Sacramento Weekly Meet Discussion (dead meet, but how the SRIC started)
04-02-2004, 01:19 AM
#4667
Huge power surge just happened at my parents house. I was sitting at my computer, chatting with my sister and we heard a big boom, pop and almost everything shut off with a loud pop. I saw a flash come out of my monitor, my sister swears she saw one at my surge protector, and I would swear that one of my light bulbs blew out with another brilliant flash behind me.
But then the wierdness started to happen. The lights in my room, and my sisters room, and the hallway were all at half brightness. It almost sounded like my computer was trying to turn back on, but couldn't quite do it. So we shut them all off because it was freaking wierd. We went upstairs to see what my parents were freaking out about, and when we came up stairs we saw the VCR smoking. Unhooked the VCR and tossed it outside. Grabbed the fire extinguisher, but it turned out we didn't need it. Also, all of the lights upstairs were about twice as bright as they should be.
Ran around the house unplugging everything and shutting off all the lights. Lit up candles and called PG&E. One oddity, we checked the circut breaker and it looked like none of the breakers tripped.
What basically happened is that the heavy wind started blowing some trees around that are now intwined with our power and phone lines. A branch that was flailing about was rubbing up against the electrical line, but rather then snap the whole electrical line, it only broke one of the three electrical wires contained within the whole line.
You'll have to forgive me if I fail at correctly conveying the complexities of home electric circuts (I'm tired and the last 3 hours have been really hectic; plus I was never good at circuts), but how I understood what the PG&E guy was babbling about was basically that with one of the live wires snapped and that would put the whole electrical circut totally out of wack. Some parts would have half the power it should, other parts would have twice the power it should. But, the power entering the home would be at the correct levels, so no of the circut breakers would trip.
So, here is what we lost:
half a dozen light bulbs
a few power strips (all the surge protectors were fine)
answering machine
dishwasher
VCR
TV
Xbox
We may have also lost some other things (will have to do a more through inspection tomorrow):
fax machine
copy machine
my fathers business computer (thankfully my desktop, laptop and my dads laptops were all okay)
stereo
DVD Player
But everything else is fine. The house is fine, the family is fine. Boy am I tired.
But then the wierdness started to happen. The lights in my room, and my sisters room, and the hallway were all at half brightness. It almost sounded like my computer was trying to turn back on, but couldn't quite do it. So we shut them all off because it was freaking wierd. We went upstairs to see what my parents were freaking out about, and when we came up stairs we saw the VCR smoking. Unhooked the VCR and tossed it outside. Grabbed the fire extinguisher, but it turned out we didn't need it. Also, all of the lights upstairs were about twice as bright as they should be.
Ran around the house unplugging everything and shutting off all the lights. Lit up candles and called PG&E. One oddity, we checked the circut breaker and it looked like none of the breakers tripped.
What basically happened is that the heavy wind started blowing some trees around that are now intwined with our power and phone lines. A branch that was flailing about was rubbing up against the electrical line, but rather then snap the whole electrical line, it only broke one of the three electrical wires contained within the whole line.
You'll have to forgive me if I fail at correctly conveying the complexities of home electric circuts (I'm tired and the last 3 hours have been really hectic; plus I was never good at circuts), but how I understood what the PG&E guy was babbling about was basically that with one of the live wires snapped and that would put the whole electrical circut totally out of wack. Some parts would have half the power it should, other parts would have twice the power it should. But, the power entering the home would be at the correct levels, so no of the circut breakers would trip.
So, here is what we lost:
half a dozen light bulbs
a few power strips (all the surge protectors were fine)
answering machine
dishwasher
VCR
TV
Xbox
We may have also lost some other things (will have to do a more through inspection tomorrow):
fax machine
copy machine
my fathers business computer (thankfully my desktop, laptop and my dads laptops were all okay)
stereo
DVD Player
But everything else is fine. The house is fine, the family is fine. Boy am I tired.
04-02-2004, 01:22 AM
#4671
Originally posted by WRX Goddess
I miss Nick!!!!!
I miss Nick!!!!!
Originally posted by sonicsuby
late night post whoring RULES!
late night post whoring RULES!
But I'm tired... oh so tired.
04-02-2004, 01:24 AM
#4674
Originally posted by sonicsuby
so PGE will be taking care of that right?
so PGE will be taking care of that right?
My parents gotta call our Homeowners Insurance and make a claim with PG&E.
Hopefully between the two it'll all get worked out.
04-02-2004, 01:27 AM
#4677
PG&E Sucks, so it'll probably be the homeowners' insurance that takes care of whatever damages, unfortunately. My parents had to do basically the same thing back home in MD, and the power company took no responsibility, because the tree was on private property. Hope it all turns out well.
04-02-2004, 01:31 AM
#4678
Yeah, it should all work out. We didn't lose anything permenant. All of the important files on my dads computer are backed up on his laptop. Everything else can be replaced.
But I guess this means I can't play anymore Colin McRae Rally 04 for a while
But I guess this means I can't play anymore Colin McRae Rally 04 for a while
04-02-2004, 01:39 AM
#4680
heh
Luckily I'm not so spoiled that I can't go without video games and TV for a few weeks (or months, or however long it takes).
As long as I still have the intArweb, its all good.
Luckily I'm not so spoiled that I can't go without video games and TV for a few weeks (or months, or however long it takes).
As long as I still have the intArweb, its all good.