My PSU died?

[Silent_Buddha]

Speaking of which, is there any good defense against lightning strikes? It was plugged into a surge protector but I don't know of any surge protectors rated for 500 million joules.

Yes, there is.

Unplug the PC and any other electronics that you don't want to risk getting fried.

Or have a lightning rod installed close to the house that is higher and thus a more attractive target for a lightning strike. It should be safe to have it adjacent and touching the house as long as it's isolated from other wiring.

Regards,
SB

 

[westom]

Speaking of which, is there any good defense against lightning strikes? It was plugged into a surge protector but I don't know of any surge protectors rated for 500 million joules.

That plug-in protector claims 100% protection in advertising. And no protection in the only place they cannot lie - numeric specifications. Routine is to have direct lightning strikes without damage. But only when one first learns the 100 year old concepts.

Lightning seeks earth ground. Either absorbed harmlessly outside the building before entering. Or it is inside hunting for earth destructively via appliances. No interior protector can avert that hunt. Sometimes, plug-in protectors make damage easier.

Protection is always about where energy dissipates. So plug-in protectors will not discuss it. And have no means of earthing that energy.

A destructive surge is hundreds of thousands of joules. How do hundreds of joules inside a power strip protector absorb that energy? It doesn't. Again, view the numeric specs. It does not even claim protection. How does its 2 centimeter part stop what three miles of sky could not? It does not have to. Those protectors are profit centers. A $3 power strip with some ten cent protector parts selling for $25 or $150. Or selling in a more expensive box, called a 'line conditioner', for $200 or $400. Total profit center. No protection.

That is the scam. How was protection done 100 years ago when operators, attached to headsets, worked uninterrupted through every thunderstorm?

Every wire inside every incoming cable must connect to earth ground before entering. Repeated again because this concept is very difficult if trained by retail myths and power strip protectors. Every wire must connect to single point earth ground so that energy dissipates harmlessly outside the building.

Cable TV and satellite dish have best protection when no protector is used. Those wires must connect short ('less than 10 feet') to earth via a wire - typically 12 AWG. That means direct lightning strikes are earthed - do not enter on that wire.

Telephone wires cannot be earthed directly. So all phone lines already have a 'whole house' protector installed for free. Because the effective protection is so inexpensive and so effective. But no protector does protection. Either the protector connects energy harmlessly to earth. Or it does nothing. Only you are responsible for the essential 'single point earth ground'.

And finally, a direct lightning strike to AC electric wires down the street is a direct lightning strike to every household appliance. Which ones are damaged? Which appliances connect that lightning strike to earth ground?

Since all cable and telephone wires already have earthing, then a surge hunting for earth will often damage those appliances. No, surges rarely are incoming on cable or telephone line. Those appliances are damaged because some human invited a surge to go hunting inside the house. Some human did not earth only one 'whole house' protector.

Three AC electric wires. Two are not earthed if you do not install a 'whole house' protector from the more responsible companies including Leviton, Intermatic, General Electric, Square D, ABB, or Siemens. An effective Cutler-Hammer solution sells in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50.

Obviously most every paragraph - information that was understood over the past 100 years - is probably completely new to you. That means you will not understand most of this until the third reread.

Lightning is 20,000 amps. A protector must earth even direct lightning strikes - and remain functional. Minimally sized 'whole house' protectors start at about 50,000 amps. Yes, only effective protector and designed to earth destructive surges. Only effective protectors have the dedicated wire for the short (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection to the only thing that does protection - single point earth ground.

Every protection layer is only defined by the earthing. Over half your questions should be on earthing - not on magic boxes promoted by myth purveyors. Above only discusses secondary protection. That layer defined by the earth ground adjacent to the breaker box and other incoming utilities. Also inspect your primary surge protection system - especially if you electric company is a First Energy company. A picture demonstrates what to inspect:
http://www.tvtower.com/fpl.html

Above is really very simple. And costs tens of times less money compared to scam plug-in protectors. But it is also completely new to anyone educated only by retail advertising. Therefore the reading is long.

