I have a brand new Elevation C-7 that was installed and configured less that two weeks ago. It has been running fine with no issue thus far.
While doing some unrelated work, I flipped the breaker for the circuit the hub was connected to. A minute or so later I reset the breaker. All other devices on that electrical circuit came back online as expected. The Hubitat will not power on. The green LED on the front of the device does NOT light up at all. I can see that SOME power is getting to the device, as the network switch it's connected to shows an amber light when the micro-USB power is connected to the Hubitat. The light on the switch goes out when power is removed from the Hubitat.
I've tried different power adapters and micro USB cables. Is there any other troubleshooting I should try before initiating a return?
I've lost two hubs from power outages caused by storms. If I was hit by lightning the strike wasn't close enough to take out the nearest transformer as our power came right back on within a minute both times. It's on a surge suppressor; I think the weak spot is the Ethernet port. Both times I lost an internet device inline with the hub at the same time. I'm going wireless with my most recent purchased C7. Hit up CS they're good with replacing busted hubs, Hub Protect is a good value.
When you flip the main breaker, there can be significant power surges as devices come back online, especially motor-driven devices like HVAC, refrigerators, etc. Thus, electronic devices such as Hubitat Elevation, computers, modems, routers, TVs, etc. need to have surge protectors to prevent the voltage spikes from affecting the delicate electronics.
If you will read some of the other threads on the forum, you will find that many people recommend Uninterruptible Power Supplies to provide power to sensitive devices in the event of a power failure. If the power loss is of short duration, the devices will stay fully powered during the outage. If there is an extended power loss, that give you time to safely power down computers and other electronic devices. I have a UPS for each of my computers and one that powers my cable modem, router, Hubitat hub and home automation bridges. Most UPS units have robust surge protection built in.
By the way, if you ever have to disconnect the main breaker to the electric panel again, it is better to shut down motor driven equipment, disconnect each one of the individual circuit breakers individually and then throw the main breaker. When powering back on, turn on the main breaker and then power up each circuit one at a time. Then start the motor driven equipment. That minimizes the power surges that will occur.
Thanks for the feedback so far. I maybe should have been more clear that I wasn't flipping the main circuit breaker to kill power to the whole house. I only flipped one "general lighting" breaker at a time to find the one that had my hallway lights. As it turns out one of those also had the wall plugs in my office on it. There shouldn't have been any significant surges from any of the circuits that I toggled, but I get your point and it's certainly possible something was plugged in there that I'm not considering. I do plan do get this on my UPS but for now since I'm testing it out it's at my desk.
I'm concerned if these devices are indeed this sensitive to power surges though. It's one thing when this happens while I'm at the house flipping breakers. Totally different story if it happens during a storm while I'm on a lengthy road trip.
If you have lost three hubs, I hope you have gotten wiser and installed UPS backups. Not only do these devices provide a battery power backup, but they have excellent surge protectors to protect sensitive electronics from power spikes that can occur.
Electronics operate at 3.3 volts. Lightning strikes nearby can induce voltage spikes ranging from hundreds to thousands of volts. The low voltage electronics do not stand a chance if they are not protected. Nothing will protect against a direct strike by a bolt of lightning. However, you do not need a direct hit for your wiring to be affected by the magnetic field generated by a lightning strike a mile or more away.
Two of the hits came through the ethernet cable. I lost my router with the first one and a 4pt switch with the second. I tried the wireless adapter, had some issues; I need to get that working. It's been on a UPS since the first incident. Hub Protect is still a must for me. Edit to add I had it on an APC surge suppressor since day one.
Most of the UPS devices come with ports to provide surge protection from Ethernet and Cable as well.
I have a friend who is an amateur radio operator. He has a 75 ft antenna tower in his yard. He has had a couple of lightning strikes, but the tower itself is well grounded as are the antenna cables. Lightning strikes to the tower induce voltages in Ethernet cables that wiped out some of his equipment. He now uses WiFi Internet connections to his radio station to avoid that situation.
