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novetan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 3, 2010
404
12
Will I run a risk of getting my iMac incapacitated in sleep mode during thunder storm or lighting. I may already sound asleep and I don't hv a UPS unit.
 
Yes, I always detach my computer from LAN and the outlet in case of storms
 
Depends how your property is built. If the property is grounded correctly then there is minimal risk. If you have any doubt, if it's a bad storm, shut down and unplugg.

More for you state of mind than the real risk of things being damaged.
 
Depends on where the lightning strikes. The risk may be low. But any electronic, appliance, &c plugged into the electrical grid is at risk during a lightning storm. I unplug my computers from power and Ethernet. After a strike on my property knocked out a bunch of electronics.

The best I can figure the strike hit my cable TV cable. As it blew out my modem, Tivo, random devices connected to ethernet, and TV's HDMI port connected to the Tivo. But not other devices connected to the same power outlet as the Tivo and cable modem. My cable line has a ground where it comes to the house and one in the crawlspace before it reaches my cable splitter.
 
Tks all for replies. My imac is abt 6 yrs old. I read that as computer ages, its not very good to shut dn and start up again the next day. If I do it 365 am not sure what may have happen to its robustness.

As i go to sleep, I will nvr know when thunder storm or lightning will strike. I also cant take weather forecast as accurate. As in all houses, we have a ELCB but I dont hv a UPS specially for the com. Final thoughts?
 
Tks all for replies. My imac is abt 6 yrs old. I read that as computer ages, its not very good to shut dn and start up again the next day. If I do it 365 am not sure what may have happen to its robustness.

As i go to sleep, I will nvr know when thunder storm or lightning will strike. I also cant take weather forecast as accurate. As in all houses, we have a ELCB but I dont hv a UPS specially for the com. Final thoughts?

Unplug every electronic devices from the cables before going to bed, if you are paranoid.
 
... we have a ELCB but I dont hv a UPS specially for the com. Final thoughts?

The ELCB won't help in the event of a lightning strike or spike on the power feed, but a UPS would. I really suggest you get one - they'e a pretty inexpensive way to help protect expensive electronic equipment.

As for the age of the computer and how that impacts 'robustness', the reality is that over time electronic components, particularly capacitors, 'age' and drift out of their original specifications. It doesn't impact on chips and ICs so much, but can weaken power supplies in particular. Powering down, and up, can cause fluctuations in voltage through power supplies that can cause them to fail as their components age, but for quality-built electronics, including Macs, that isn't generally a particularly significant issue.

Just as important, or even more so, is where you live. If you have very stable supply voltages, you can expect much better long-term reliability than if you have lots of power spikes, brown-outs or random outages and reconnects. A UPS will help with these issues too.
 
The ELCB won't help in the event of a lightning strike or spike on the power feed, but a UPS would. I really suggest you get one - they'e a pretty inexpensive way to help protect expensive electronic equipment.

As for the age of the computer and how that impacts 'robustness', the reality is that over time electronic components, particularly capacitors, 'age' and drift out of their original specifications. It doesn't impact on chips and ICs so much, but can weaken power supplies in particular. Powering down, and up, can cause fluctuations in voltage through power supplies that can cause them to fail as their components age, but for quality-built electronics, including Macs, that isn't generally a particularly significant issue.

Just as important, or even more so, is where you live. If you have very stable supply voltages, you can expect much better long-term reliability than if you have lots of power spikes, brown-outs or random outages and reconnects. A UPS will help with these issues too.
TQ for the detail explanation. Guess I better get a UPS
 
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