2nd check

[mack10]

If it is simple fault then why after talking to various people and having people look at the computer and even suggesting faults then why after 3 months after i moved in have I not got a working computer in my flat. An electrician check the continuity on the flat yesterday from the consumer board. He did a few checks and found a loose connection on a kitchen light switch which was scorched and he changed that
but said it would have nothing to do with my computer problem as it was on a different circuit. Apart from that he found nothing wrong. That said after he left we went out came back in switched on the hall lights and they flickered like mad and flickered when I pressed the hall light switch. I then turned it off then on again a few times now it is seems to be working ok, so that was a bit weird. I am having the electric supplier check the supply from the street into the house so if that is ok I will get another computer because i took the new one back as it was under warranty, but why have i got the feeling that the same thing might happen again even with a surge protector???

Any comments would be very much appreciated.

 

[Steve]

Buy an uninterruptable power supply. They provide the cleanest power to your PC, since they have a battery pack that buffers any mains spikes. The sine wave they give out is not the mains sine wave, it is made by the UPS. And they do work, we have them at work on computers and tills, they are all on 24/7, and last for years. Cost about £100-200.

Another advantage is during a power failure you have about 20-30 minutes to shut everything down (depending on loading of course). Buy one for the light circuit too, be the envy of your neighbours with lights that work on fresh air during power cuts

The lightswitch - sounds like a loose wire. Take it off and check, with the power off.

Do you know what the mains voltage to the flat is? A cheap multimeter will measure it for you. Overvoltage can shorten life of appliances. Is there a substation nearby? Talk to the DNO guys ('lectric ppl) when they come, ask if the area is known for power surges etc.

 

[Spark123]

Are the ones you speak of proper UPS units which are online all the time? The ones I used to work on had a battery charger, batteries and then an inverter. The charger circuit charged the batteries (415v worth) all the time. The inverter run from the batteries/charger circuit supplying the output all the time it was online. There was a bypass for maintenance purposes/inverter fail.
The little one on my PC only ever cuts in when the supply fails and only has 12v lead sealed acid battery in it. Don't know how fast to react these type are?

 

[eggplant]

A ups is basically a battery with an inverter built into the same unit, along with a but of electronics to communicate with the pc (usually). They will switch over to battery in time to save the pc shutting off - they also run on battery even when running off mains (!) they alse use a decent amount of leccy. They come in various shapes and sizes, rated in VA (volt amps) basically the higher VA, the longer your pc will run in the event of a power outage. As an eg, the one I have here is a 750VA SmartUPS from APC, will run my server for about 15 mins or so (its set to shut down the server at 25% battery), it will run my main mc (the one I'm on now) without monitor for about 25 absolute max.
I cant personally see a UPS fixing your problem though.