sending me a new one but also sent a return label with it. It appears as though they want the faulty ones back now.

 

Hey, I just received my SXPS today. Same thing's happening to my power adapter. Sparkling noise, is it normal ? What should I do !?

 

Dude, return it. Mine had the crackling too. The new one they sent doesn't have as bright of a blue light, but the noise is gone. It is free and takes no time at all.

 

Do i have to send the faulty one back ?

 

Yes. They sent me a return label when they shipped me my replacement adapter.

 

They sent me another exactly the same adapter, and it's buzzing again -.-"

 

Wow....I heard some crackling noises earlier and could not figure it out: it IS my power adapter!

I guess I'm lucky because I'm returning the whole thing anyways: I've only had mine a week, too.

 

Call them back and ask for another replacement...
Did they overnight the faulty replacement to you? If not, ask them to overnight you the new one.


Cin...

 

They did overnight the faulty replacement. I thought I should give it a few days to see whether the noise settles down.

The crackling sound occurs when I'm scrolling up and down the page. I also noticed whenever I'm charging the battery, the sound is a bit louder. Should I ask for another replacement ? I'm afraid the same problem will occur -.-

 

Well, if you ask for another replacement..they overnight it to you....and the problem is *continual*, then they need to address it.

Do you have OnSite Service for your warranty? What they would possibly do is dispatch a Technician, order you a new Mobo replacement, and have him/her also bring you a replacement brick/adapter.

That you would also want to think about...Them possibly replacing your Mobo. Your lappy is brand new...take into consideration you have *21 days from date of invoice* for return for a refund or replacement with new.

I would hope this is just a *flukey* type of problem.

Cin...

 

Yup. Mine gets worse when I scroll, too!

~Ibrahim~

 

Having a technician to check the subtle crackling sound seems a bit too serious. Plus I don't want to reinstall everything / backup stuff from scratch again =(

Plus, I do not think it's a mobo problem. Maybe its the brick alone ? Some of them had a replacement of different power adapter and there's no more noise. Should I just ask for another type of power adapter ?

 

I was giving you ideas of what you could have done.
It could be the brick, it could be the adapter...

My 1st suggestion to you was to ask for another replacement!
When you call, ask for another type power adapter, if it can be done..I'm sure they will do this for you.

When I thought I was having prob's with my adapter & the battery holding a charge (way outside of warranty), Tech Support sent me a replacement brick/adapter with no problem..

Cin...