Strange power failure at the house this morning.

[uglyboywith11fingers]

Just discovered another PC dead... a unit I occasionally use to play with other O/S like Ubuntu, etc. ( I used to work with computers, so have a few extra around the house.) This PC was plugged in, but not turned on. I've got the other 2 PC's going by replacing the PowerSupply units inside the system units. Luckily no data loss at all. I didn't get around to looking at the Samsung Laser printer yet.
Also, discovered this morning that the water softener (digital control) was dead... turned out to be the power adapter (24VAC output) Seems to be OK with another 24VAC adapter. Multimeter shows the primary is open on the blown adapter.
I see you guys talking about a blown monitor... don't know where that came from, I didn't lose a monitor.
I opened up one of the Computer power supply units... just too much damage to see what actually fried.. looks like capacitors popped, there's a hole burnt in the circuit board. They are switching supplies, but do have the 120/240 slide switch on the back.

Pete

 

[Soundguy]

i bet there was a bit of a spike when that neutral opened....

 

[farmer2009]

I had a similar situation last fall. Only I melted the meter and one legs terminal off. It was a 120 volt leg not the neutral. It was buried in conduit. I had to pay an electrician to wire up the new meter base and an inspector to inspect it. But the power company supplied the meter base and wiring to the pole. It was already in conduit so they just hooked new to old and changed it out in one pull.

 

[Soundguy]

I see you guys talking about a blown monitor... don't know where that came from, I didn't lose a monitor.

when i read PC's and printer dead, I just guessed whole kit n kaboodle...

 

[Soundguy]

I see you guys talking about a blown monitor... don't know where that came from, I didn't lose a monitor.

when i read PC's and printer dead, I just guessed whole kit n kaboodle...

 

[grsthegreat]

when the neutral is dropped, theres a major surge of power and no return path. electronics always fail. the last house i saw this happen to lost sub zero friges, and freezers, all tv and stereos, all computers, coffee makers....just about every appliance was fried. the computers only need new power supplies. the rest of items are major repairs.

this is also a reason no electrician worth his salt ever installes whats we refer yo as an "edison circuit" anymore. that was when we shared one neutral with 2 separate hot legs. its a way to save on wire, but if a neutral gets dropped,,,, you get 240 thru all legs.

 

[Industrial Toys]

When the Sun Spots Strike someday, that "Dead" list will be a whole lot longer! Some say it will take decades to repair the damage to the national grid!

As far as the neutral goes. EVERY house is wired that way. But I am the only one on a single (rural) transformer, so the neutral would have to fail between my house/buildings and the transformer.

But, I am curious if the three phase distribution system failed in some manner, if one could get over voltage? In other words if the 4800 feeding my transformer could go much higher because of some fault in their system, and then my 110/220 would go up proportionally and possibly destroy my stuff!.

 

[grsthegreat]

ill sell you a generator

most of my installs are from people that are afraid of the grid. Just sold another 11 KW and a 16KW and ready to order another 45KW.

 

[Industrial Toys]

It's not the grid that scares me, but the people who run it!

I have some nice (slow running) backup power.

 

[ultrarunner]

Interesting thread because I have been having power issues in Olympia WA...

Several times PSE has been out and made splice repairs... the last time they said this is only temporary.

Their transformer is at the house and the run is about 1000 feet direct buried without conduit.

Foreman said I need to think about putting in conduit because Direct Bury is no longer approved... PSE did the direct burial in 1977.