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Safety Tips for
Your PC
Is your computer protected against heat, dust, moisture, and voltage
spikes? Take care now before it falls prey to these hazards
All's well with your PC. The programs are running fine, you defrag the hard disk regularly, the PC is fast and all the games work. Yes, all is really well. Or is it? What about that extra drive bay that you removed and is now a gaping hole in your PC? All the dust in the room is probably piling up inside your CPU. And what about the sudden power–cuts your locality is infamous for—is that doing your PC any good?
Before your PC gives in to these and some other problems you may be unaware of, let’s take you through some safety guidelines.
Heat,
dust, and moisture
Over the years computer components have become more sturdy and less sensitive to
inhospitable conditions. But it is wise to take some precautions that will keep
your computer from going under.
Keep the computer away from direct sunlight, or from places where there are large changes in temperature. This includes keeping it away from the direct path of an air conditioner, cooler, heater, etc. Direct draft from an air conditioner can cool the computer so much that later when it is exposed to normal air, dew might form on the components. This makes them susceptible to short-circuits. Similarly, avoid keeping the PC at places which are dusty or damp.
Computers are best kept in a cool and dry, dust-free environment. In a warm country like ours, heat is the worst enemy of your computer. To protect your PC from heat, make sure that it has a well-ventilated interior and a CPU cabinet fan.
Extreme
temperature changes
A computer is sensitive to changes in temperature. The cooler the environment,
the better it is for the PC. But extremes are no good. Ensure that the room
where you have kept the PC is not subject to wide variances in temperature. If
you move your PC from a cold place to a warm place, give it time to acclimatize
to the new temperature before you start working on it.
Keep
the computer well sealed
Check to see if there are any openings into your computer CPU, such as an open
drive bay or a un–covered expansion slot at the back. These are places from
where insects and dust can get into your computer. Close all such openings but
take care not to cover any ventilation holes. If you do that the computer will
overheat. Keep your system covered with plastic covers when it’s not in use.
Mice and lizards are potential hazards too, especially in winters when the
computer insides are warm. So keep those openings covered.
Power
surges
Make sure that your power sockets are properly earthed. Get it checked by your
electrician or your computer vendor. Also ensure that the line and neutral
connections are not reversed.
Never overload a single power point with too many connections, instead get a power strip. A good power strip comes with a circuit analyzer which tells you the condition of your wiring and also acts as a spike buster (a spike is a sudden heavy jolt of current which can fry your computer if you are not protected). Get your line earth-checked before the monsoons or if there is an instance of electrical problems in the house.
Make sure that your computer is on a different circuit than the one on which your mixer or air conditioner is, as this makes your computer less susceptible to voltage fluctuations and electric disturbances.
Ensure that your UPS or CVT is capable of taking the load of your computer and its peripherals. If the system reboots on switching on some peripheral or there is a perceptible voltage drop, get the problem sorted out.