Back in the Saddle Again

[Animl-AW]

3 weeks after taking a surge from a lightning strike 70' from my window, the Dell XPS beast of burden is up and running. Everything on the drives intact as was before the strike.
Dell PSU and Main Board are proprietary products, which means more expensive.

Took it step by step, hoping to save money, no joy.
Ordered and Replaced fried Dell PSU ($250) - no joy
Ordered and replaced the Dell MB (used $300), fired right up as if nothing happened at all.

Was playing AH 10 min later.
All video work still as was.

Despite the cost, I was very lucky. My gaming computer in 2010 lightning cooked everything in it. Surprised my stick survived that, as it was connected.

Getting a Power Conditioner. Basically it's much like a isolation transformer for audio signal. It works much better than just a surge protector.
Also known as a line conditioner, it protects equipment from power surges, helps to correct voltage and waveform distortions, and removes external electrical noise (i.e. frequency and electromagnetic interference) caused by devices such as radios and motors. It will keep the flow at a specific ohms and if it goes over that it blows instantly. In a surge protector it has to wait to get hot enough to blow the breaker, by then the spike has passed through and damage is already done. Many times the breaker won't even blow, never seen one save anything.

Edit: Ironically, as soon as it was up and running I heard thunder in the background, couldn't yank that AC cable fast enough lol.

ANYWAY, back in the sky.

[Animl-AW]

BTW, 8pm CT, 110+ in MA.....which isn't horrible, considering what some were erroneously spewing.

[Banshee7]

Glad you got your rig up and running and everything was still there!

[ZE]

It's always great recovery from disasters. Computers costs are insane...
Good for you...
ZE
 

[Eagler]

A good UPS helps

Glad you got it going again

Eagler

[Shuffler]

My whole home is on surge and is protected from dirty power/low power. Installed a 24kw Generac a couple of years back. Dirty power kills more electronics than lightning does.

[Animl-AW]

Here’s the sad part,…I know better.
The extent I go to at work, yet apply almost none of it at home.
Kinda like a car mechanic who does great job at work, yet drives a junk.

A standard UPS and conditioners are good, but they are made to be reusable after the fact, which means they too have limits.

I want that power feed 100% dead, all problems solved. So even though I may put in line a power conditioner component, but also a disposable conditioner in line before it.

A disposable sacrifices itself, more likely to kill power connection even in the slightest spike. They are around $100, but better than rebuilding or buying a new computer and data loss.

Hell, with my luck I may make a 3rd step of UPS, and a 300ft lightning rod.

I actually fell in crap and came out smelling like roses on this one. The slightest difference could have smoked everything again.

I wish it would have cooked my stick to force me off my butt and buy a new one. This pig survived two strikes. <blank stare> …or did it?

[Animl-AW]

My whole home is on surge and is protected from dirty power/low power. Installed a 24kw Generac a couple of years back. Dirty power kills more electronics than lightning does.

Interesting approach. I’m going to look into that.

[Lazerr]

My whole home is on surge and is protected from dirty power/low power. Installed a 24kw Generac a couple of years back. Dirty power kills more electronics than lightning does.

Yeah I had some electrical work done a couple weeks back and he suggested I get a whole home one attached to my fuzebox

The couple hundred bucks it will cost will cover a list of things more valuable.. forever.

[Animl-AW]

Our 220v Power Distribution racks have similar, if not the same thing. Then any rack powered by it has rack mounted power conditioner distros. Like Banshee stated in another thread.

A Power Distribution rack is the same as breaker box in a home, breaking down 220v to 110v outlets. Just in a case on wheels, that takes 3 phase 220v feeds from a building transformer. Clean power.

Again, sad I haven’t done this to my own home, yet.  <kicks rock>

[Shuffler]

You actually don't have to get a "whole home" setup. You can get smaller systems to run just a few things for much less and still have the surge and other protections. The 24kw Generac installed will cost you around $13k. It is the most powerful air cooled unit you can get. Usually you don't run all that much during power outages, but being able to might meet requirements if you have family over during outages. Many just need their fridge, freezer, a/c or heat and a light ot two and they are golden.

[Eagler]

You need a gas feed to power the generac..so there's that..

I'd start with a good apc ups and go from there...

Eagler

[Shuffler]

To get 24kw it has to be propane. NG is less efficient and you get max 22kw. My home is all electric so I installed a 500 gallon propane tank and had them also run a line to the back patio for my Blackstone grill.

[Animl-AW]

To get 24kw it has to be propane. NG is less efficient and you get max 22kw. My home is all electric so I installed a 500 gallon propane tank and had them also run a line to the back patio for my Blackstone grill.

Just for my situation, I prolly won’t go that route. But curious the cost difference between Gen and direct AC. Of course depends where ya live.

[Shuffler]

Just for my situation, I prolly won’t go that route. But curious the cost difference between Gen and direct AC. Of course depends where ya live.

The generator starts within seconds of a power outage. It runs for about 30 seconds to develope clean 60jz power then switches the home over to it. If the regular ac power comes back up clean, the switch goes back to it and the generator keeps running for about 60 seconds to be sure the ac does not faulted and need to switch back. It is all automated. It creates clean electricity that protects all your electronics. My home is a smart home, even my kitchen appliances are on my network.