Article 21 - Weather Warning

Weather Warning

Last month was a good month for thunderstorms, and also good for business as a result! As you may have deduced from this statement, thunderstorms are bad news for computers. The following instances merely illustrate this fact.

The first instance concerns a brand new computer which I had delivered and installed the previous week. Following a thunderstorm, the power in the house went off totally. The real problem came when the power did not come back on when the neighbours all had power again. Eventually, the cause of the problem was traced to the (new) computer – unplug the machine and all was well! Fortunately, the only part of the computer to be replaced was the so called “power supply”, an internal transformer which is not expensive and is easily replaced.

Another call following a thunderstorm was to a computer which would no longer power on. This problem is often solved by a new power supply, but not this time. This is where things can be serious, and potentially expensive. However, further tests revealed that the culprit was the internal modem – the piece of electronics which connects the computer to the phone line for access to the internet. The modem was soon replaced and all was well.

In another case, the telephones in the house stopped working following a thunderstorm. In this case, the problem was traced to one of the micro filters needed for broadband. Replacing the micro filter got the phones working again, but broadband was still not working! It turned out that the power surge had also damaged the wireless router being used.

The most common result of a thunderstorm is that the computer will no longer access the internet, and this is the result of a damaged modem. This is easily diagnosed and fixed. However, as you are now aware, the results of a power surge can be more serious, and can result in the loss of the whole computer – main board and processor. Electric power surges following thunder are reasonably well understood, but what is not fully realised is that surges down the telephone line can also be destructive.

It is possible to protect your equipment from power surges by using a special “surge protection” extension lead. In some cases, these extensions include a phone socket so giving protection against surges down the phone line. It is also possible to obtain a power surge protection extension which has a TV aerial, so giving full protection. The cost of the extension lead varies depending on the number of extension sockets, and the presence (or lack) of phone and TV connections. I recently bought an extension with TV and phone connection with 8 power sockets at a cost of about £25. Much cheaper than a call out to fix problems! The box states that the extension includes insurance cover for any damage to equipment connected using the power surge protector.

If you have suffered damage as a result of a thunderstorm, it is worth contacting your home insurance company – you may be covered.

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