PC blew up, power surge or bad wiring or what?

finsaah

I'll try not to ramble but I'm very confused, I hope someone can help.

Tuesday night I changed the lightbulb in my kitchen and when I switched it on there was a BANG from behind me. I looked round and found that my computer was now off. I checked the computer and smelled a slight burnt metal type smell. Now my computer doesn't switch on at the front at all(though the red light on my PSU comes on). The monitor seems OK as the standby light comes on. Nothing else electrical was on at the time and all plug sockets seem to be working fine. I have a surge protector which the PC and monitor were both plugged into.

The night before the lights in my flat had flickered a few times and then my kitchen light had blown last thing that night. My mum said she also experienced flickering on the other side of town.

I rent privately and called the agency and they sent their electrician out yesterday. He said there was no way the switching on of the light and my PC blowing could be connected. He also reckoned that as I had smelled burning "something must have been on the way out". Can I trust him? To be honest, I'm not too confident og the wiring in the flat - sockets that only work occasionally and switches that do nothing.

Now I don't know what to do next, who is responsible (I hope someone is!) and who to contact next. My supplier (Southern Electric) or house insurance provider?

Could it be coincidence that my PSU blew at exactly the same time as I turned on the light?

Was there a power surge from the supplier that just happened at the same time?

Or could it all be connected?

Any help appreciated, I'm currently out of work and having to use the library computer!

kwikbreaks

I don't believe in coincidences but like your electrician I can't see how turning on a light can possibly have caused your PC to fry.

You won't get anything from the electricity provider or landlord for sure and my betting is that your household contents won't cover it either.

Chances are it will only be the PSU blown which shouldn't be hugely expensive to replace - especially if it is a non-demanding PC and you are willing to risk a made-in-china cheapo.

rash.m2k

its probably the PSU. just buy a new one.

fwor

It's hard to see how the two events could be connected, but it's also an unusual coincidence. I don't think you will have any luck at all trying to pin the blame on anyone, and the house insurance probably won't want to know - and they probably have an excess that makes any attempt to claim pointless.

It sounds as though the Power Supply has blown, which is not uncommon. They are not expensive to replace. You should be able to do it yourself for about £20, though you may need a higher spec (i.e. more expensive) one if you have power-hungry add-ons such as high-end graphics cards.

macman

If switching on a light blows a PC attached to a power circuit, then there is something seriously wrong with your house wiring. The kitchen light will (or should be) on a completely different circuit.

DatabaseError

With everyone else - it was almost certainly just bad timing that the PC blew up at the same time as you turned on the light...

Open up the PC and remove the PSU (4 small screws + loads of wires) and take it to a proper PC shop, then buy the best replacement you can afford, ideally with a slightly higher power output than the original...assuming the original is under 450w, if it says "winpower" on it, or feels very light, ignore it and look for better.

macman

And note, a proper PC shop (independent), not PC World.

Inactive

Buy a surge protector as well, it may just save a repeat performance..

Error404

finsaah wrote: »

To be honest, I'm not too confident og the wiring in the flat - sockets that only work occasionally

Everything else aside, intermittent sockets do not sound too clever to me.
Does this place have an up to date electrical test and inspection certificate?

Have seen any number of faults or incorrectly wired houses. The worst probably being a house that had its boiler switched live connected to the earthing system so that when the CH kicked in it livened up all the bonded metal parts of the installation. Made doing the washing up a lot more exciting I believe.

fiddiwebb

Inactive wrote: »

Buy a surge protector as well, it may just save a repeat performance..

That's the odd thing as the OP says in his post "I have a surge protector which the PC and monitor were both plugged into"

So not likely a power surge that caused the problem unless the surge protector is faulty, in fact if the OPs surge protector is newish some of them come with a insurance policy against this happening.

aliEnRIK

Most of these so called 'surge protectors' are absolute junk and DONT do as they claim