Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!batcomputer!alchemy!coorswol
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: wanted: device to turn brownouts into blackouts
From: coorswol@alchemy.tcnet.ithaca.ny.us (Curt Coulter)
Message-ID: <Hm3k11w162w@alchemy.tcnet.ithaca.ny.us>
References: <1991Apr16.154857.2280@dcs.simpact.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 91 01:04:40 EDT
Organization: Alchemy International, Ithaca, N.Y.

jeh@dcs.simpact.com writes:

> In article <1991Apr15.180755.19771@odin.corp.sgi.com>,
>  nelson@bolyard.wpd.sgi.com (Nelson Bolyard) writes:
> > This morning at 6:19 AM PDT, a power line went down in the city of
> > Milpitas, causing a brownout condition that lasted for 58 minutes
> > before the power went out completely.  During the brownout, we got 60
> > volts AC out of the wall sockets.  This did nasty things to my
> > computer equipment, and to the compressor motors in my fridge and
> > freezer, and to the furnace blower.  Motors just don't like low
> > voltage.  [...]
> > So I'm looking for a device that I can hook into the power line for my
> > computer equipment that will cut all power off completely if the power
> > quality drops below some threshold (say 90% of normal), and will remain
> > shut off until the power has been restored to normal for at least a
> > minute or so (to guard against blinking and surges).
> 
> I asked about this once and was told that you can get circuit breakers
> that include under- and over-voltage tripping.  
> 
> Over-voltage?  Yes, that was the original reason for my query.  A capacitor
> somewhere in the northern San Diego county area shorted out awhile back, 
> resulting in about 200 homes being fed with something like 180 volts instead
> of 117.  Naturally, most things that lack an old-fashioned off-on switch, the
> 	--- Jamie Hanrahan (x1116), Simpact Associates, San Diego CA
> Internet:  jeh@dcs.simpact.com, or if that fails, jeh@crash.cts.com
> Uucp:  ...{crash,scubed,decwrl}!simpact!jeh

Hmm.  Zounds familiar!  :)  
Last winter I finally got a very sizable check from NYSEG due to them 
refusing to beleive that I had 135 volts coming in the house.  Blew my 
stereo, computer and two hairdryers.  They wouldn't have been liable, 
according to the PSC's charter (public service commision) if they had 
fixed it right away; I'm glad they didn't.  
Turned out the whole neighborhood had that high voltage (bad regulator). 
I wonder how many people had equipment failures and didn't have a 
clue....
-Curt
coorswol@alchemy.tcnet.ithaca.ny.us
/.s