[plug] Re: Electricity problems

[Bret Busby]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

On 6/22/99, 6:28:16 PM, "Paul Wilson" <hooker at opera.iinet.net.au> wrote 
regarding Re: Electricity problems (was Re: [plug] A Quote):


> > Bret Busby wrote:
> > > So far this year, we have lost one telephone, and one keyboard, due to
> > > the wonky electricity supply.
> > >
> > > The only solution, appears to be a UPS (when we can afford one).
> > >
> > The other thing you should do is disconnect your modem from the
> > telephone line.
> >
> > More lightning damage to hardware is caused via phone lines than via
> > electricty supply lines.

> Odd when the phone line is underground, but power delivery is 
overground!
> (an observation, not a criticism)

I doubt the reliability of the information about the "more damage 
being caused via phone lines than via electricity supply lines".

Apart from the loss of the computing equipment, and the short 
lifetimes of light globes, due to the electricity supply, we also have 
a problem with ceiling exhaust fans not lasting longer than a year, 
and a few years ago, we had to replace a fridge thermostat ($200), 
that the technician told me, was due to the electricity supply. 
Basically, any electrical appliance is at risk, due to the unstable 
electricity supply.

In NZ, after the Wahine storm back in the sixties, or seventies, or 
whenever, when much electricity supply was lost throughout NZ, and, 
before the electricity generation and supply was privatised, the 
electricity supply was put underground, including rural electricity 
supplies, and, lo, the electricity supply became stable. And, NZ has 
somewhat more rainfall than Perth. Where I was brought up, we had 87 
inches of rain a year, compared to the 87 cm of rain a year in Perth. 
And, when the winds blew hard, big trees blew down frequently, and 
damage occurred, unlike this trivial storm damage that occurs in Perth 
(apart from damage from having above ground electricity transmission 
lines).

Regarding the underground telephone cables, telecom has been getting 
alot of work done in this area, servicing the underground cabling, to 
improve the quality of service, to reduce line noise, and the 
servicing of the cabling had not been done in the past, or had not 
been done for a long time.

Bret Busby