Do You Unplug Your Computer During a Bad Storm....

kittkatt

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Messages
6,108
Purraise
14
Location
Online
or do you feel 'safe' having it plugged into a surge protector?

Ever since I had a WebTV unit & telephone destroyed during a thunderstorm, I've been all paranoid about leaving the computer plugged in - especially now since we have the new computer.
I sure don't want to take any chances with it now. The computer IS plugged into a surge protector, but still...


Some peeps say it'll be all right as long as it's protected by the surge protector, and that you shouldn't unplug your computer b/c it's too hard on it.

What's your opinion on this?

~KK~
 

littleraven7726

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 1, 2002
Messages
3,339
Purraise
12
Location
Next to the World's Largest 6-pack
No. We have an uninteruptable power supply, UPS, for the computer. It has power conditioning and a battery that lasts about 20 minutes should the power go out. We don't have it installed right now, but there is also software that the computer will automatically shut down when the UPS senses the power is out. And the UPS sounds an alarm. I always know when the power goes out if I'm sleeping because the beep is that loud.

http://www.apc.com/index.cfm

My laptop is only plugged in while charging, and through an APC Professional Grade surge protector. So when it's storming out, I don't have it plugged in.
 

natalie_ca

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
21,136
Purraise
223
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
No. I have a really good surge protector bar that I have my computer plugged into. Actually I have 3 surge protectors. Two for my computer equipment and one for my TV/VCR.

My brother's computer got fried one year when lightning hit a power transformer for his neighbourhood. Unfortunately he didn't have a surge protector at the time.
 

weldrwomn

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Messages
2,136
Purraise
11
Location
In the snow!!!!
I have a paranoid hubby, so we always completely shut down and unplug computers when done using them. We also unplug the wireless modem from the power supply and the phone line and then we turn off and unplug the power supply. It acutally saves on the electric bill to completely unplug everything.
 

yam102284

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 9, 2007
Messages
1,392
Purraise
2
Location
New Hampshire
Nope. We always leave our computer on during bad storms. And we have our things on surge protectors - our desktop computer, our living room tv, and our bedroom tv are all on surge protectors. My laptop I just plug into the wall when it needs to be charged.
 

icklemiss21

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 14, 2005
Messages
16,465
Purraise
20
Location
in the land of poutine and ice
Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

My brother's computer got fried one year when lightning hit a power transformer for his neighbourhood. Unfortunately he didn't have a surge protector at the time.
The same thing happened to mine WITH a surge protector when a power line was accidentally hit by workers. Thankfully they had to pay for my new computer.

I am careful to turn mine off now during storms, but I usually leave it on all the time and if I am not home to turn it off obviously it gets left on.
 

laureen227

Darksome Duo!
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 3, 2003
Messages
19,260
Purraise
387
Location
Denton TX
nope. the computer & printer are plugged into a power strip w/surge protection. the TV & VCR are old... probably need replacing soon, anyway - they're just plugged into the wall. if the DirectTV box takes a hit, i think they might replace it for me... if not, i'll just get a new one - it wasn't that expensive.


ok, now i'm thinking i need to get a surge protector for the TV stuff, too!

 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12

kittkatt

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Messages
6,108
Purraise
14
Location
Online
Originally Posted by WELDRWOMN

I have a paranoid hubby, so we always completely shut down and unplug computers when done using them. We also unplug the wireless modem from the power supply and the phone line and then we turn off and unplug the power supply. It acutally saves on the electric bill to completely unplug everything.
That's me, too.


I thought we were fixin' to get a storm not long after I posted this, so being the 'paranoid' person that I am, I logged off the computer and shut it down.


I guess I'm more worried about the phone lines than anything else - even though the surge protector has a plug-in for that, too. I don't know what it is about this area, but more people end up having blown-out phones than anything else when we get a bad storm.
I remember when I was working at Wal-Mart, and all the phones in the store were sold out due to a bad storm. Everyone was coming in to buy phones, and there were none to be had. When I got home that night, I didn't have a phone (or WebTV unit either), and I couldn't buy one the next day b/c there weren't any. So I guess I'd rather be safe than sorry - especially with the new computer!
 

xlpooper

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 8, 2007
Messages
3,405
Purraise
857
Location
South
I think the surge protector keeps it safe, I hope it does anyway.
 

calico2222

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 9, 2004
Messages
7,731
Purraise
41
Location
Over the river and through the woods...
If it's a close storm, we turn off the computers but leave them plugged in (surge protectors) but if it's still in the distance DH and I are usually online checking the weather channel to see if we HAVE to turn it off!
 

wishiwas

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
155
Purraise
1
Location
Clarksville, TN
I have a laptop, but I keep it plugged in as long as possible when storms come to make sure it has a good charge on it if the power goes out.. (Yes, I'm that addicted!
) I almost never turn it off, but I put it on sleep mode and unplug it when I'm not using it so I'm not wasting power.
 

strange_wings

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
There's only so much a surge protector will do, and practically nothing if lightning hits close enough - you'll be lucky if your wiring survives that.

My other computer was on a surge protector, yet all it took was a tiny little brown out to mess up the IDE channels on the mother board.

If I think the power will turn off, or has and probably will again, I go ahead and turn my pc off. I don't want to deal with a corrupt file system. I usually can't be bothered to unplug everything. In Oklahoma most storms are "bad" storms - as far as lightning goes. Who wants to wake up at 4am to unplug everything? I so used to the storms I don't even hear them anyways...
 
Top