Poor house power - how to diagnose?

[Sephy]

Hello,
This is somewhat of a continuation of a recent thread I started on this matter:
Linked old thread

At this point, based on the random total shutdowns of my PC (happened a bunch a long time ago, switched to another outlet and surge protector a long time ago, stopped for awhile, just recently happened again), I feel like my lockups are a power issue.

Being that my lockups/bluescreens have transcended many upgrades of my components, I feel that this may be flaky house power. How can I check this? How do I diagnose my power supply if it is indeed that? I highly doubt any other hardware, as it has happened through other components. I also doubt software, as it has happened through reformats and beyond.

Where dost one go from here?

 

[UsandThem]

Link

Then invest in a UPS with line conditioning.

 

[Big Lar]

Another way, would be to borrow a Multimeter from someone, and check voltages at the socket for Actual voltage, at say 3pm while all the neighbors have the air on, to see if you are getting line drop. You should get approx 114v at the outlet with other stuff running in the room.

 

[Zepper]

The best way is to have your power company put a recorder in your house for a complete week if possible (at least three days). It records max/min voltages spikes surges brownouts and dropouts. They should do that for free.

.bh.

 

[Sephy]

Originally posted by: Zepper
The best way is to have your power company put a recorder in your house for a complete week if possible (at least three days). It records max/min voltages spikes surges brownouts and dropouts. They should do that for free.

.bh.

I think I might do this. I'm picking up one of those little meters today. If there are problems, what happens? How do you get it corrected?

 

[Zepper]

If it is really bad, they should locate any problem external to your house and fix it including the drop to your house (your electrician may need to do that depending on your local ordinances). Perhaps some of the problem is internal to your house - how long have the outlets you are using been installed - you know standard residential outlets don't last too long if used a lot. I replace the ones I use for my computers (and others that are heavily used) with commercial grade outlets (from Lowes or Home Depot). And check the wiring from your breaker panel to your wall outlet (you may need an electrician for that) - it could be loose or corroded.

.bh.

 

[Sephy]

Sheesh, I don't know how to do any of that. Are there any sites that show how to change outlets?

 

[gsaldivar]

I'd recommend against sticking a multimeter in your electric outlet unless you know exactly what you're doing.

Try contacting your electric company for a recorder first. :thumbsup:

 

[UptheMiddle]

Plenty of books on that subject matter. Keep safety in mind - turn power off via breaker, then test multiple times if you're just using a simple voltmeter (sometimes both prongs don't connect with the metallic pieces in the receptacle). Make sure to test proper voltmeter operation on a known "live" receptacle and ensure the dial is set to AC....doing an energized resistance check is very, very bad. Electricity can kill, so you can NEVER be too cautious.

Another potential problem could be a high resistance short circuit caused by damaged/broken-down wire insulation. How old is the wiring in your house?

gsaldivar makes a very good point, too!

 

[akugami]

Are there any large electricity sucking devices hooked up to the same line as the breaker that's feeding the power to your computer? An air conditioner for instance turning on and off can cause huge spikes in power. If the circuit breaker box is not labeled you can experiment to find out what goes where by turning off a breaker and then going to see what room(s) have their power cut off, rinse repeat for the rest of the breakers. It's a good idea to label them after you find out.

Some older houses have really decrepid wiring that needs to be replaced and could be the cause of your problem as well. Older wires can have damaged insulation that causes short circuits. Not only does this cause hectic issues with your power, it can also cause fires. I've seen this issue with some crappy wiring jobs because people use a staple gun to nail the power lines behind the walls.

 

[Sephy]

Our house is about 20-21 years old, and has not had wiring redone. The AC unit isn't on the same line as the upstairs, and nothing particularly energy sucking is on this circuit.

 

[pm]

Just buy a UPS with line conditioning. Problem solved.

 

[Sephy]

OK, so if I invest in one..
Is this a viable theory? Can dirty power cause lockups and bluescreens? Don't want to just be shooting blind here.

 

[hemiram]

I have lost at least 3 hard drives due to power problems since 1994 or so, before I got my first UPS. They are cheap, you don't have to have a monster sized one if you have an LCD monitor. If you have a CRT, you will want to go bigger as the CRT is a huge power draw compared to the PC.

My UPS reports I have had "line noise" ( I call it a dropout) three times this month. All of them would have probably have destroyed the HD, as I was downloading stuff all three times. With it, no problems, and no worries that if a doofus hits a telephone pole down the street it will make me lose the HD AGAIN!

The UPS I had previously to the one I have now took a huge surge from a close, real close lightning strike. I didn't think the storm was all that close and was burning a CD and walked out of the room to get something and BLAM. I came back into the room and the CD burner is open, it had just finished, but the monitor is dark, and it stinks. "Oh great!", I thought. I figured my PC was toast. It had been behaving oddly lately so it wasn't the end of the world, but I didn't want to lose over 80 gigs of videos and pics it had on it. I look under the desk at the UPS and the "replace battery" light is on. I crawl under there and the back of it has soot and appears to be what I'm smelling. I decide to disconnect it after the storm, and come back in an hour. When I try to unplug the phone line that goes to the wall, I can't, it's welded itself to the ups. The cord itself is black, and crunchy too. I disconnect everything and plug the PC into the wall and hit power. Hey, it works!! The modem had "popped" but it actually did try to dial up.

A quick trip to Sam's Club, and I got a slightly bigger UPS than I had originally, for $69 and it's still working fine, running the PC I built 6 months ago.

 

[Pabster]

Definitely invest the money in a reliable UPS with line conditioning. Well worth the $.

I've yet to live anywhere where the power wasn't unreliable. By 'unreliable' I mean frequent sags or surges in current and the occasional brownout/blackout, especially in the hot summer months when every AC is running.

 

[Zepper]

Let's just put it this way: No one I've been able to talk into getting a good UPS has ever had any failures that could be traced to AC power. One of the best is the Ferrups from Best Power (now sold under a different name as Best and a bunch of others: Sola, Exide/Deltec etc. went together, but if you search on Ferrups, you'll find it). Not cheap but worth it. Lots of big grocery chains etc. use the BIG Best Ferrups to keep their checkout lines going in case of power failure. Nuff said... The APC Smart series or the similar TrippLite series are nearly as good. The only thing better is a true, full-time UPS like Clary or the Unison line of TrippLite - but the cost is again bumped up a big notch.
. My local library has the Readers' Digest Home Repairs book - your library should have the same. It shows how to do basic wiring, installing outlets, etc. Another thing that is useful to have is a wiring checker. It is a small 3-prong plug with 3 or more LED's that diagnoses your wiring (whether the ground is good, whether any wires are reversed, etc.). Less than $5. just about anywhere - I've seen them for under $2. on sale and a must have for any homeowner! You can do the same tests with a meter of course, but the little tester is MUCH easier.

.bh.

 

[sharkeeper]

Yes Ferrups are very good! These will regulate power and frequency so you always have 60Hz 120VAC at the output even if the input drops to 90VAC or goes over 145VAC. Beyond those limits the inverter will run. They have zero transfer time and pure sine wave output that's indistinguishable between shorepower and inverter power!

In any case, you can have your dirty shorepower mains analysed with something like this and a recommendation to abate your errant mains can be established in an economic fashion. At least that's what we would do!

 

[furballi]

It is rare to see wild voltage fluctuation in the US. Most power supplies should be able to regulate the incoming line voltage to within plus/minus 5% (6VAC).

 

[Sephy]

I bought the little analyzer. Everything is fine on that front. I have a 19" CRT, and not a lot of cash so I'm looking for something economical. Any < $70 recommendations?