Computer Shut Off

[zellix]

I have an odd problem which I have narrowed down slightly. My system will shut off sometimes when the home heater starts up. When I say shut off, the display turns off but the fans inside the case still run, as do the LEDs associated with them. I have to reboot in order to get the system on again.

I have tried several things such as: Different power cords, different surge protector, different outlet, different room. All to no avail. I have run stability tests, but those all check out fine temperature wise. The shut off is ONLY associated witht he heater starting up, so I assumed it was a under voltage issue.

Any thoughts or ideas what could be the issue. The system is new, (2 months old now) and I was not aware of the issue before about a couple weeks ago since we did not need to use the heater until now.

System Specs:
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 965 BE
Mobo: Asus M4A88TD-V EVO
Memory: 2x 4GB G.SKILL Ripjaws Series DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Video Card: Sapphire Vapor-X Radeon HD 5770 1GB
Harddrive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
PSU: Cooler Master Silent ProM 600W
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

 

[BoomerD]

What kind of heater? Is this a "plug into the wall" space heater?

If so, it could be drawing so much power that there's not enough for the PC...although I'd expect it to pop a breaker...
Sounds like you need a good electrician to check your wiring.

 

[Lanyap]

Yeah, check out your house wiring and breakers and get a UPS for your system.

 

[zellix]

I ordered a new battery for my APC UPS that has been sitting around. I sure hope that will fix it. The heater is a central heating unit, that goes through the ducts in the house. It has a self igniter, that basically is a spark plug. That is when the computer usually turns off, but it has turned off when the fan motor starts up about 20 secs after the spark starts. Both being sudden power draws when they start.

The heater is 25+ years old and probably needs replaced anyway soon. Although it hasn't affected the other computer systems in the house. But this system is the beefiest and needs the most power. I even had issues in the past with wireless before I wired this room with Cat5e. The heater would come on and I would lose connection on my wireless, but it would restore almost immediately. Guessing the thing puts out some serious RFI. Which actually was another though of mine, that it was emitting interference into my power cord but couldn't find other people experiencing that.

Thanks for the suggestions, and I will respond if the UPS fixes the issue or not.

 

[brandonb]

I've had similar situation in my moms older house (built in the 1950s) with the original wiring. She also lived near an airport. We'd always have electronics spontaniously turn on and off randomly. It wasn't necessarily associated with the heater since it would happen during warm months as well, and she didn't have central air.

We have since updated the wiring in the house (when we remodeled) and I believe the problem is fixed. I think the original wires and the newer wires were different guage or different quality. I'm not sure if this helps or not, but it could be that the electrical wiring in your house may not be up to code.

 

[westom]

I ordered a new battery for my APC UPS that has been sitting around. I sure hope that will fix it. ... The heater would come on and I would lose connection on my wireless, but it would restore almost immediately. Guessing the thing puts out some serious RFI.

Your APC does nothing for your problem - with or without a new battery. Read its numeric specs. It only claims to provide power during a blackout.

It is not RFI. For some reason, the heater is creating a current. And for some reason, that current is passing through the computer motherboard. Little more can be said without wild speculation. Until you first define all interconnected wires.

For example, is that heater two wire or three? Is its plug polarized? What are entire room wires including where the heater, computer, and all computer peripherals connect? Every USB connection. Printer - but what connects to what and what is powered where.

Nothing in the room (other than a microwave oven) generates 2.4 Ghz. EMC/EMI is about following the incoming and outgoing path of noise currents. It is electricity. So an incoming and outgoing path exists. What material is that computer mounted on? Linoleum tile and concrete are electrical conductors. So they also must be listed with what is connected to what.

 

[zellix]

Ya, I was afraid of that (about the UPS) I guess I was hoping it might supply enough charge incase the power going to the system was dipping too low abruptly.

The heater is 3 wire and the plug is not polarized (both prongs are the same size). The heater is in little cavity in the hall and is the only thing plugged into the outlet in the cavity. It sits about 8-10 feet away from my computer, with 2 walls between it. My computer and all my peripherals are plugged into the same outlet in my office room through a surge protector. That includes my computer, wireless mouse dock, speaker sub, and 2 21-inch CRT monitors. Also I guess it's worth noting that when my speakers are on, and the heater's spark is going, static emits from my speakers. I have my keyboard and mouse both connected via usb, and a little usb bluetooth. The computer sits on a desk made of fake wood which has a metal legs.

Hope this clarifies some things. Thanks for your help thus far.

 

[westom]

Also I guess it's worth noting that when my speakers are on, and the heater's spark is going, static emits from my speakers.

This is not an electric heater? This is a fossil fuel heater?

Well, for starters, best is to not solve noise problems at the victim (your computer). Those problems best are elminated at the source - that high voltage sparking device.

So do these devices share the same household circuit. Are they on the same phase? Do they share any safety ground wires?

For example, noise generated by the sparking device is this current path. Outgoing via hot and or neutral wire. Back to sparking device via safety ground. That might be one path through your computer.

Apparently the computer system is powered by many different power supplies. Whereas a computer's power supply is probably superb, other power supplies powered by a wall wart type supply may be one incoming path through your computers motherboard to safety ground.

Whereas the best place to eliminate noise would be at the source. Still, your system should have better isolation. Serious filters required to be in any computer should have cut off the current path through your machine.

I cannot give a definitive answer. But I can demonstrate what you are searching for - the current path that starts from the high voltage spark generator, goes through the computer, then returns by some other conductor (ie gas pipe). Leaving you to find the 'surprise' electrical connnections that would permit that current on that electric circuit.

 

[zellix]

This is not an electric heater? This is a fossil fuel heater?

Correct. It is a natural gas heater, but uses a spark plug to ignite the gas every time it starts up. I did replace a light switch a couple weeks ago and was surprised how the house was wired. It may be common, just seemed odd. The breakers were shutting power off to individual outlets in different room, even at opposite ends of the house, opposed to controlling whole rooms in close proximity.

I have had a computer in here for quite awhile, it's just this new system that is having the issues. Which I am guessing is because it draws more power? Not sure. Or perhaps the heater spark is becoming more of a current with age.

 

[C1]

OP states that shutdown seems to happen when the fan motor starts. Motors typically employ capacitors (or sometimes inductors) to phase shift the field temporarily at start up (in order begin armature rotation from a dead stop). If one had to guess, then fan motor start up is creating line interference that is spooking the computer. A possible solution would be to put the computer on its own independent circuit. (I doubt the igniter has anything to do with the computer. Computers just by themselves put out lots of RF.)

 

[westom]

(I doubt the igniter has anything to do with the computer. Computers just by themselves put out lots of RF.)

If any computer is outputting much RF, then that explains the problem. A computer missing functions that are required inside all computers.

Set an AM (longwave) radio to a weak station. Use that radio as an RFI detector (using a strong station or no station will not be as effective due to circuits inside that radio).

Locate that AM radio adjacent to a computer. If it creates interference, that computer has a serious design (assembly) problem. Making it both a noise generator and more susceptible to interference from outside noise. Same test applies to the heater.

Whereas current that is causing computer interruption is on wires, still, that current can be detected by RF (kilohertz; not gigahertz) just outside the noise generator or wire. Another example of a tool that any layman uses to discover a problem before fixing anything.

Even how noise exists (is it a pop or a period of static) can be relevant information.