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Home > Archive > Electrical Engineering > March 2007 > voltage spike
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| My electric utility shut my power off for 10 minutes to change a cable
on a pole. I was not home. When I returned about 2 hours later my
computer sounded like it was on but I knew I had shut it off prior to
leaving. When I pressed the start button the computer went silent.
When I opened up the tower I saw melted wiring inside. I told them
that they caused a voltage spike when they reenergized the circuit.
They said they did not do anything wrong and did not detect any
unusual electrical disturbances. They refused to reimburse me. They
also burned up my atomic clock. I believe they caused a voltage
spike or is there some other possible explanation? I'm
litigating. Thanks
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| TimPerry 2007-03-23, 3:25 am |
| jw wrote:
> My electric utility shut my power off for 10 minutes to change a cable
> on a pole. I was not home. When I returned about 2 hours later my
> computer sounded like it was on but I knew I had shut it off prior to
> leaving. When I pressed the start button the computer went silent.
> When I opened up the tower I saw melted wiring inside. I told them
> that they caused a voltage spike when they reenergized the circuit.
> They said they did not do anything wrong and did not detect any
> unusual electrical disturbances. They refused to reimburse me. They
> also burned up my atomic clock. I believe they caused a voltage
> spike or is there some other possible explanation? I'm
> litigating. Thanks
your best plan will to be fix the damage and get on with life. going after a
utility company, unless you have some special political clout, will be a lot
like tilting at windmills. a fun but ultimately futile exercise.
add a UPS to your new computer.
im assuming your clock is a $20 model with a WWV radio receiver in it and
not a cesium beam time standard.
mine operates from batterys only.
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| On Mar 23, 12:19 am, "TimPerry" <timpe...@noaspamadelphia.net> wrote:
> jw wrote:
>
> your best plan will to be fix the damage and get on with life. going after a
> utility company, unless you have some special political clout, will be a lot
> like tilting at windmills. a fun but ultimately futile exercise.
>
> add a UPS to your new computer.
>
> im assuming your clock is a $20 model with a WWV radio receiver in it and
> not a cesium beam time standard.
> mine operates from batterys only.
I had it on a ups but the spike was so strong it went thru it. I know
what you mean about getting on with life but I'm out a lot of money
not to mention time and the bottom line is they know they did this and
why should I turn it in to my homeowners like they want me to. That's
what drives up all of our insurance rates. I find it interesting
that they have plenty of money to retain high priced law firms but no
money to pay for the damage they cause.
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| Ben Miller 2007-03-23, 1:25 pm |
| "jw" <jwmalone_jr@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1174605394.620582.240850@y80g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> My electric utility shut my power off for 10 minutes to change a cable
> on a pole. I was not home. When I returned about 2 hours later my
> computer sounded like it was on but I knew I had shut it off prior to
> leaving. When I pressed the start button the computer went silent.
> When I opened up the tower I saw melted wiring inside. I told them
> that they caused a voltage spike when they reenergized the circuit.
> They said they did not do anything wrong and did not detect any
> unusual electrical disturbances. They refused to reimburse me. They
> also burned up my atomic clock. I believe they caused a voltage
> spike or is there some other possible explanation? I'm
> litigating. Thanks
Voltage transients can occur when they power up/down the system. The utility
doesn't typically put any test equipment on the line, so I guess their
statement that they "did not detect any unusual disturbances" is accurate!
Neither of you has any hard evidence to support whether there was or wasn't
a transient at the time they switched the line on or off. Your evidence
suggests a transient, but does not link it to their activity.
Good luck
Ben Miller
--
Benjamin D. Miller, PE
B. MILLER ENGINEERING
www.bmillerengineering.com
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