My UPS device didn't stop the surge...

[sugar_sweet]

... and now I'm left with a dead hard drive and gigs of lost data. I'm about to contact the UPS manufacturer about their equipment protection policy. Has anyone ever gone through this hassle and lived?

I'm hoping they'll pay the money for a data recovery company to salvage my information, but something tells me it won't be easy. They'll probably try and pin the blame on me and not their device. I'd be grateful to anyone who can share their experience. What NOT to say when reporting the failure. What they may try and say to mislead the issue. Any help would be appreciated.

God, it feels like I'm going to stand in court to protest a traffic ticket!

Scott

 

[HAVOC]

I just had a client bring me a PC that took a huge POWER SURGE. Actually he only had a power strip with surge protection. The only thing that was damaged was his power supply. It was actually all melted inside. Nothing else inside the PC was damaged. I swapped out the PSU and everything was fine. Ran a few tests and he was good to go.
This PC was also OFF when the surge happened. I think if it was on there mihgt have be much more damage.

To tell you the truth, UPS systems don't protect you against MAJOR SURGES. Like a surge that melted is PSU, or the SURGE that damaged you system. They do protect against smaller surges that happen hundreds of times a day in everyones homes. It's the large ones that hit yeah where the sun don't shine... Then your...Well you know... The F-Word-ed

 

[Chankama]

I suggest u read the manual man. If u haven't, this is an excellent time! .. Make sure u don't say ANYTHING that goes against the "caution" or "do not do" instructions. And play it by the book. Just describe the text book scenario that is described under the "we will cover you when" section. With minor modifications of course ..

I am sure these guys don't want a bad reputation. But they still don't like to hand over $$. So when u talk to them just sound professional, don't throw temper tantrums, but be firm .. And make urself sound important

 

[jolancer]

I just had a client bring me a PC that took a huge POWER SURGE. Actually he only had a power strip with surge protection. The only thing that was damaged was his power supply. It was actually all melted inside. Nothing else inside the PC was damaged. I swapped out the PSU and everything was fine. Ran a few tests and he was good to go.

i dont see how thats possible. the surge has to pass the circuit breaker, and then pass the surge protector, then hit the pc. after all the breakers are tripped and by the time it hits the pc, it must only be exposed to it for milliseconds or less. witch could prolly purmanantly damage the psu, but the damage prolly isnt that noticable.

to have it actually start melting i think wouldnt it have to be exposed to a damaging source for at least a couple seconds.

if true means, your clients pc wasnt exposed to a surge, he just said so to get it fixed. it was prolly damaged by some other means.
----------------------------------------------------

and i already know that electricity can bypass anything if its powerfull enough. but to have a surge powerfull enough to go threw a UPS and still cause damage... i would guess is very rare, or the UPS may not have done its job right. the UPS has the equivalent of a car battery, and it cuts power from the main line like a cuircuit breaker, and it has powerfull surge protection built in.

i never used a UPS and i dont have experience with them, but that problem doesnt sound right to me. Though a powerfull enough surge can cause anykind of damage, a surge that powerfull must be realy realy rare.

 

[PP Mguire]

thats like hooking a raw 220 line to your ups and letin it shock the hell outa it. what did you do? i doubt it was just some normal surege man.

 

[HAVOC]

JOLANCER:

Listen, if you think i'm some kinda kid that gets online in these forums and makes up stories to sound cool, your wrong.

My assuption is that since the PC was off it was contained mostly in the PSU. The Heat was so intense that it built up and started melting in inside components of the PSU. (Who knows may-be in a few days or weeks the rest of the PC will just die.)

This is the truth, it did happen. This surge also took out a microwave, a TV, a bunch of light bulbs, the regulator on the boiler in the basement and an alarm clock. The circuit breaker was blown and a bunch of fuses need to be replaced.

The story, "Although, I shouldn't have to explain it, is true." A local water company was putting in some new water lines in his neighborhood and hit some kinda power line. It was actually in our local newspaper. Many people had damage to electrical appliances in their neighborhood.

Anything can happen, and usually will.

 

[jolancer]

thank you, actually i did need an explination to believe it.

that sounds more resonable then just a 'surge'.

i would guess that would not normally happen though just by something disturbing the powerline or even severing it. id guess the power line was prolly disturbed by the construction around it for a prolonged period of time maybe causing a prolonged fluctuation instead of just 1 big surge.

powerlines also have surge protectors on there circuit due to the fact there are transformers at some odd intervals down the lines. so the construction would prolly have been between a transformer and his house, leaving it unprotected.. or there is no component built into the unit housing the transformer witch would cut power with fluctuations that severe, though common sense would suggest something like that inplace it prolly doesnt exist or somethign i dont know, im done rambling.

note: im not a profestional on this subject, but i do have electrical nowledge and common sence. im just stating what i believe so ppl reading this wont be pairaniod of power surges. if you see a flaw with anything iv stated though, please correct me.

 

[jolancer]

sugar_sweet - i just had a thought, r u shur it was a surge... perhaps some of your components were damaged due to a faulty psu? not a surge? because if the psu is faulty theres nothing a ups can do about it.

or is there some indicator on a UPS that shows if a surge has accured? i dont know iv never used one.

 

[DJ-CHRIS]

UPS's dont protect against large or medium surges

Surge bars dont protect against small or large surges, but protect against medium

Circut breakers limit the power draw


Why doesnt your town try sueing the water people, it's their fault.

 

[Harper]

... and now I'm left with a dead hard drive and gigs of lost data. I'm about to contact the UPS manufacturer about their equipment protection policy. Has anyone ever gone through this hassle and lived?

I'm hoping they'll pay the money for a data recovery company to salvage my information, but something tells me it won't be easy. They'll probably try and pin the blame on me and not their device. I'd be grateful to anyone who can share their experience. What NOT to say when reporting the failure. What they may try and say to mislead the issue. Any help would be appreciated.

God, it feels like I'm going to stand in court to protest a traffic ticket!

Scott

you are prolly not the first. And you will not be the last.

If you read the manual under warranty terms and conditions, you will mostly see some thing along the lines that they are not responible for loss of data or hardware.

UPS and Surge Protectors help PREVENT loss of your computer hardware and data.

Be thankful that your computer did not catch on fire and burn your house down.