New Theory: Neighbours causing short circuits.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Skybuck Flying
  • Start date Start date
S

Skybuck Flying

Hello,

I live in an appartment.

Once I noticed how my computer crashed which sounded like a crazy power
surge.

So I wonder:

What happens if my neighbours cause a short circuit in the wall socket...

Could that effect my equipment as well or are appartments somehow protected
from that ?

Bye,
Skybuck.
 
Hello,

I live in an appartment.

Once I noticed how my computer crashed which sounded like a crazy power
surge.

So I wonder:

What happens if my neighbours cause a short circuit in the wall socket...

Could that effect my equipment as well or are appartments somehow protected
from that ?

Bye,
  Skybuck.
Click to expand...

It's quite likely. You can buy power distribution units with filers
and surge suppression built-in.

My PC switched itself off recently during a thunderstorm when there
was a lightning strike.

Leon
 
It's quite likely. You can buy power distribution units with filers
and surge suppression built-in.

My PC switched itself off recently during a thunderstorm when there
was a lightning strike.

Leon
Click to expand...



My computer made a neat beeping sound whenever I discharged a 200,000V
stun gun within 3 feet of it...

Michael
 
Per Skybuck Flying:
Once I noticed how my computer crashed which sounded like a crazy power
surge.

So I wonder:

What happens if my neighbours cause a short circuit in the wall socket...

Could that effect my equipment as well or are appartments somehow protected
from that ?
Click to expand...


I'd spend the bucks on a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).

My understanding of UPSs is that they will insulate your PC from
the surges and give you a few minutes to shut it down gracefully
if there's a power failure.

Maybe somebody with some real knowledge can chime in.
 
Skybuck said:
Hello,

I live in an appartment.

Once I noticed how my computer crashed which sounded like a crazy power
surge.

So I wonder:

What happens if my neighbours cause a short circuit in the wall socket...

Could that effect my equipment as well or are appartments somehow protected
from that ?
Click to expand...

No, it was space aliens.

Graham
 
Wow! Does that make a spark 7 cm long (breakdown of air ~30 kV/cm)?

Bet it doesn't.

Chris
Click to expand...


Spark is about 2 or 3 cm max (the electrode spacing). But it's
bright, and loud. Uses 2 9V batteries.

It looks just like this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/200-000-volt-St...72|39:1|66:2|65:12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.l1318

I played around with it during my undergrad years, about a decade
ago. (Not on anyone though - 200 kV has got to hurt.) It didn't seem
to damage my machine though at the time... (350 MHz AMD I believe it
was)

Michael
 
I live in an appartment.

What happens if my neighbours cause a short circuit in the wall socket...
Click to expand...

If your apartment neighbors cause a short circuit in the wall socket,
I'd be more worried about them burning down the building.

Alan Nishioka
 
No, it was space aliens.

Graham
Click to expand...


Or the antineutrinos which were created when potassium-40 in his
banana underwent beta decay.

(Man, is that a funky sentence or what...)

Michael
 
Hello,

I live in an appartment.

Once I noticed how my computer crashed which sounded like a crazy power
surge.

So I wonder:

What happens if my neighbours cause a short circuit in the wall socket...

Could that effect my equipment as well or are appartments somehow protected
from that ?

Bye,
Skybuck.
Click to expand...


Your computer has got the Plague. Capacitor Plague, Inductor Plague,
Transistor Plague.
 
Your computer has got the Plague. Capacitor Plague, Inductor Plague,
Transistor Plague.
Click to expand...

That's right. The only solution is the hoof-and-mouth disease cure --
you must immediately destroy and cremate ALL of your computers before
the disease spreads any further. If you're unwilling or unable to do
this, there are any number of readers on comp.arch who will be eager to
assist. Anything to stop the incessant, brainless drivel spewing forth!
 
Wow! Does that make a spark 7 cm long (breakdown of air ~30 kV/cm)?

Bet it doesn't.

Chris
Click to expand...


OK smart ass. Tell us why:

Most low power HV AC will not initiate an arc at that distance, but
would maintain one once started.

The stun gun is an AC device, and why not DC.

The arc most certainly would initiate if it were a DC source of that
potential.

As for the above, lightning strikes usually involve spikes ending up on
the power feeds. Such power line anomalies can easily cause a reset,
much less a beep.

The close proximity of the stun gun means a lot of HF flux gets
generated. If it is local enough to a high clock rate product, it can
introduce a glitch.

