Quote:
|
Originally Posted by ZrByte
been a little while since ive started a thread about problems Im having with my comps or Ideas I am having so I think this is way overdue 
ok, my problem at the moment is that I seem to be getting a tiny power surge in the house, a surge protected powerstrip doesnt stop it yet strangley my computer & my TV are the only things effected.
The TV dimms briefly but then carries on as normal, the PC however reboots as though someone has hit the power button twice fast (sometimes it needs to be powered down completeley before it will reboot as im sure some of you have experienced if you switch your machine on and off too quickly).
<SNIP> |
Have you spoken to your neighbours to see if they are getting the power-dip? If they are, call you electricity supplier. They may not do anything, but it's worth a call anyway. It is actually law that your power supply stays within certain voltage limits (230v +10% / -6%), but they can get away with the odd dip or spike. It may be that somebody is starting something quite large and that is causing the problem. Repetative power dips or spikes will shorten the life of electronic equipment and TV's are especially sensitive to voltage fluctuations.
Alternatively, it may be your premises. As has been pointed out, you may have a fault on your ring main circuit, or the whole installation. If you suspect this, get it checked immediately. A bad connection or other high resistance can easily result in a fire, and any protective device may not be triggered by such a fault. If you do have rewireable fuses, I'd recommend getting them changed anyway. A rewireable fuse can easily take twice its rating without blowing. If you have a Wylex consumer unit (the fuses have two coloured dots on them), there are MCB's and cartridge fuse replacement options available which mean you don't need to change the consumer unit. But an RCD is a must these days, so if you haven't got one then a new consumer unit perhaps is the best choice.
Also, you may have a faulty appliance causing a problem, although this is less likely as it should be taking its own protective device (fuse, MCB etc.), but you never know.
If your fault is with the electricity supply, and your supplier isn't doing much, then a UPS may be a work-around. But I recommend that you get the other things checked out first.