Power Cut Damage to Electrical Equipment

[owre-weel]

Can anyone tell me if they suffered any damaged equipment after yesterdays powercut, and is there anything you can do about it?

 

My elderly mothers microwave was dead after the power cut. You usually need to re-set the digital clock after a power cut, but it was dead. It was working perfectly prior to the cut. I had a friend look at it who sugessted that when the power has come back on it has blown something in the microwave, causing it to trip the fuse. He looked inside and said the internal fuse had also blown, so he replaced it and the clock lit up. But as soon as he switched it on it blew the fuse again. He says the microwave must have suffered more internal damage and will need to be repaired.

 

It is not a cheap microwave £195, but out of guarentee.

[MJ]

yes you can make a claim, I know of a whole street who got compensation after the electric company fried their wiring. as to how to do it no idea, different area. trying reading small print at hydro.co.uk

[Logie-Bear]

my laptop battery is now doing strange things, it says i need to consider changing it!

 

This only appeared after yesterdays power cut.

[MuckleJoannie]

I noticed before the power cut earlier this month the lights got brighter then flickered. Might be worth investing in a power surge adapter for the next power cut.

 

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=iN6&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&q=power+surge+protector&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=5658713761988412279&ei=qdsgTObLCZm60gT6oKzlDw&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDQQ8wIwAg#

[shetlandpeat]

If the power cut was planned, they always say to turn everything off.

 

The damage could have been done by a surge, if the Hydro was experiencing switching dificulties. Modern equipment can be very sensitive as the tolerences hav lessened over the years.

The lap top battery. Best to fully discharge it, recharge and allow it to equalize, this can be done by leaving it on trickle, or plugged in for 16 hours, but some batteries are so called inteligent and could be quite correct in their silicon minds.

But, put a claim in..

[snurtmunchkin]

How do you go about makin a claim against da hydro, because wi da pwoer surge yesterday it shot oot wir plasma tv!! No best pleased, so an info would be gratly appreciated.

[Guest Anonymous]

i mind voltage drops goin for some stuff a while ago n they did fork out , but as far as i can mind it was all dealt wi through initial contact wi this office here at Lerwick an was no big issue

[zebbidy]

if you are unsure on how to claim refunds than just pop along the citizens advice bureau and they will explaine how to go about it

[papastour]

I live in Papa Stour and we had to rely on generators as the cable had snapped. Approx two years it took them to lay another one, on the same rocks(madness). I have been trying for over three years to get all issues sorted with Hydro. I had at least six computers break plus microwaves and fridges. They are supposed to sort out issues within 12 weeks. Im now going through advocacy in Shetland and the ombudsman. I pay under protest now my electric bill hoping one day all issues will be resolved. I had to give up the compter business I was doing as I didnt have a guaranteed supply of electric. Now David Cameran describes me as a welfare scrounger. But I put alot of the blame on the Hydro company.

 

Any advice will be welcome.

[Skunnered]

^^^Have you tried attaching your computer through a voltage regulator?

[Pleepsie]

I had to give up the compter business I was doing as I didnt have a guaranteed supply of electric. Now David Cameran describes me as a welfare scrounger. But I put alot of the blame on the Hydro company.

 

Any advice will be welcome.

I am surprised that you gave up your computer business because of an unreliable power supply. It would surely have made sense to use a battery powered laptop, a small generator and a power invertor and surge protector (the last 3 items can be purchased at reasonable cost) this would have ensured a steady power supply, so it does seem rather extreme to have given up your job on such a small issue.

[papastour]

Yes you make good points and it does seem on the surface I quit to easy, but the computers needed to be on 24 hours a day every day, apart from the odd controlled shut down. Laptops dont cope being put on all the time.

The income was only a small amount of 400 dollars every 4 weeks, but it needed very little work involved as long as the computers had constant electric. When any power cuts happened it was a full days work re entering everything( minimum)

The computers had been specially made for this type of work. Im not a computer engineer, and getting experts to come and look at the machines was beyond my finances.

I also decided it was beyond economic sence to carry on while I didnt have a guaranteed constant supply of electric. As I was losing a computer on each time they refueled, or interuption of supply.And I was letting the companys down that I was supplying.

I never anticipated it would take two years to relay the electric cable.

I would like to go back into business but at the moment the electric company are threatening to cut my supply, yet we still have issues to resolve. My computers are still awaiting to be fixed as promised in the good will gesture that never really fully happened.

[westom]

You usually need to re-set the digital clock after a power cut, but it was dead. It was working perfectly prior to the cut. I had a friend look at it who sugessted that when the power has come back on it has blown something in the microwave, causing it to trip the fuse. He looked inside and said the internal fuse had also blown, so he replaced it and the clock lit up. But as soon as he switched it on it blew the fuse again.

First, damage usually occurs before power is lost. Damage that causes damage also causes a power loss. Or is created by the power disconnect.

 

Second, destructive transients seek earth ground. Any lesser transient is made completely irrelevant by protection already inside every appliance. But the rare and destructive transient goes hunting destructively if inside.

 

Third, either that energy dissipates harmlessly outside the building. Or that energy is inside hunting destructively. You make that choice. Every wire inside every cable must connect 'less than 3 meters' to single point earth ground. Connected directly (ie cable TV, satellite dish) or connected via a 'whole house' protector (AC electric, telephone). If any one wire does not make that connection, then a surge will go hunting.

 

Fourth, the most common source of such damage is lightning. But utility switching (especially during unexpected problems) can also create this transient. Most all transients are made completely irrelevant by protection inside every appliance. But your concern is the rare transient (typically once every seven years throughout the world) that can overwhelm that protection. In your case, that transient probably occurred before or as power was lost. In your case, that transient found the best connection to earth via a microwave. Next time it may be via a TV, dishwasher, or furnace. Informed homeowners address earthing. And earthing one protector from the fewer responsible companies such as Kieson.

 

Finally, a microwave oven is one of the most dangerous appliances to service. It can kill even when not connected to AC mains. Anyone that does not know why should not be inside any microwave oven.

[westom]

have you tried attaching your computer through a voltage regulator?

What is that thing in every computer called a power supply? A voltage regulator that is superior to anything that might be on its power cord.