# Storing a computer in South Texas summer heat **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151 "2009-08-21T01:02:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/1 "2009-08-21T01:02:41Z")
I’m asking this question on behalf of my mom. She lives here in WI in the summer and in an RV park in south Texas (near Brownsville) in the winter. She would like to be able to have computer access in both places, with minimal hassle and hopefully without damage to the computer. Originally she just wanted to have a desktop machine in each place. But she fears (and I think rightly so) that sitting in an un-air-conditioned trailer all summer in Texas, with high temps over 100F, would not be an ideal situation for a computer, to say the least. In short, it would fry (right?). She doesn’t really have a place to store it safely, no one she knows well enough who’s there all year who could keep it at their place. One thing I’ve suggested is a netbook, with duplicate monitor/keyboard/printer in both places. She would carry the netbook back and forth each year, whether she’s driving or flying. I think the monitor should be OK, but she wonders about the printer cartridge. She probably wouldn’t want to leave that in TX to fry over the summer either, right? But probably a hassle to carry on a plane. Any thoughts? Other suggestions? She’ll need to buy a new computer in the next year or so, and obviously as a little old retired lady she wants to keep her costs to a minimum. ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/2 "2009-08-21T02:01:45Z")
It will be fine sitting in the heat. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/3 "2009-08-21T02:48:02Z")
[Maximum storage temperature](http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00701803&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&product=1153481#N2412) for an HP Photosmart printer is 122º. [SIZE=2]If it gets over 100º outside, it could easily exceed 122[SIZE=3]º [SIZE=2]inside a sealed trailer. [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE] ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/4 "2009-08-21T04:25:48Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > Originally she just wanted to have a desktop machine in each place. But she fears (and I think rightly so) that sitting in an un-air-conditioned trailer all summer in Texas, with high temps over 100F, would not be an ideal situation for a computer, to say the least. In short, it would fry (right?). Wrong. If it’s turned off and left there, it should be fine. The only problem I can see would be if the humidity gets high enough inside for mold or something similar to start growing inside the computer. ---
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/5 "2009-08-21T05:43:43Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > But she fears (and I think rightly so) that sitting in an un-air-conditioned trailer all summer in Texas, with high temps over 100F, would not be an ideal situation for a computer.. Leaving a computer unattended in the Valley is not an ideal situation for a computer! I kid, tell your mom we love you Winter Texans and we promise not to take her stuff. I’ll even take her square dancin’ one night. As far as her computer goes, it should be OK. From what I understand, computers can take very high storage temperatures (as compared to temps when they are on and being used). Look at storage temperature recommendations for the computer she has or is interested in. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/6 "2009-08-21T05:45:42Z")
A computer can get up to 150F or so in operation - parts of it, up to 200 even. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/7 "2009-08-21T11:48:30Z")
A notebook computer has more of a cooling problem than what she already owns. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/8 "2009-08-21T12:11:23Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > A computer can get up to 150F or so in operation - parts of it, up to 200 even. But it is not just parts of the computer that will be subjected to excessive heat in this instance, it is the whole computer. Is that shiny plastic case designed to withstand +120º [SIZE=2]temperatures without warping? How about the LCD screen? I don’t know, but just because the CPU can operate in those ranges does not mean other parts won’t be damaged. [/SIZE] ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/9 "2009-08-21T12:13:16Z")
Huh, apparently computers aren’t the delicate flowers I thought they were. 🙂 I’m big on reading the specs when I’m looking at computers, but I never paid attention to the temperature info because it was never a concern for me. Now I know where to point her (especially on printers). Thanks, dudes! ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/10 "2009-08-21T15:58:00Z")
OPs problem is not the Texas heat and one can store it in a sealed plastic bag to keep out the humidity. Problem is the information on the computer could be used by crooks who break in and steal it. Need to remove the hard drive, I should think, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/11 "2009-08-21T16:48:05Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > OPs problem is not the Texas heat and one can store it in a sealed plastic bag to keep out the humidity. > > Problem is the information on the computer could be used by crooks who break in and steal it. Need to remove the hard drive, I should think, perhaps? Dunno how much of a problem that might be or what the crime situation is down there. I know my mom keeps very little data on her machine, and I _think_ she keeps everything on floppies (that’ll change if she gets a new computer, heh). Thanks for the reminder, though. I’ll add it to the list. (Doesn’t the sealed plastic bag create the potential for condensation, though?) ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/12 "2009-08-21T19:24:46Z")