Protection is always - always - about where energy dissipates. No earth ground - a plug-in protector - means no effective protection. A protector (ie 'whole house' type) is only as effective as the only item that does surge protection - single point earth ground.

BTW, this is only the exective summary. You should have many questions.

 

[Davros]

many surge protectors come with a connected equipment warranty
belkin for example
http://www.belkin.com/uk/powersolutions/warranties/

ps: next time get your wife to fly a kite outside that way your computer will be safe

 

[BRiT]

Which are always impossible to collect on any claims.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I don't think any surge protector companies will cover damage due to lightning strikes.

Then again, I suppose it's possible that they might since the likelyhood of a lightning striking actually hitting a home without a lightning rod is extremely slight. So perhaps they just figure the equipment will be blown anyways but so few that the coverage won't matter.

That might be small comfort to someone if they lose all their data due to a strike.

Regards,
SB

 

[westom]

many surge protectors come with a connected equipment warranty belkin for example

That warranty has numerous exemptions. Learn from the free market. Products that hype best warranties are often the worst products. For example, GM cars are now hyping a 140,000 km five year warranty. That proves GM is superior to Honda and Toyota? Of course not. Biggest hyped warranties are a first indication of an inferior product.

Learn what others discovered:
tamaradensh on 12 Jul 2008:
> I had it plugged into a Belkin Surge Protector. They have a connected equipment guarentee.
> I put in the claim and was told that it only covered equipment for power surges as the
> products wasn't designed to protect from other power malfunctions.

Or Newsman on 10 Sept 2002 entitled "SONY TiVo SVR-2000"
> They gave me a ton of crap, including that it was null and void b/c the Tivo was also
> connected to the coax line for cable (this was not mentioned as a thing in the
> warranty that can nullify it). Eventually it boiled down to a line in the warranty that
> said "Belkin at it's sole discretion can reject any claim for any reason".

The best warranty is attached to equipment that actually claims surge protection in its numeric specifications. Where does Belkin claim that protection in numbers? It doesn't.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Sweet power supply choice Homerdog, I don't think you're gonna be disappointed at all.

 

[Davros]

@westom
well buy a different surge protector then

 

[homerdog]

It should arrive Wednesday. Don't think I've ever been this excited about a power supply.

Thanks for the info westom, that was a hardcore first post.

 

[Malo]

I prefer Enermax. They design and manufacture their own PSUs, Corsair and virtually every other brand name out there buy OEM units and stick their own labels on them.

I've had my Enermax Infinity for several years now, very solid and quiet power supply. It died once and they sent me a replacement very quickly, brand new. Great hardwired + modular system.

 

[Vadi]

I just installed the Modu87 and I'm pleased with it, since it's completely silent. Now I can hear the HDD whine and its vibrations.
There was even a PSU bag included.

 

[homerdog]

I would've loved a Modu87 for the modular connectors, but that's not worth twice what I paid for the S12II.

 

[homerdog]

This thing is great. All the cables are sleeved and it makes no noise at all. Literally it is completely silent as far as my human senses are concerned. It never got any louder after 30 minutes of Borderlands either.

 

[Frank]

Simple surge protectors (depending on how they're build) are still useful with lightning, as long as not every (incoming) line shorts to ground when the lightning strikes somewhere in the neighborhood, because of the difference in potential (high voltage) generated.

It doesn't have to protect against a direct lightning strike (it won't), but it will protect against the high-voltage spike generated. And it will also work if you live close to a factory, where they use power-hungry electrical machinery. Although an UPS that uses a regulator at all times would be better for that (and much more expensive).

Earthing only works if it goes to a central point, and many appliances that should be earthed, aren't (like my computer, simply because I haven't got an earthed wall socket close by). And even when you have taken precautions, your neighbor might not.

So, if you do value your equipment, but don't want or need to spend money on having everything earthed with a protection circuit on all incoming cables (like, when you live in the city), it does help (if you have a decent one).

