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From: npollack@polyslo.UUCP (Neal Pollack)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Leaving AT on overnight (good/bad)
Message-ID: <422@polyslo.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Aug-87 19:06:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: polyslo.422
Posted: Thu Aug 27 19:06:09 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 30-Aug-87 06:25:59 EDT
References: <1246@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <768@custom.UUCP> <202@ttrdd.UUCP> <5147@ihlpa.ATT.COM> <491@uop.UUCP> <2237@sphinx.uchicago.edu>
Reply-To: npollack@polyslo.UUCP (Neal Pollack)
Distribution: na
Organization: Cal Poly State Univ,CSC Dept,San Luis Obispo,CA 93407
Lines: 43

In article <2237@sphinx.uchicago.edu> cjdb@sphinx.UUCP (Charles Blair) writes:
>
>The last time this subject came up (though not specifically about
>AT's), it seemed to be agreed that leaving one's computer on was a
>good thing, for the drives especially, but that occasionally monitors
>would catch fire. The reason, as I recall, would be that a defective
>monitor with a short in it would set fire to the dust that accumulated
>inside it. Now I'd love to leave my AT on forever, but can anyone
>guarantee me that I won't fry the monitor, possibly causing damage to
>other equipment in the office

I am the one who posted the fire info a while back.
In our lab facility, we leave all the CPU's and disk systems running
along 24 hours a day.  We DO however Shut Off all the monitors.
We have IBM and Clone monitors, Tektronics, HP, and others, that all
have an On/ Off switch on the front.   In the morning we turn on the monitor,
and find the software still running fine.

If your monitors do not have a separate switch, look into a power strip,
accessory switch, switched cord or something.

I must admit that in sections of the Lab where we have DENSE numbers of
smoke detectors, we even leave some of the monitors running all the time.
On those, we run screensaving ball-bouncers so as not to burn images
into the screen.

I personally do not have a good answer about monitors. I understand
the disk, CPU and monitor technology.  I know that thermal shock does
no benefit to the monitor electronics.  I also have experienced
monitor flame-outs.   I guess we can assume that new CRT's (~$80)
are cheaper than new disk drives.   (Depending....)

I recommend leaving CPU's and Drives on all the time.
If no alarm system is available and you care about fire,
then turn the monitor off, and take a very small gamble on the
maintenance aspect.

Of course, this is just my opinion, take it for what it is not worth.
-- 
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