PCs & Water

We’ve had lots of issues related to the big wet.  These are the key ones that might help you get through with your electrical equipment in good shape.  During a storm, don’t just turn off your electrical equipment, unplug it from the wall and move the plug some distance from the wall socket.  A customer had a lightning strike by his house and it blew up every wall point and everything plugged in even though the points were turned off.  A big strike can even arc from a wall socket to a plug sitting close by.

The humidity plays havoc with PCs, particularly older ones.  If your PC won’t turn on but seems to have power, often all is required is for the memory and/or video card (if present) to be removed, the contacts given a wipe, then plug it back in again.  Wear an anti-static strap or touch the case before opening it though.  If you have no power, it could be the power supply and usually that means replacing it.  As your PC cools after shutting down, moisture can develop inside causing short circuits when its turned back on.  A new PSU is usually all that is required.