Fire Danger?

Wolfinator

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can it be dangerous to leave an old game with the original power supply plugged in for long periods of time? Or does the power supply just quit when overheated. Sorry if that is a stupid question...just wondering!
 
If there was a major issue with leaving older games on for extended periods of time and causing fires, most of them would probably be burned up by now. Seriously, I have no problem leaving mine on for several hours at a time. Though, I shut them off when I leave the house, same as my washer and dryer.
 
can it be dangerous to leave an old game with the original power supply plugged in for long periods of time? Or does the power supply just quit when overheated. Sorry if that is a stupid question...just wondering!

Not a stupid question, at least you _thought_ about it !

NO it is not safe to let 25 year old electronics (or in fact, any other electrical device) run without being there. 25 years ago, safety rules were less strict as they are now. Plus, the mere age of the electronics is an extra hazard.

I even NEVER let my washing machine or anything like that run when I'm not around.

I set up my gameroom electricity so that the outlets have no power to them when I switch off (I have a stack of central switches).

Running a game for many hours when you're present in the area is no problem.I've run games like Star Wars and Galaxian for entire days without any problems. But be prepared when things DO go wrong.

I work in fire alarms. Here's a thread that might interest you:
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=79097&highlight=fire+arcade+burn

There also recently was a huge fire at some collectors' gameroom and home, but I can't seem to find the link right now.
 
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I remember a long time ago someone telling me that they won a dragons lair on a game show (starcade?) and something failed in the PS and it caught fire. I think it burnt down the house..

I would never trust a game to be on alone for long periods of time.. Especially if it was a sega vector...

but then again, look at some of video game and pinball shows. those games are on for 2 or 3 dayspretty much 24 hours and I don't think any havecaught fire..
 
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Old, Old games like old pinball games that didn't even have ground pins and things I don't even leave plugged in, much less turned on when I'm not around. If you can do it, put everything on something that can be switched off. Old Jukeboxes, anything like that I'd keep an eye on. Newer Jamma style stuff doesn't typically have huge transformers and things so it's probably not as big of an issue, but stuff that runs tons of ac through it (like older pins) I'd leave unplugged.

Basically anything can catch on fire. Your tv can catch on fire. Your refrigerator can catch on fire. It's more of a risk in my opinion though on the older stuff that sucks a lot of power.
 
I just turn off the service disconnect outside my house when I leave. :)

Not really...but I don't leave machines on unattended, either. I do think about the other electrical stuff in the house that must run. Just try not to think about it much.

I have heard of and seen Personal Computers left running cause fires when their power supplies have failed so I don't leave them on unattended, either.
 
It's more of a risk in my opinion though on the older stuff that sucks a lot of power.

Donkey Kong circ. 1981 uses approximately 1 amp of power. Donkey Kong circ. 2009 via a 48-in-1 uses approximately 1 amp of power.

But I agree ... don't leave your games on unattended...
 
A guy I know has a xevious in his garage that has been on for years. Aside from a little burn on the screen, it runs fine 24 hours a day.

He fixes cars and has people in and out putting quarters in it while they wait.
 
A little OT.... but when leaving for vacation you should also TURN OFF YOUR TOILETS. My friend learned the hard way. Dude went on his honeymoon for 2 weeks only to return to find that the line between his toilet and his wall had broken... like a day in to his vacation...upstairs.. Yeah... $30K in damages or so.
 
Donkey Kong circ. 1981 uses approximately 1 amp of power. Donkey Kong circ. 2009 via a 48-in-1 uses approximately 1 amp of power.

But I agree ... don't leave your games on unattended...

I didn't say old stuff draws a lot of power. I said old stuff that DOES draw a lot of power I wouldn't leave unattended, then I actually gave examples.
 
I think you guys are getting a little worked up about this stuff. Remember, these games were DESIGNED to run all day, every day. Sure, an arcade would shut them off at night - but even then, many store locations didn't.

That's not to say that leaving them on all the time is a good idea either - you're just wearing out the picture tube using extra power if the games are all on and nobody is home.

In my opinon, there is a VERY LOW risk of actual fire from a video game. Sure, I've seen tons of smoke - a couple months ago the flyback in a Centipede went and filled the room with smoke. But there was never any danger of a fire. The cabinets may be wood, but it'd take a serious amount of heat to auto-ignite it, and most electrical parts like monitor boards won't sustain enough of a flame to set the cabinet on fire.

Not to say it's impossible either - just really unlikely. If the game is in good condition and PROPERLY repaired, any failure should result in a blown fuse and lots of smoke at the very worst. And, of course, anything is possible when things are improperly repaired, fuses jumpered, etc.

I wouldn't worry about leaving games on all day if you're in the house. If you are leaving the house unattended, by all means shut them off - there's no point in leaving your arcade running if nobody is around to use the machines. It's not like a computer - they can't do anything without people playing them.

So, run the games whenever you want to use them - shut them off when you're not around. Same as you would with your television set.

-Ian
 
yeah, thats what i was gonna say. i wouldnt even leave my tv or stereo on unattended. i had an electrical fire take down my garage years and years ago, it was where we partied and i lost my entire VHS and record collections. lots of stuff i still havent replaced, and some irreplaceable, like old multitrack tapes of my bands and videos of our live performances. i dont take chances anymore. even the computer is set to go to hibernation after a couple minutes of inactivity.
 
I would think that the Receptacle/Cord would be a bigger threat than the internal components.
 
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