But I agree it's not a real protection, like for when you live out in the open. Then you need to do all those other things, and the simple ones become redundant when you do.


Btw, westom, nice post, very informative!

 

[Davros]

(like my computer, simply because I haven't got an earthed wall socket close by).

isnt that a regulation in holland ?

edit: obviously not hence the 2 pin plugs

 

[homerdog]

Great, my new place has no grounded sockets. I'm still using the same surge suppressor the comp was plugged into when it was previously fried.

 

[Frank]

isnt that a regulation in holland ?

edit: obviously not hence the 2 pin plugs

Yes, it's only required in the bath room and kitchen (places that can become wet, in general).

Earth leak protectors (sp?) are mandatory for new installations, but they aren't fast enough for high-voltage surges (and don't offer enough of a gap distance for lightning).

 

[Frank]

Great, my new place has no grounded sockets. I'm still using the same surge suppressor the comp was plugged into when it was previously fried.

Unfortunately, there is no easy diagnosis without having a look on-site, or opening up those surge suppression sockets. There are too many variables.

Your best bet is having a knowledgeable friend take a look around.


Edit: I have diagnosed and corrected multiple computer problems at companies with a better, stable and protected power supply. It's pretty common at companies that use lots of heavy electrical equipment.

 

[westom]

Great, my new place has no grounded sockets. I'm still using the same surge suppressor the comp was plugged into when it was previously fried.

Safety ground is not earth ground. That should be obvious for a long list of reasons starting with this critical phrase: 'less than 10 feet'. Understand why that number is so important.

Those cable wire must connect short ('less than 10 feet') to earth via a sold 12 AWG wire. That means direct lightning strikes are earthed - do not enter the building on any wire.

Wall receptacle safety ground is not earth ground. Even the code says that. Wall receptacle safety ground is called equipment ground. Earth ground is discusses elsewhere in code books because it is different.

Electricity is never same at both ends of a wire. No knowing that is why myths promote wall receptacle safety ground as earth ground. Also explains the expression: 'less than 10 feet'.

Nowhere should any post discuss earthing a computer. Do you want lightning to seek earth via your computer? Yes if the computer is earthed.

Earthing is a ground rod outside the house. Earthing is anything that makes the always required short connection to that earth. Earthing for surge protection - not just for human safety - must both meet and exceed post 1990 National Electrical code. Safety ground are wires attached to wall receptacles.

Obviously GFCIs have no purpose in surge protection. Any salesman can say anything which is why you often ignore him. One that says anything honest also includes reasons why – and always numbers. No numbers - then ignore him. Why you know GFCIs do not surge protection? Numbers: 1) Surges are done in microseconds. GFCIs take milliseconds. 2) Surges are not stopped by three miles of sky. Millimeter open switch inside a GFCI will stop a surge? 3) Surges are only averted by connecting them short ('ie less than 10 feet') to single point earth ground. GFCI has no earthing. 4) Surge protection is about transistor safety. GFCI is only for human safety.

One 'whole house' protector is the effective solution for every house - 1930 or 2010 wires. Two prong or three prong receptacles. Knob and tube wiring or BX cable. Makes no difference. Only relevant wire that may need upgrading is where all utilities enter a building. The service entrance. The always critical earth ground.

Either energy is earthed (not safety grounded) at the services entrance. Or that energy is inside hunting for earth destructively via appliances. Hunting via two wire or three wire receptacles. Hunting regardless of plug-in or UPS protectors - that protector next to a computer that did nothing useful. Either energy dissipates harmlessly outside the building. Or the resulting surge damage is directly traceable to human failure. Technology that well proven by over 100 years of experience. And it even costs many times less money.

If a protector is adjacent to a computer, it does not protect. And its manufacturer specifications do not even claim protection. Protectors too close to electronics and too far from earth ground can even contribute to surge damage. The only relevant ground is earth ground. Those few feet of wire where every incoming utility wire inside every cable must connect to earth.

 

[MfA]

What if the surge is induced in the wiring inside the building?