charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA

GREMLINS

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I had a monitor that would simply turn off occasionally. Then it would do a colour shift. Finally it died completely when the power went off one day and it wouldn't power back up when the power came back on. I was told it was fixable, but, as you discovered, the cost of fixing it was more than that of a new one. Do you have a friend or relative who would let you plug one of your monitors in at their house and just watch it for awhile to see what it does? If the same thing, then there's obviously something in the monitor. If not, I'd say you have a strange wiring problem.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Could be a “floating neutral” somewhere in the electrical system of your house, OR at the pole (distribution transformer).

Get a cheap (<$15) outlet tester and check the power outlet. If the neutral is not grounded correctly, you can get 220 to 250 volts at a 110-125 volt outlet! It’s rare, but it happens.

If you have computer power supplies, they are usually self-adjusting to voltages over a 100 to 250 volt range. Monitors usually have a voltage switch for 110-125 and 220-250.

If you have a multi-meter, set it to read 0-250 volts AC. Check hot to neutral voltage (normal 110 to 125), hot to ground voltage (normal 110 to 125), and neutral to ground voltage (will vary according to local loads on the same breaker, but usually much lower). If you see anything higher than 125 on any of these tests, tell the electrician!

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

It might be worth shipping it to the factory repair to get a diagnosis and maybe a cause?

Stan

Picdude Loc: Ohio

The two things I would try next: First try using a different multiple outlet strip, especially if the one you are using provides noise/spike protection. If that doesn't help, try moving computer and monitor to a different room to get on a different circuit in your house.

You mentioned at least one of your computers is a laptop. If the battery is installed in the laptop it will run off battery as soon as power is dropped to the power brick. Can you determine if the laptop is running on battery or power supply when the monitor fails?

NCMtnMan Loc: N. Fork New River, Ashe Co., NC

If you are not using a UPS, then I would recommend that you purchase a good one that is rated to handle what you will be connecting to it. Many have a "Battery" side and a surge side. Forget the power strip or brick you are using as it may have a defect that hasn't affected your computers yet. I've had clients that had computers that were doing all sorts of strange things. Replaced the power/surge strip and all problems disappeared. A good UPS will protect your systems from surge, but also from brown outs. Most homes are more likely to suffer frequently from brown outs than surges. Brown outs are when there is a drop in power, but not enough for you to see it. This can actually be more difficult for electronics because the transistors, capacitors and other components will overheat trying to compensate. With the UPS, the power on the battery side is actually flowing through it and its compensating electronics to keep the power going to your systems at a constant power level. If you have a laser printer of any type, do NOT connect it to the battery side of the UPS. The high wattage need of the laser to heat the fusing element will damage the battery side of the UPS. You can also buy a very inexpensive outlet checking device at most hardware big box stores that you just plug into the outlet and it tells you if there are any wiring issues with that outlet. If it detects any, then you should get a licensed electrician to come and check to see where the problem lies for your safety.

JBRIII

Two monitors unlikely, but if they don't operate properly on other computers then something happened to them even if just bad luck. If they operate properly on another computer then perhaps the video system in your computer is bad or over heating. If the later, then your motherboard could be bad. Overheating seems a good suggestion, check fan and vents on the computer. The overheating suggestions fit the bill, summer now hotter, etc.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

AS someone already mentioned, check the feed outlet with and inexpensive outlet checker (most hardware stores) and also replace the power strip. Best of luck.

photoman43

After Hurricane Harvey my house had extensive damage. During repairs, I hired an electrician to check all of my house wiring. Once he say my upstairs office in a former bedroom with my two desktops and three monitors, he recommended separate UPS for each desktop and he added a while house surge protector to the electric panel. My second floor did not have enough wiring to handle the loads present in bathrooms from hair dryers, etc and computers so he added extra circuits. He ran amperage tests on every single outlet in the house and made other fixes too as a result. All laser printers were then kept turned Off until they were actually needed as they drew power when left On. Same went for monitors.

Undrstanding UPS and picking what is needed is not that easy this is a start:


https://blog.bestbuy.ca/computers-laptops-tablets/pc-gaming/why-you-need-a-ups-battery-backup-for-your-gaming-pc

You may need a good electrician to diagnose what is going on.

FunkyL Loc: MD

I agree, not the (whole) house wiring. Could there be an issue with the power strip, the specific outlet you're using on that strip, or the outlet the strip is plugged into?

fetzler Loc: North West PA

1. You can check the voltage coming out of the power supply (no monitor) with a multimeter shortly after it is plugged in and after a period of time long enough for failure to occur. If the voltage from the power supply drops then your power supply is toast. If this is the case just replace the power supply. I assume the power supply is a wallwart type supply.

2. If the power supply is OK then the monitor is the problem. Your problem appears to heat related - bad capacitor, bad solder joint on some board. If this is the case it is easiest is to replace the monitor but there is a component on a board that needs replacement or re soldering.

3. Such problems are no all that uncommon. Always trouble shoot starting at the wall socket and move inward.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M05ImBZx3_w

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

There’s a lot of misinformation floating around about consumer grade UPSs such as APC. The fact is that the output power is no more protected than a good power strip - both use simple MOVs from line to ground, and MOVs have a life time - every spike they suppress degrades them more until after a few years (or less), they’re ineffective. The only time the inverter actually comes on and you are running on UPS battery power is when there’s a complete failure of the incoming line, and typically you’ll know that because there’s an audible alarm. Now there are commercial grade UPSs from companies like Liebert where you’re running on conditioned power all the time, but you only find those in data centers or in mission critical applications. The one type of consumer grade line filter that actually works and doesn’t degrade with time are inductive filters which resist a change in current flow. As far as damage from brown outs, that’s an issue with motors such as AC compressors, not typically electronics - remember that lower voltage = less power (and heat).

rcarol

Will the monitors shutdown even if not connected to a computer?

Abarta

In line power converters convert AC to DC but they do not filter out all of noise in the line. I would suggest you get a UPS. What other appliances on on the same circuit? What voltage is really being delivered to the power outlet?

When you say you are using a power strip is it surge protected?

Also if you use the monitor for only two months a year, how much dust has accumulated inside the monitor?

Robertl594 Loc: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and Nantucket

Samsung will only turn on after being disconnected from power for an extended period of time. LG does not work at all. Same with or without computer.