Get her a decent laptop that allows her to attach an external monitor. She can then take it with her. Weather conditions and security issues resolved. Too much hassle? How much is [identity theft](http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/) worth to her? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/13 "2009-08-22T02:32:36Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Get her a decent laptop that allows her to attach an external monitor. She can then take it with her. Weather conditions and security issues resolved. Yeah, that was pretty much the plan I mentioned in the OP. There’s still the concern about leaving a printer, though, as **Fear Itself** described. She wants to avoid checking a bag if she flies, so she’d like to avoid carrying too much computer crap back and forth. I’ll show her my netbook when I get it and see if she thinks she’d like one. > [@](#): > > Too much hassle? How much is [identity theft](http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/) worth to her? Yeah, as I said, I don’t know what the odds of a break-in would be. The RV park is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, and her trailer isn’t one of the nicer-looking ones in the park. Dunno how tempting it would be as a target. And again, I’ll have to ask her whether she keeps any actual data on her machine. She may well be able to just keep anything sensitive on a thumb drive. I’m seeing her on Sunday and can hash out some of this stuff then. Will report back. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/14 "2009-08-22T03:25:15Z")
The problem with the printer at higher temperatures is probably with the inks, not the printer per se. So your concern with the printer cartridge is probably valid. Does she have a neighbor she could leave it with? Or somewhere cool she could store it? Also, the computer should be OK as long as it’s off. You’re probably planning on turning it off, but just being sure. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/15 "2009-08-22T03:45:07Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > The problem with the printer at higher temperatures is probably with the inks, not the printer per se. So your concern with the printer cartridge is probably valid. Does she have a neighbor she could leave it with? Or somewhere cool she could store it? Nope, she says there’s no one she “knows well enough to ask” who stays there all summer. Most people cut out by April or so and they don’t start coming back until October. About the coolest place she has is the back of a closet. She was considering transporting the cartridge back and forth, but I also dunno how much of a hassle **that** would be on a plane, or what size cartridge(s) she might have. > [@](#): > > Also, the computer should be OK as long as it’s off. You’re probably planning on turning it off, but just being sure. Oh yeah, she turns it off when she’s not using it. For sure it would be shut off and unplugged over the summer. At least she knows that much! ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/16 "2009-08-22T13:19:41Z")
If it were me, I might put the cartridge in a ziplock, then a box, then bury it under the RV. But I know if I mentioned something like that to _my_ mom, she’d just roll her eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/17 "2009-08-22T14:12:16Z")
If the printer is not going to be used for a long period, don’t get an inkjet. The nozzles of the print head will dry up and that will be that. Get a laser printer instead. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/18 "2009-08-24T13:25:29Z")
Hmm, according to my brother-in-law and [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ink_cartridge), many inkjet cartridges have the print head built in. So (if I understand correctly) if she takes the cartridges back and forth with her, as she plans to do, the printer can stay where it is (assuming temperature tolerance) and no clogging. She seems to be liking the netbook idea. And yes, she never leaves any personal data on the machine. I think if we set her browser to clear the cache, history, etc. on close, she should be OK. ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/19 "2009-08-24T14:56:20Z")
OK–I live here year-round. It’s been over 100 each day this summer. My main concern regarding leaving a computer in a trailer in Brownsville all summer would not be the heat at all. When I go out of town for a couple of days–I leave everything of value in a locked safe with my security system armed (I live in a gated, guarded community). It’s just not reasonable to leave anything unattended for any length of time–I’m not paranoid–but why tempt fate:D. There’s also the chance for hurricanes. Ahhh, the winter Texans:rolleyes:. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151/20 "2009-08-24T15:31:37Z")
If I may slightly hijack my own thread . . . > [@hellpaso](#): > > Ahhh, the winter Texans :rolleyes:. No kidding. I told her that I bet “winter Texans” aren’t as welcome as they think they are. “But the signs on the businesses all say ‘Welcome Back, Winter Texans!’ And everyone is so friendly!” Yeah, to your face. And I’m sure the businesses welcome your money. But I can’t imagine how an influx of senior citizens – if they feel as entitled to special treatment as my parents have – can be a joy to behold for the locals. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storing-a-computer-in-south-texas-summer-heat/507151.md?page=2)