Is leaving a desktop computer on for long periods at a time a fire hazard?

S

Silverback

New Member
Hi,

I have an old desktop PC of mine that I use as a server at home. I would like to know if its safe to leave it on for long periods of time (months perhaps).
Is there a risk that it will cause a fire?
I'm home in the evenings and at night, and am usually away for most of the day.

Thanks
 
Is it a fire hazard? No.

To protect the hardware, it has censors that detect overheating. It will shutdown
if it gets too hot. And that is long before it is a fire risk.
 
Silverback said:
Thanks. What about the power supply? I'm no expert but isn't it possible that it short circuits and starts a fire?
Click to expand...

I'm going to take a guess here - it has a safety switch too.

If you want extra protection, you can always get a power bar that will turn
off if there is a sudden burst of electricity. That will not only protect you from
fire, but it will also protect your computer from damage if there is irregular
flow of electricity.
 
Euklid said:
I'm going to take a guess here - it has a safety switch too.

If you want extra protection, you can always get a power bar that will turn
off if there is a sudden burst of electricity. That will not only protect you from
fire, but it will also protect your computer from damage if there is irregular
flow of electricity.
Click to expand...

I don't want any extra protection. Can I safely assume that the hardware isn't a fire hazard or would you suggest I check the part numbers online and make sure they have some sort of 'safety switch'?

thanks
 
Like any electronic component, there is always a risk of failure that could theoretically start a fire, but it's a very small risk. Usually when something does go, at the very worst there is small spark and a little smoke, and even that is very rare. It's really nothing to worry about.
 
Do you turn your fridge/freezer off when you go out or microwave, tv or satellite receiver. There's a very small risk with all electrical apparatus but protection to a degree has to be built in by law (unless it's dodgy goods). It would be a very rare occurence and a lot of members here don't know where the "off" switch is :D They have them on 24/7 until it's time to build another computer.
 
I would say no, at any given moment there's 5-6 computers on in my house, mostly unattended, the risk of fire is very low, the only component that could catch fire would be the power supply, any other component would likely trigger a short which would make the power supply turn off, so unless you're running a generic PSU you should be fine
 
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