Power, people, storms - dead PC's

[h0ughy]

Now I know why it seems a bit quiet tonight, a few storms moving throught the area!! pikers! you would think a little bit of lightning wouldn't scare those big Brave central coast boys off would you!!:P

On the side I have repaired and replaced 3 PC's through lightning and power surges in 5 weeks. 2 were throught the modem, the other was through the power supply!! :sad:

Moral, disconnect everything, don't even leave the PC plugged in but turned off!

[asimov]

Good advise there! I've never had a computer fried, but several modems yes.

[h0ughy]

you know the sad part about this is that none of the components are covered by insurance because of the lightning strike, that was an "act of god" and not a result of a problem by the local energy authority. Mind you they did try to go that way with their insurance company, only to be told that their claim has been processed and denied. one PC was a gaming machine, the graphics card alone was over $800 worth let alone the other stuff they had as well ($4000 worth)

[33South]

Man that was some storm that came through here, we get quite a few but cant ever remember one like it, it was ermmmmm intimidating. :scared:
Lost power for about an hour, and there was hit real close sounded like a very big rock hitting a tin shed, my first thought was sh*t there goes my satellite dish. But must have been just up the road a fire engine turned up siren and lights blazing to investigate. Went for look but too dark and wet to see anything. Really eerie after the main storm passed there was lightning reflected off the clouds in almost every direction lighting up the whole sky lasted for ages.

[33South]

Forgot - another weird experience after the worst was passing off to the east it was still banging away and pouring down I couldnt see anything - except there was Venus shining through the clouds to the west.:)

[h0ughy]

Oh you missed another Pentax Moment!

[iceman]

It was fairly tame at my house, came through about 10:30/11:00pm.

[acropolite]

h0ughy, in many cases the insurance companies are bluffing. We replace phone systems struck by lightning all the time and they are almost always covered in the customers policy. In many cases this amounts to figures as high as 10 thousand dollars. The insurance companies first line of defence is denial and in many cases they manage to bluff the client out of a legitimate claim. I once had some equipment damaged by lightning and the insurance company tried on the same trick. As the damage was only $100 I didn't persue the matter but later checked my policy, to find I was indeed covered for lightning damage.

[33South]

Yeah once I get my underwater housing with built in lightning rod.

[RB]

Yes I made sure my policy has lightning strike cover.
We have very sensitive equipment on the backup generators which start them automatically in failures and if they blow it's $1000's to replace.

With the computer equipment I don't take any chances, unplug everything including modems and phones. Just have to remember to plug back in after or you'll miss the calls. :lol:

[h0ughy]

fair enough, no arguements from me there. they did the running around, I was asked to look at it because I was their last chance of saving them some money. Maybe their excess was too high, who knows? They have a new "cheap" PC now and seem happy, I also made them buy a UPS and run the PC off that and line surge filters for the phones :)

[h0ughy]

What are you running, a secret astro facility :lol: .

[rmcpb]

Its strange how insurance companies get all religous all of a sudden when money is involved.

[ving]

never had these sorta probs...
/me touches wood.

hope i dont. I have had a modem blow but it want storm related.

[TidaLpHasE]

Someone say lightning:confuse3:

Where's all the pics:P

[RB]

Yes, I've got a brand new VIC 20 networked with an Dork Smith System 80 running BASIC on 16KB memory listening for alien signals.
Shh I think I just heard something......
No sorry it was the cat. :(


:abduct:

[Striker]

Your looking at it the wrong way....You have to see it as a opportunity to get a new computer through storm damage......lol

[h0ughy]

Tony they were not my PCs. The PC owners in question had only just bought their PC's in the last 5 months. basically they were new PC's