[Jscuzza]

My PC was in a fire 3 months back, and I was just able to retrieve it. The insurance said they would not put it on the check, and that I must get it cleaned. It has soot all over the inside. I turned it on, and all it did was show a messed up image.

Now I never heard of a computer being cleaned after it has been in a fire. Is this even possible? If not should I just go to Geek squad and have them give me a statement saying a PC with smoke damage cannot be repaired?

 

[bonk]

What type of insurance company do you have....must get it cleaned!!!!

I would tell them it's ca put.....

Do they mean clean the outside of it.

 

[Jscuzza]

Nope they want me to go and get the inside cleaned. I paid about $2500 for all the parts I had in it, but on the insurance I put $1800 as that is what I had in the PC at the time. It was 11 months old at the time of the fire. I think they didn't believe the price...

I just bought a new system which is better for $1700, but I am worried I wont have the money for it in 6 months if they do not give me the insurance money.

 

[erick295]

Well, you can take things like the motherboard or video card out and wash them with warm water, but the drives and fans can't get that wet. A computer isn't the kind of thing you can clean like that. It's not a bedspread. I would probably find another insurer

As Mulder repeatedly reminds me, I'm no lawyer... but I would probably take it somewhere and get a written statement that it can't be repaired.

 

[schusterjo]

Geek squad and have them give me a statement saying a PC with smoke damage cannot be repaired?

every time I see the words "Geek Squad" i shiver.

This is what you want to do.
Goto radio shack or a similar store and buy a can of PCB cleaner (printed circuit board) Matter of fact buy 2, they are about $10 per can.

Making sure the computer is already unplugged put it on the table (practice general ESD procedures)
Take it all apart. pull all cards out, (if you never done this before and you have a digital camera take a few pictures so you will know where to put things back, but it is pretty simple and we can answer install questions)

Take that can and spray everything really good, (this is totally safe)
Make sure you get
1. the inside of the power supply really good.
2. all the inside of the slots on the motherboard really good
3. the fans really good

Take the cpu and heatsick apart from each other clean both with PCB cleaner. Clean the old thermal paste from the heatsink and CPU heatsick
Best guide on the net to show you "exactly how to apply new thermal paste
http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

Let sit over night,

Next day when installing the cards back into the slots, install them and remove them 4-5 times each, this will clean oxidation ext off.
Same for plugging the wires/cables back 4-5 times.

Put it back together and pray.

That's about the best possible way to get the cleanest computer.

 

[Triple6]

The computer could have been exposed to chemicals produced in the fire that have damaged the computer. Have it looked over and get a written statement for the insurance company.

 

[Jscuzza]

I think I will stop buy or call Geek Squad sometime tomorrow. I am sure they will add it to the list. Sucks that I am getting a depreciated value though =(

 

[Jscuzza]

every time I see the words "Geek Squad" i shiver.

This is what you want to do.
Goto radio shack or a similar store and buy a can of PCB cleaner (printed circuit board) Matter of fact buy 2, they are about $10 per can.

Making sure the computer is already unplugged put it on the table (practice general ESD procedures)
Take it all apart. pull all cards out, (if you never done this before and you have a digital camera take a few pictures so you will know where to put things back, but it is pretty simple and we can answer install questions)

Take that can and spray everything really good, (this is totally safe)
Make sure you get
1. the inside of the power supply really good.
2. all the inside of the slots on the motherboard really good
3. the fans really good

Take the cpu and heatsick apart from each other clean both with PCB cleaner. Clean the old thermal paste from the heatsink and CPU heatsick
Best guide on the net to show you "exactly how to apply new thermal paste
http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

Let sit over night,

Next day when installing the cards back into the slots, install them and remove them 4-5 times each, this will clean oxidation ext off.
Same for plugging the wires/cables back 4-5 times.

Put it back together and pray.

That's about the best possible way to get the cleanest computer.

Thanks for the tips, but I would rather just have them give me the money for a new one. I will take this into consideration though, if they are really jerks about it. But other than that I will go to a PC repair store, maybe not Geek Squad.

 

[erick295]

They only give you depreciated value?

Man, you really do need a better insurer...

 

[InfectioN]

my question is... do they want you to clean it for it to work? or do they want you to clean it just so they can identify the parts inside without it being blacked-out

why would they really want a cleaning that makes it work. thats like telling you to fix your car so they can access the damages better.

 

[Jscuzza]

They only give you depreciated value?

Man, you really do need a better insurer...

Well they try to match it up with what the parts or items are worth now. Like the 6800 GT when I bought it was $280, 11 months later is was $100... which is crap lol. I just hope they don't depreciate it totally down to like $500 I would be pissed.

 

[bonk]

Yea I think the want to access the parts inside but don't want to get black hands.....but I've never heard a Insurance Company do that......I hope the policy was real cheap.

 

[Jscuzza]

Yea I think the want to access the parts inside but don't want to get black hands.....but I've never heard a Insurance Company do that......I hope the policy was real cheap.

Well the soot isn't that bad on it. I mean you can see it on the parts, but they are not black. I tried using a air blowing thing (whatever they are called ) And the soot that is on the parts didn't come off. There is soot all in the GFX card that I took out of the fan, but there is more inside the fan.

 

[JohnWill]

You must have a "fly-by-night" insurance company! The machine is toast, and even if it isn't, it's too expensive to try to figure out what parts to keep and what parts to replace. As mentioned, the chemicals released in a fire will cause corrosion very quickly, so even if you get it running, my bet is it'll be a short lived success. You need to hold their feet to the fire for a replacement, it'll never be right.

 

[Triple6]

I've seen an Insurance company replace a first generation Pentium system with a Pentium 4 system, they covered the initial purchase price.

 

[Jscuzza]

I've seen an Insurance company replace a first generation Pentium system with a Pentium 4 system, they covered the initial purchase price.

Well maybe they will do that, but my parents are saying depreciated value... And I thought we had good insurance, maybe not..

 

[johnpost]

Well maybe they will do that, but my parents are saying depreciated value... And I thought we had good insurance, maybe not..

you can get replacement value insurance which costs more. it is supposed
to replace with equivalent function (atleast or greater [which is what can
happen with something old]) of the item at whatever the cost.

all kinds of legal stuff to apply to your contract but that is a
rough idea to the best of my brain.

 

[JohnWill]

I'd get whatever the maximum you can get from them for the system, because fixing it is a losing proposition.

 

[Jscuzza]

Well I already bought the new PC, I just hope they reimburse me before July, when I have to play for it

 

[InfectioN]

Well I already bought the new PC, I just hope they reimburse me before July, when I have to play for it

and I see where you are coming from... no way I'd be able to last 2 days without a computer. but I wish you luck on them actually paying up. they all seem so helpful and great when you are paying them monthly, but when a problem comes up, that's when things get really fun. but who knows, maybe they'll suprise you