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From: Adam.Frix@p2.f200.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Adam Frix)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Leave it on?  Or once a we
Message-ID: <42001.25DF8832@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG>
Date: 18 Feb 90 05:32:49 GMT
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Sho Kuwamoto (02/14/90) writes:

> I'd heard that almost all the wear and tear on a hard
> disk was due to power up and power down, where the heads might come
> into contact with the disk, or some such.  

I seem to remember, way back in the deep dark depths of my high
school electricity/electronics classes, that electric motors 
experience tremendous wear and tear on startup.  Something to do
with the current having to change the inertia of the motor.  This
was verified for me not too long ago by a furnace repairman (of all
people) who recommended leaving the furnace fan on at all times,
to eliminate the wear caused by startup.  (I was replacing furnace
fans once every year or two, and was getting tired of it.)  That
made sense to me, so I do it, and haven't had any problems yet.
Same goes for my Jasmine DD40.  (fingers crossed)  Also, putting a
fan on top of my Plus (to alleviate the demon heat) and leaving the
whole shebang on to avoid the natural surge/change of state that
powering up involves, hasn't caused any problems for me since
September 1988.

Disclaimer:  I, sir, am no EE.  Consider my story apocryphal.

--  
Adam Frix via cmhGate - Net 226 fido<=>uucp gateway Col, OH
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