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Joined: Mar 2004
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A tenant in an office building complained that a power spike in the building knocked out his computer and it took hours to get it going again. Previously, he lost a circuit board out of his copier and his water cooler died. He also said that another tenant had some phone equipment damaged.
It only took two weeks before I was sent to check. The tenant met me at the door and shut down his computer before I was invited to enter. He had two employees and he sent them home. It was 1:30 pm.
The computer was plugged into a new UPS with surge protection.
I recorded the voltage at the receptacle while I turned on various pieces of equipment in the office. Everything was good, but I noticed that he had a laptop plugged into another receptacle.
Since the problem seemed to be widespread, I checked the service and sub-panels. The workmanship was flawless and the panels were very lightly loaded.
I talked to the other tenant and learned that his phone equipment was damaged two years ago.
When I returned to the first tenant's office, he told me that he couldn't turn his computer on and had lost all his data. I asked how he could tell it was lost if he couldn't turn it on, and he told me that he checked from another computer in the office.
Now he says that he had a technician fix the computer and recover the data and the technician tells him that I damaged his computer when I checked the voltage. He denies that he was using a laptop, and demands that I pay for the technician.
Because I used a Fluke meter, shouldn't he take this up with them?
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,445 Likes: 3
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Tell him to talk to your lawyer .... and give him the shysters' card.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,158
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what kind of company doesn't back up there data, yeah right,, my insurance deductible is 1000 $$ per occurrence.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 402
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There is no way measuring voltage can cause his problem. Unless you were turning power off and on, tell him contact your lawyer.
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443 Likes: 3
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When I returned to the first tenant's office, he told me that he couldn't turn his computer on and had lost all his data. I asked how he could tell it was lost if he couldn't turn it on, and he told me that he checked from another computer in the office.
Now he says that he had a technician fix the computer and recover the data and the technician tells him that I damaged his computer when I checked the voltage. He denies that he was using a laptop, and demands that I pay for the technician.
Because I used a Fluke meter, shouldn't he take this up with them?
Something smells of fraud here. I fail to see how you access a computer that is not powered up, from another computer. I think the guy is trying to take you for a ride.
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 687
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Keep in mind this responce it limited to what I've seen with laptops and the settings.
First thing that comes to mind is lap tops have batteries. They could have been dead or defective. But under normal conditions if power is lost it should have switched to battery power without any loss. Windows has an option that is set up from the factory in most lap tops that does an orderly shut down when the batteries are low. If the batteries and computer was good he should have been able to unplug the power cord and still work for a few hours.
Many laptop power supplies are have a input voltage of 100-220v. The cord that goes into the external power supply is changable to different ones for other countries and voltages. So if there was a overvoltage from a loose neutral I would think it would be ok.
As said it makes no sence for them to say they checked from another computer that a dead computer has data loss.
A volt meter will not cause any problems.
I would guess the first thing to go is the power supply if there was a power surge. Too bad they did not tell you what parts were bad.
I would not pay or admit to anything. At worst they could take you to court and or bad mouth your business.
IMO either they a tring to scam you or you just happened to be there when they had a failure and the assume it must be your fault.
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 73
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Ask to speak to the 'technician' so he can explain to you how just testing a circuit with a voltage tester damaged a computer. If the technician is going to make this claim he needs to back it up. It's BS, of course, but his story will change when he's speaking to you and the customer at the same time.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,928 Likes: 34
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I'm a computer guy and this is BS. You didn't hurt his machine with a meter.
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443 Likes: 3
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The only conceivable way, as far fetched as this sounds, for a computer to be damaged while testing with a meter, is if it crashed the computer by having the meter connected to the Hot and neutral contacts of the receptacle and the meter being incorrectly set to measure current and not voltage. I've seen this happen once before and it took out the whole circuit. I don't however think that this is what has occured in this case though. This scenario just sounds rotten to the core.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 316
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Tell him you NEED everything in writing. Tell him to write down exactly what happened, when it happened, how it happened, what he did in response to it happening. Tell him you need this on original company letterhead complete with an original signature. Including a business card. Then tell him you need the techs name, business name, address, telephone number and email address. Then tell him you will be contacting the tech for his statement on his original company letterhead complete with original signature and business card. When he asks why tell him your lawyers ( plural as in not one) will need all this information to pursue the case in conjunction with your insurance carriers lawyers. This because they hate fraud and go after those who use file false claims. He is scamming you!!!!
Last edited by luckyshadow; 05/22/09 10:02 PM.
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Posts: 240
Joined: March 2005
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