----- Original Message -----
Frank Suszka:


> Greetings everyone:
> I am submitting this message again due to the lack of response to my
> original message of 01/23/00. This message was never posted to the
> group.
>
> I know there was some discussion about leaving a computer on all the
> time or shutting it down when not in use. I seem to also remember
> something about the possibility of a fire hazard.

Fire hazzard caused in the unlikely event of an internal short is tested
and concluded by the Underwriters Laboratories rating on the back
of every electronic product sold in the US. Fuses are the primary method
used to reduce this risk by limiting excessive current draw during product
failure.

> I have several clients that leave their systems on all the time and I
> was asked if it does any damage. The only answer I had was, if you leave
> your system on, it will drag in more dust in a shorter period of time to
> both the power supply and CPU which will necessitate cleaning more often
> and secondly, if there is something corrupt in your memory, it will stay
> there until it is powered down. Please correct me if I am mistaken.
>
> Does anyone here have a source or information proving either was to be
> better?

Dranetz-BMI manufactures the power quality auditors used by every
major US power company. Their in line testers are capable of recording
what your electronic equipment is exposed to from a remote station.
Unlike other testers, these are sensitive enough to detect a faulty neutral
line with excessive thermal conductivity attenuating a out of phase sine-
wave.
My point being:  we have the technology to answer the on/off question,
but we do not have any accredited organizations to conduct the tests.
As Jim Meagher already stated, it's pretty much a matter of preference
until then.
I tend to believe heat should be factored in as a primary risk. The
Samsung monitor I'm using right now has an internal temp of 117*F.
That's 46*F warmer than my room temp !! My pc is 26*F above room
temp. If nothing else, common sense says to shut down when your done
for the day. The only thing to gain by leaving it on is to feed our own
complacency in laziness.

-yui shin

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