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  • #1

    Computers and sudden power loss

    This is kinda a self sighting

    Today we have had the local authority replacing the communal lighting in the flats hallway which is nice. Now we have 3 desktops wired together in a small home network mine is a oddball because it doesn't have a hard switch off it just powers down so I like to be careful when the power is likely to go off and unplug it even though there is a surge protector there.

    I wake up today and there is complete quiet and I realise as I go to look at the time that the power has been switched off and I think 'oh, everything should be ok' until the time comes to switch my computer on after the power comes back on. It's not happy the power lights flicker and nothing is happening. Hubby is going to check it when he gets home tonight but until then I'm stuck on my laptop which doesn't have a great graphics card (ie onboard graphics suck) I ring the authority because I have something else I need fixing anyway and mention this to the girl on the phone (she was good) who tried to get the manager of the crew but he wasn't answering. I raved a bit and she is sending me a complaint form.

    Now my complaint is this. Is it too much to ask for a bit of warning before turning off the electrics to the flats, I could have been doing anything. I could have been cooking on a electric hob, inputting vital data, or something of a important nature. Now it would have taken five minutes tops for one of them to push the buzzers and say we are turning your power off in five minutes please turn off anything and we should be x amounts of minutes.

    Is that too much to ask for?
    As soon as I start thinking
    That I'm sensible and sane
    The Random Hedgehog comes along
    And fiddles with my Brain
    (from card I got)
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Nope. Not too much to ask for at all. Most rental companies realize that they need to warn renters about interruption of major utilities, such as electric and water, and send out notices as to which days you need to be prepared for such things. A little irritation is perfectly appropriate here.
    Last edited by Geek King; 05-21-2008, 08:42 PM. Reason: Apparently I was playing scramble with the word renters. Oi.
    The Rich keep getting richer because they keep doing what it was that made them rich. Ditto the Poor.
    "Hy kan tell dey is schmot qvestions, dey is makink my head hurt."
    Hoc spatio locantur.

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    • #3
      courtesy is never wrong when they're going to be messing with utilities.
      personally i think they should have a 24 hour notice not just a 5 minute one.

      here in japan they even post notices if the building next door is going to be noisy with construction during the day (notices & apologies for that actually).

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      • #4
        Found out what went wrong with my puter (which I'm now posting from) the power supply was shot. Pretty much a combination of new stuff in the comp and a slight surge when the power came back on, lucky we had a better one on hand (from a upgrade of my sisters comp) so I've only had minor withdrawal from my desktop goodness.

        Needless to say I WILL be complaining.
        As soon as I start thinking
        That I'm sensible and sane
        The Random Hedgehog comes along
        And fiddles with my Brain
        (from card I got)

        Comment

        • #5
          Quoth Lady Legira View Post
          Needless to say I WILL be complaining.
          Get a price quote for the power supply that blew, or the cost of the closest available replacement, and request that amount be knocked off your rent next month. It's only right that they pay for the damages, and you're more likely to get an agreement if you request a reduction in the amount due rather than a payout to you.
          The Rich keep getting richer because they keep doing what it was that made them rich. Ditto the Poor.
          "Hy kan tell dey is schmot qvestions, dey is makink my head hurt."
          Hoc spatio locantur.

          Comment

          • #6
            Eeek! Imagine if you had some life-critical electronic medical equipment?!

            They should give you sufficient time to arrange for other accomodation/a hospital stay if needed.

            Comment

            • #7
              Imagine?

              Quoth Golden Phoenix View Post
              Eeek! Imagine if you had some life-critical electronic medical equipment?!
              Imagine it? Don't have to.

              Okay, so I'm returning to CS after a year and half off so I don't know, did you guys all hear of the case of that here in NZ?

              The power company shut off a woman's power after repeated requests to pay her bill. She had a dialysis machine at home. She had family at home with her when the power went off. She waited two hours until she was feeling pretty damned sick, they finally decided to call the ambulance. She was taken to hospital, but unfortunately died.

              There was (and still is) a massive debate about it.

              On the one hand, you've got a woman dying from having her power cut off. Big mean power company. Couldn't they have worked something out with her?

              On the other hand, you've got non-payment of the bill. Nobody's going to give you free power because you're on dialysis. She also had made no arrangements for accidental power loss (no generator to cover the dialysis machine in those situations) so it could have happened through 'car vs pole' near her house anyway. And you've got a two hour delay, with family present, before calling for an ambulance. Seriously, you're on a dialysis machine and the company kicks your power? Call the ambulance. Now.

              It has sparked some lively debate.

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