Cold computer???

T

Transformer

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I have my recently CNC'd lathe and computer in my garage. No heat, so temperature is around 6 to 10 (Canadian degrees). Also water comes in from the driveway in our frequent heavy rains so probably more moisture than there should be. I know a lot of you out there operate your machines in similar conditions, do you think the conditions are causing the computer to lock up, not read disks, or start to read them then stop etc. If this is a common problem I may try and move the computer inside and string some 20 ft. cables. Or if not a common problem I will just focus on the computer itself. Thanks.
 
It sounds like you have a failing hard drive or power supply, I would install a second drive and back up everything as soon as possible.

The climate here in the Portland area is much the same as you have. I operate my CNC under similar conditions, and I never turn the computer off.
 
Take the computer into the house and let it sit for an hour or 2. Start it up and see if the behavior changes and you'll have your answer. While low temperatures shouldn't be an issue to the electronics, they will be an issue to mechanical components like the fans and their bearings, disk drive motors etc. If for example the fan in the power supply were to stop running, the power supply would shut down immediately after you powered on the system. The temps you cite aren't extreme though - a test is in order.
 
Transformer said:
I have my recently CNC'd lathe and computer in my garage. No heat, so temperature is around 6 to 10 (Canadian degrees). Also water comes in from the driveway in our frequent heavy rains so probably more moisture than there should be. I know a lot of you out there operate your machines in similar conditions, do you think the conditions are causing the computer to lock up, not read disks, or start to read them then stop etc. If this is a common problem I may try and move the computer inside and string some 20 ft. cables. Or if not a common problem I will just focus on the computer itself. Thanks.
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moisture can be a potential issue, at the very least consider a dehumidifier in the cabinet. although one for the whole shop is ideal. are you using a HDD or SSDD for storage? if using a HDD I highly recommend you switch to an SSDD to mitigate vibration issues which will cause those same kind of problems. alternatively I have had bad ram or failing motherboard cause similar symptoms to yours.
 
Yes. the problem comes from the computer (especially hard disk) that is cold, then starts to heat up and develops condensation. Having been in the electronics / computer repair business I always allowed the time for a computer to warm up and dry out after bringing it in from the cold before I powered it up.

There are several things you can do to work around this for your environment. One would be to replace the Hard disk with a solid state unit, pricey but will go a long way to avoiding such things in an environment that is hostile to the devices. Another thing you could do is provide an insulated enclosure where you could maintain an even temperature. Another thing would be to follow what JimDawson has mentioned as I was typing. Leave the computer on so it does not get cold and invite the conditions for condensation to occur.

Mark
 
Transformer said:
I have my recently CNC'd lathe and computer in my garage. No heat, so temperature is around 6 to 10 (Canadian degrees). Also water comes in from the driveway in our frequent heavy rains so probably more moisture than there should be. I know a lot of you out there operate your machines in similar conditions, do you think the conditions are causing the computer to lock up, not read disks, or start to read them then stop etc. If this is a common problem I may try and move the computer inside and string some 20 ft. cables. Or if not a common problem I will just focus on the computer itself. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Computers have a fairly limited temperature range at which they will operate. Lap tops will slow down dramatically when the air temperature drops to 34 deg F.
You might try installing some type of heater (with thermostat) in the computer cabinet.

mhooper
 
In my opinion 6 to 10C is not a low temperature for computers. Most components will be specified to run from 0C, some lower.

High humidity and changing temperatures can be a problem because of water condensing.

I would worry about the water, not the temperature. But heating could be indirectly beneficial by helping to keep the computer dry.

Most components will last longer at low temperatures, twice as long for every 10C drop is typical. Electrolytical capacitors, used in the power supply and on the motherboard can be a problem, they will loose capacitance with lower temperature, but unless they are undersized or damaged in the first place it should not be a problem at 6C.
 
A friend owns a large plasma cutting table. In the winter he has to aim two portable heaters at the computer to get it warm enough to boot. At times the shop gets cold enough the computer's own heat isn't enough to keep it going.

In the summer he has to have fans blowing at the computer and the plasma cutter to keep them from overheating. He keeps saying he's going to build temperature controlled control booth...
 
I generally agree with ZeptoBit. I would think that the most temperature sensitive parts of a computer are the moving parts. Fans and Hard-Drive. You don't need the fans in the cold but you might consider a Solid State drive to replace the mechanical hard drive. Also if you have trouble keeping it warm even when running, you might try blocking the vents. Another part that is often overlooked in very cold weather is the monitor. If it is LCD then there is some risk in VERY cold temps that it could fail (crack) or not work well. I have heard about LCDs failing but I have never seen it personally.
 
Not for CNC but my laptop in the workshop is permanently on. Its approx 12 years old, running xp, on mains as battery died years ago, separate monitor as the screen died 4 years ago. The only time its been turned off is during the powercut when the cyclone hit.
Its very humid here and does get below 48'F in the winter :D I believe that if I kept it turned off till required it would never have lasted as long as it has.
I have had hard drives fail on other machines but only when turning on / booting (or failing to boot)
I'm a firm believer that keeping it at a stable temperature extends its lifespan.
 
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