24/7 Running PCs = Fire Risk?

Here's a short but sweet question left in my in-box by an anonymous birdie: "How safe is it to leave a PC running continuously in a domestic environment? Are there any precautions that one could/should take?" Now computers running 24/7 can put out quite a bit of heat, but I wasn't aware that such things made them fire hazards. Can someone clarify this issue?

Comments

Re:flammable ethernet cards

[Spoing]

The cards most often have a little black mark in the center of the chip looking like someone gave it a ciggarete burn.

Yep. I misconnected power to a floppy drive a few weeks ago, and *pop*, same thing. Easy to do on some drives; the power connectors aren't keyed!

Re:Obvious

[Tau Zero]

That's "acetylene", which is a lot easier to look up in a reference book if you're curious.
--
Ancient Goth: Someone who overthrew the Roman Empire.

Re:Obvious

[bluGill]

Hate to respond to a troll...

Machinists burn iron all the time. Iron is hard to cut normally, but if you heat it to red hot and then supply a lot of oxygon, the iron burns away and you can make big cuts fast. They generally use a tool called "oxy/accetelene torch".

Re:Keep it clean

[dattaway]

I'd be careful with static electricity. I have seen electrical discharges around surfaces next to air pressure and vacuums. We have vacuum lines at work to suck plastic compound beads into hoppers and standing next to one of them could net you a two inch long spark that will shock the hell out of you! Fast moving air causes static electricity!

If you need to blow something off, make sure its not "dry air."

Not much risk, with a little foresight...

[trims]

Honestly, I can't see it being any more risky to leave a computer on unattended (which is what you're really asking) than leaving the TV set on.

The big thing here is common sense. A computer is an electrical device (indeed, one that consumes a fair amount of power). You should treat it as such. By far your greatest hazzard is a short-circuit that sparks, which can result in a fire.

• Don't put it near easily flamable materials. Keep it away from curtains, your bedspread, the paper wastebasket, etc. Don't drape stuff over it.
• Don't put it in a closet with clothes. In fact, I would recommend against putting it in a closet, period, unless you have specifically prepared the closet for holding electrical devices.
• Give it good clearance and ventilation. A properly cooled system is much less likely to malfunction, and a clean airflow helps immensely.
• Keep it away from water and gas sources. Duh. Not in the kitchen, not in the bathroom, near the washer, etc. Also, not underneath that large window where it rains in all the time...
• Keep it clean. Probably the second leading cause of electrical problems is foreign crap in the device. Ideally, try to keep the machine somewhere where it won't suck in all the dust bunnies. Dust filters are good idea, and you should clean the machine periodically, particularly in places that have central air (as that tends to circulate dust).
• Watch the wiring! The biggest cause of electrical fires is wiring. Make sure you're not over-taxing the circuit the machine is on. Fine out how many Amps the circuit you're on can take, and then go make sure you're not exceeding that by all the devices plugged in. Make sure the electrical socket(s) you're using is new, and has good wiring. Make Sure It's Properly Grounded!
• Power protect it! At the minimum, buy a high-quality surge protector. Not the $7 ones, but the $30 ones that can handle a damned big spike. A small UPS is probably better. Don't plug a huge amount of devices into the strip/UPS. Don't daisy-chain the strips.
• Keep it secured from children or pets! Many people forget about this, but not only can they be a cause of unexpected crashes, but they can harm themselves and/or possibly start a fire.

All in all, common sense. One thing here: if you can possibly arrange it, put the computer in a room that doesn't have carpeting - and definately avoid rugs. It cuts down on dust and crap, and is slightly safer (linoleum, tile, concrete, or even a wood floor is much less likely to catch fire from random sparks).

Most of this advices goes for all computer-related equipment (hubs, telco stuff, UPSes...), though the low-power and general safety of small networking gear makes it possible to safely stow in closets (but do try not to stack clothes/inflammibles on it) - I usually recommend putting it in something similar to a metal milk crate.

-Erik

You Can Run a Computer 24/7 with Proper Cooling

[The-Bus]

I think the problem is proper cooling. With proper cooling, you can leave your computer on all-day, for months at a time, in any environment.

What kind of cooling am I talking about? Glad you asked.

Why, I'm talking about Gatorade(r) Thirst Quencher(tm). Only Gatorade(r) Thirst Quencher(tm) cools your computer "to the core," eliminating that "deep down" thirst and heat that may plague performance and cause safety problems.

Simply take a large container of Gatorade(r), such as our 96 oz. X-Treme Performance(tm) bottle with patented Acti-Grip(tm) technology, and pour it generously over your computer, making sure to concentrate on important components such as your processor which may have a "thirst for performance." Pick any of 20 refreshing flavors, including Tropical Burst, Gatorade Frost(tm) Riptide Rush, and new Gatorade Fierce(tm) Melon. Watch as your components are cooled, and give off "sparks and steam of enjoyment" as they become re-newed by our scientifically designed 6% mixture of highly energizing carbohydrates and minerals. Repeat this process every two to three days, and watch as you never have to worry about overheating components or safety issues.

Remember, this type of X-Treme Performance(tm) is only available through Gatorade(r) and its subsidiaries.

Gatorade: Is it in you?

Gatorade(r) is a division of The Quaker Oats Company(r). Gatorade(r) and the lightning bolt are registered trademarks of Stokely-Van Camp, Inc. Is It In You?(tm) is a trademark of Stokely - Van Camp, Inc.

That's why there's UL

[Mark F. Komarinski]

If a unit is UL recognized, it has to go through a review of all the parts contained. PCBs have to be rated 94-V0 (non-flammable). Components have to be safety tested to make sure that they won't give you a shock of 110V AC if you touch it.

To give you a sense of what this really means:

I was at a company that was testing some prototype boards, and the engineer left the test running over the weekend. Unfortunately the proto board was bad, causing a short and caused the board to glow red hot. Did I mention this went on all weekend? The engineer showed up on monday and all that was wrong was the board still had power going to it and a burning smell. Had the PCB not been 94V0, it would have burned the building down.

24x7 is no problem at home

[Tet]

I've been running my machines 24x7 for about 8 years now, without problems. All I can really do is echo what others have said. Make sure the machine is in a well ventilated location, away from direct sunlight, and clean out the dust every once in a while. My "machine room" at home currently has four 24x7 boxen, and the only real problem is the amount of heat they generate, though that is significantly reduced when the monitors are off (although the machines themselves are 24x7, I don't leave the monitors on all the time).