Do you unplug your computer during a rain storm?
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
June 10, 2008 11:04am CST
Do you always remember to unplug your computer or other electronics when it's raining outside? Has your computer ever been struck by lightening and shorted out so that it didn't work anymore?
Two years ago, my computer was struck by lightening during a rain storm. And, it died, instantly. Up until that moment, I never believed that it could happen to me.
I don't remember when it happened exactly. One night, I went to bed and it worked fine. And, I suppose it must have rained overnight. And, it never worked again. Now, I make sure to unplug everything from the electrical outlets, including the modem. Sometimes, I'll even unplug the entire computer overnight just in case it rains.
Has this type of thing ever happened to you?
3 people like this
22 responses
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
13 Jun 08
I lost everything! It was so sad. I moved on and that was two computers ago. I would not have been able to get my new computer, had that one survived. So, some things happen for the best.
1 person likes this
@paid2write (5201)
•
10 Jun 08
Yes I always do this. I have read that a sudden surge of electricity during a thunderstorm can damage a computer, unless you have it plugged into a special adaptor. I prefer to close it down and disconnect until the storm has passed.
I will usually unplug other electrical items during a thunderstorm too. I am not afraid of lightning and I can enjoy watching it, but I do know it can harm electrical equipment through the power lines.
@SHAMRACK (8576)
• India
28 Aug 08
Dear friend,
If it is heavy raining with thunder I would unplug it and also sometime I just shutdowns if there is thunder. We also unplug Tv and other electronic equipment if there is rain with thunder. Most of time our TV fuse has got damaged after it was effecting by the lightening. We rarely keep on electronic things when there is lightening and thunder.
@bagumbayan (2705)
• Philippines
28 Aug 08
Nothing like that but for sure I am plugging all of my electronics equipment except the ref which need be plugged all the time.
@DarkDancer (1011)
• Dayton, Ohio
16 Aug 08
No. I have a Surge protector, one of the good ones, not one of those cheapie power strips that you can buy at Wallie World or wherever. My surge protector came with a $10,000 warranty on all the equipment on it, or lightning strikes. When I get back into some money I will upgrade (again) to a UPS. Every computer owner should have one.
@bluerubymoon53 (3286)
• United States
28 Aug 08
I haven't always unplugged the computer during thunderstorms. I should. I had one zapped several years ago during on and had to have it repaired.
I have my computer and modem plugged into the same surge protector strip, but they don't always guarantee that those items won't be zapped.
@ambkeb (782)
• United States
11 Jun 08
I used to not. I thought I was safe having one of those surge protectors. But come to find out it can go through the phone lines as well. Which I guess I'm a little slow with this, but I never knew that. I guess with them being underground it makes it easier for the lightening to run through. At the beginning of the year we got hit. The only things that were damaged was everthing that was connected to the phone/cable lines. Luckily it didnt hit our television...we had just got it. It stopped at our stereo. So after that we have started pulling the cord from the router to the computer as well as the power cords. Even with just alittle bit of lightening we shut down and pull cords LOL
@scapula (760)
• Jordan
14 Jun 08
yeah i do, I like my computer very much, and I get annoyed all the day if something happened to it, so when I feel there is lightening with the rain I always unplug my computer, I can't do anything that day, I don't know what to do other than setting on my computer espically at weekends with rain weather.
@golfproo (1839)
• Canada
14 Jun 08
Hi There,
I have a power bar on my computer which is used to act as a surge protector so I usually dont worry about it when there is a storm. I have had a lightening strike close to my house before and my T.V. was still on. The strike blew out the T.V. and it was basically ruined. I had to go and buy a new one. Ever since that time I always use surge protectors.
cheers,
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
16 Aug 08
Huh, I have never unplugged my computer or anything else when we are having a rain storm. I have never had a problem with it plugged in and I have been working on a computer for about 25 years. It would be awful if something happened because of a rain storm. I feel for you. That has to be a once in a lifetime thing because I have never heard of it ever happening before. But I wouldn't blame you if you always unplug it now.
@padmameera (952)
• India
11 Jun 08
Yes I do. Usually I unplug computer, television and other electonic gadgets during lightning. Once while I was in my inlaws house the computer as well TV had struck with lightning and the computer became fully damaged. They had to replace the machine. That was a lesson to me and after that I never forget to unplug my electronic gadgets while there is rain with thunder and lightning.
@Zergonipal (807)
• Poland
11 Jun 08
I'm always unpluging my computer when I'm leaving the house or going sleep, so I'm quite safe, hehe. Luckily for you that it didn't blowed up and coused fire.
@Defaultsound (55)
•
11 Jun 08
I don't my family leaves 4 computers on for months and nothing really has happened. Even if they were to short-circuit there's a fuse in desktops which prevents computer harddrive crashing or breaking computing components. Laptops it would not affect as their battery would keep it going while the charger fuses in the box halfway down the cable.
-Sound
@sportster (9)
• United States
11 Jun 08
I always unplug my computer so that doesn't happen.
I guess i was brought up doing it- my dad made us.
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
11 Jun 08
We always unplug all of our expensive equipment during storms. We live in an old house and our plugs aren't grounded. We would rather not take any chances since everything would be so expensive to replace if something were to happen. My husband works on computers and has seen quite a few of his clients lose computers to lightning.
@Dreamweaverr (131)
• United States
11 Jun 08
Not usually during a regular rainstorm. If there is lightening yes. We just don't get much lightning here though. One of my friends lived in North Carolina. Lightning hit a tree outside their house. The lightening traveled into the house, fried the television and the computer. The television screen actually shattered. The computer was burned.
@xplp211 (253)
• China
11 Jun 08
I have ever heard of it and I am usually afraid that will happen to me. But I never unplug the electronics, because rain is common here, and unplug is not convenient and you must plug it after the rain. I am talking about all the electronics.
For the computer, I unplug it after use because I think pluging will cost some electric and may be bad to the life time of the computer. But I still use it when there is lightening outside for I believe the building must be constructed to stick in the storm.
@Jaireh (9)
• Philippines
11 Jun 08
well me i dont :D if ever it rains, i just cover my PC with the PC cover then off i go. but when im using it while it rains, no problem. i dont switch it off. in my case, pur PC is somewhat exposed to rain because of the open space above where it is placed. so what i do is just cover the PC with the cover and make sure nothing gets wet especially the electricals..