Such transients are usually very temporal, and only have an effect
during the period in which they occur. If it does nothing at the time it
happens, it won't later either. If it does something when it happens, it
likely will not have any lingering effect. The only exception is if a
hard drive write was taking place at the moment the glitch is introduced.
 
Thats not me...... :~)


That is precisely what a UPS does... A decent UPS acts as both a battry
back up for the supply but also as a power conditioner... The ones I have
had on test stands have a much smoother output than the mains input.

Rarius

---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News
Provider ----
http://www.pronews.com offers corporate packages that have access to
100,000+ newsgroups
Click to expand...



AIUI, "double online converters" do the clean up as you stated:

AC --> Rectified - float charge batteries --> inverter to AC out.


The cheap and nasty ones (like mine) run the line ac in and out via a relay,
on power fail the inverter cranks up and the output is switched to be
sourced from the inverter circuit.
 
No I am ok.

I did pay for the new power supply which has all kinds of protections.

But so far I am not using it.

My seasonic s12 600 watt power supply seems to be just fine.

It was a bad memory chip causing problems.

Bye,
Skybuck.
 
My seasonic s12 600 watt power supply seems to be just fine.

It was a bad memory chip causing problems.
Click to expand...

Power supplies must make such events irrelevant. For example, a
power supply must completely lose power for 17 milliseconds and work
just fine. With less load, that power supply should remains powered
even longer.

Any filters, etc recommended by others must be in the power supply.
Those features that make power supplies so robust sometimes get 'lost'
when the computer assembler buys only on 'dollars and watts'. If the
power supply needs those line conditioners (ie $100+), then how much
did the computer assembler save when buying a $20 supply instead of
the $60 supply?

No short circuits by a neighbor should cause any damage to any
electronics. However, electrical problems in one house has been
observed to cause problems in other homes - even a wire glowing red
hot inside the wall according to fire department IR viewers - because
the homes were not properly grounded. Earth ground serves many
masters. In that 'near fire' situation, both homes has earth grounds
removed. Therefore a TV cable was conducting too much current -
literally could be seen inside the wall using fire department's IR
vision equipment.

If a neighbor's short circuit caused problems in your appliances,
then you may have some wiring problems or fundamentally defective
appliances. Are filters required in all electronics missing in your
electronics?
 
Hello,

I live in an appartment.

Once I noticed how my computer crashed which sounded like a crazy power
surge.

So I wonder:

What happens if my neighbours cause a short circuit in the wall socket...

Could that effect my equipment as well or are appartments somehow protected
from that ?
Click to expand...

There's an easy way to tell, it's rather complex so I'll list it in
point form. I'll assume you're a reasonably normal human being
(likely a mistake, but we'll just contine, won't we...)

- Enter kitchen.
- Open utensil drawer.
- Select knife (any knife will do, doesn't need to be sharp)
- Grab bucket.
- Go to bathroom and fill bucket with water.
- Enter shower.
- Turn faucet on until you are completely drenched with water.
- Carry knife into the room your PC sits.
- Remove socket that your PC is plugged into.
- With your free hand, place it into the bucket of water.
- With your hand holding the knife, stick it into the wall socket.
- Report back your findings.

Cheers,
Rod.
 
There's an easy way to tell, it's rather complex so I'll list it in
point form. I'll assume you're a reasonably normal human being
(likely a mistake, but we'll just contine, won't we...)

- Enter kitchen.
- Open utensil drawer.
- Select knife (any knife will do, doesn't need to be sharp)
- Grab bucket.
- Go to bathroom and fill bucket with water.
- Enter shower.
- Turn faucet on until you are completely drenched with water.
- Carry knife into the room your PC sits.
- Remove socket that your PC is plugged into.
- With your free hand, place it into the bucket of water.
- With your hand holding the knife, stick it into the wall socket.
- Report back your findings.

Cheers,
Rod.
Click to expand...

you should hope the poster is not as stupid as you.

It an offence to assist someone to commit suicide
 
you should hope the poster is not as stupid as you.

It an offence to assist someone to commit suicide
Click to expand...


Not only that, but if it is a plastic bucket, it does absolutely
nothing, as there is no path. If it is a metal bucket, it would have to
be sitting on concrete or other conductive, grounded surface, for there
to even be any danger present, or actually be grounded with wire. Then,
there is the fact that most knives will not fit into most US AC wall
receptacles. At least not far enough in to make contact. It would be
far easier just to slit a nice large artery with the knife, which is what
the goddamned cross-posting bastard that started this horseshit thread
should do to himself.
 
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