[POLL] thunderstorms

[vapourminer]

simple enough poll.

I always shut down when thunderstorms loom, and easily have lost 10% (see edit below) of my mining and folding time to it. unpowered rigs sit around while we are at work because there is a chance of thunderstorms. they sometimes come, sometimes not. but if the chance is there..

not only that, I even unplug gear from the wall. this despite everything being on surge surpressors and two rigs being on their own UPS.. not that those would stop a lighting hit on a powerline.

EDIT: that 10% figure is the last few month during thunderstorm season. yearly average is about 1-2%

[Richard Rahl]

Proper surge protectors should be good enough and most proper surge protectors have warranties on the equipment that is attached to them. There is really no reason to shut off electronic equipment during a storm.

The world doesn't shut down because of thunderstorms. Stores don't close. The internet doesn't go down (unless your local area got hit). Stuff keeps running. I see no reason why a mining rig wouldn't be the same. Especially if you lost a whopping 10% of your mining time. A small chance of losing a $50 surge protector doesn't seem worth it to me.

I really see no need for a UPS on a mining system, unless you're using that system to type up important documents that you need to save if the power goes out.

I live in Dixie Alley and I never shut any of my computers off during even the worst storms.

[RyNinDaCleM]

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!

[SMOKEU]

What thunderstorms?

[jjiimm_64]

I let mine run during the hurricane.  shed door was wide open the whole time

[P4man]

My fire insurance covers damage from lightening strikes. Not that it happens often here anyway. To give you an idea, in 10 years I can remember losing electricity due to storms or lightening maybe twice.

[kirax]

Proper surge protectors should be good enough and most proper surge protectors have warranties on the equipment that is attached to them. There is really no reason to shut off electronic equipment during a storm.

The world doesn't shut down because of thunderstorms. Stores don't close. The internet doesn't go down (unless your local area got hit). Stuff keeps running. I see no reason why a mining rig wouldn't be the same. Especially if you lost a whopping 10% of your mining time. A small chance of losing a $50 surge protector doesn't seem worth it to me.

I really see no need for a UPS on a mining system, unless you're using that system to type up important documents that you need to save if the power goes out.

I live in Dixie Alley and I never shut any of my computers off during even the worst storms.

Yup, during the worst of the thunderstorm season, I have seen power go out from like three strikes a year around here: I have seen actual strikes: I still keep the systems on. That is what a surge bar/breaker is for, and mine are all well protected.

[Bitcraft]

I rarely get thunderstorms, and when I do, my renter insurance will cover any computer damage.

[Valalvax]

Just so you know, a surge protector will do jack shit against a direct lightning strike

[vapourminer]

Just so you know, a surge protector will do jack shit against a direct lightning strike

exactly. or even near hits, such as on a line.  anyway, interesting poll results.

I do wish I had the reliable power and luck some of the responders have.

now, i live in the sticks on 14 acres of woods. personally I have power go out several times a year because of thunderstorms here. sometimes because of trees getting hit and messing up lines, other times the transformer fuses get blown or the transformers themselves are damaged.

within a thousand feet of my house I count 5 trees that were hit. 2 were blown in two, 3 just have that strip of bark blown off. and thats just what I can see at the tree line at the edge of the property. further into the woods, who knows. when the hits happen my outlets actually make sizzling noises.

as for UPS's, for dedicated miners I agree they are pointless. miners draw too much power for cheap ones to be used, and who cares about the file system. just reimage the drives if the file system gets whacked. my UPS's are on rigs that are used for other things as well; my dedicated miner just rides on a suppressor.

"the internet does not go down." err, yeah. its designed to keep going with parts down. thats by design.

"stores do not close." of course not. customers come 1st. I sure would be pissed if stores closed during storms and so would you. and profits outweigh potential equipment damage. plus, most commercial building around here have lightning arresters on the mains. residential properties generally do not. and please note, lightning arresters <> surge suppressors.

and for surge strip warranties. heh. sure. even if its honored, you really want to wait 3+ months with dead equipment? send it all in for inspection? ever gone through it? 15 grand worth of A/V equipment here, plus 5 or so more of computers. Ill keep unplugging.

EDIT: BTW that 10% figure is wrong, thats 10% just the last few month during thunderstorm season. in a year its more like 1-2%. Ive added an edit to my original post.

[mb300sd]

Only when they knock the power out.. and then I have a generator..not for mining, that wouldn't be profitable, but I do have to keep the server up.

[lowlevel]

I generally shutdown and unplug everything when the weather acts up.  It's been pretty bad this summer...

[Richard Rahl]

This made me lol

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6430/unled1xe.gif

[vapourminer]

mine all day erry day

[in sig] .. I am currently offline

make me laugh too.

but Im more interested in this:

i have 2 industrial strength surge protectors for my house

exactly what type are those?  how are they hooked up? and two of them? one is not enough?

I have thought of having a whole house gas discharge surge protector installed at the breaker box. cheaper than replacing separate MOV based strips as they age and become less effective.