Our HiFi and Summer Holidays

[Clive197]

I not sure if this has been discussed in the past but I thought it might be interesting to see other points of view.
When it’s time to go away on your holidays do you unplug your equipment or just leave them on standby? I’m not asking about going away for a few days but for periods longer like 1,2 or 3 weeks (or even longer for you lucky seniors).
Our kit is far more sturdy and reliable than it was in past times and unlike other parts of the globe, we don’t generally get lightening strikes on our homes that play havoc on our treasured HiFi.

[Macca]

Yes - I switch all electronics off and unplug at the wall. Only thing that stays on is the refrigerator.

Only takes a minute and better safe than sorry.

[struth]

when i did go away which wasnt often i unplugged most stuff. used to leave tv recorder on if i had stuff to record(back in the day). fridge, freezer and boiler if it was wintertime. anything unnesessary off. wouldnt bother for an overnight

[CageyH]

I just leave the house….

[Macca]

A friend of mine used to leave his equipment on all the time. Went away for a few days and on return found that his amp had melted all over his tuner. Both write-offs.

Amp was an Audiolab 8000A, not some cheap tat.

I lent him a Marantz amp (a good one too with analogue meters) to tide him over. That was in 1992. When I last saw him in 2005 I asked about getting it back but he said he still needed it. Found out in March that he died a couple of years ago so I guess that's it.

But anyway that's why I tend to err on the side of caution.

[Barry]

The only thing I switch off are the power amps, the tuner and a balanced/unbalanced converter, but then I do that anyway after a listening session. Everything else (including the TV) is left in 'stand by' mode.

I might unplug the aerial leads from both my tuner and TV as a precaution against lightning damage.

All of the components (including speakers) are powered by a dedicated ring-main, with its own RCB, separate from the consumer unit used for the rest of the house. So switching off the whole audio system could be done with a single 'flick of a switch'.

[Macca]

I don't actually have an aerial lead plugged into my telly anyway.

I've got 2 six way and a four way block all daisy changed off of one outlet - powers all the AV stuff, the heater, plus chargers for phone, razor and laptop.

All that goes off at the wall if I'm away as there's a lot there that could go wrong.

[walpurgis]

Just use one of those fancy (expensive) grounding boxes. That should deal with a big lightning jolt! :D

[CageyH]

My amp is switched off when not in use, so is my Phonostage.
They are on circuits protected by RCD breakers (30mA) so I feel relatively safe about not unplugging everything.

[Macca]

Just use one of those fancy (expensive) grounding boxes. That should deal with a big lightning jolt! :D

or just run a wire from the back of your amp into the cat litter tray. No muss, no fuss.

[Barry]

or just run a wire from the back of your amp into the cat litter tray. No muss, no fuss.

Yes - but it's audiophile grade cat litter. :D

[Macca]

Yes - but it's audiophile grade cat litter. :D

That just means they bought it in Waitrose.

[Jimbo]

Just unplug everything and then you will be sure nothing untoward will happen. No danger of lightening strikes or component failure to worry about.

Not sure how Insurance companies would deal with a claim if audio equipment left on whilst you were out of the house and there was a fire ?.:scratch:

[CageyH]

Probably the same way as any other electrical equipment, unless you have fancy fuses and power cables that don’t meet the U.K. standards?

[Wakefield Turntables]

Yep, everything just gets switeched off.

[Jimbo]

With all these home made amps and bodged DIY bits of kit folk are using I would be very nervous leaving anything switched on.:uhho::sofa:

[Wakefield Turntables]

Well all I can say is that I'm buggering off to Spain in a few days and my power supply to National Grid is on the off position as well as everything unplugged.

[Pete The Cat]

Another vote for switching off everything except the fridge here. Why take the risk?

Pete

[Beobloke]

Another vote for switching off everything except the fridge here. Why take the risk?

Pete

What about the freezer?!

[Barry]

The fridge and freezer are on a separate circuit (and on a separate RCB consumer unit) to that of the audio system.

[Macca]

I don't have a freezer. No need for one. Don't actually need a fridge in the winter months as the kitchen becomes a walk-in one.