Power Surges
Power surges in the electrical system in your home or office are more common than you think. These surges can cause severe damage to electronic devices if they are left unprotected.
Where do power surges come from?
1. Lightning strikes
Electricity surges and spikes are caused by sudden increases in voltage in the electricity network. They might be triggered by storms & lightning strikes.
2. Damage to utility lines
Another common cause of power surges is damage to utility lines from natural forces or human errors, such as tree limbs (or any object) touching power lines, rodents getting into a transformer, or when utility companies are performing routine maintenance.
3. Power restoration after an outage
In addition, when the power comes back on after an outage, the burst of energy required to turn power back on for a whole street or area leads to power surges.
4. Electronic devices
Power surges resulting from devices are more common. They happen when appliances that have motors or compressors power on or off, such as refrigerators and air conditioners. It creates a surge of power either to the appliance or the diversion of power to other devices.
While a single internal surge may not be powerful enough to destroy an appliance or device in one shot, the cumulative effect of many small surges can cause damage to electronics and appliances over time.
A strong defense: surge protector and UPS
There are two main options for protecting your appliances and electronics from surges: surge protectors and uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs).
The most common surge protector is a power strip with surge protection built in. These come in various number of outlets and level of protection. The power absorption level is measured in joules, with the higher rating being more powerful.
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source or mains power fails.
Surge protectors and UPS are small investments that offer sound protection for your electronic devices, which are collectively worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Wayne – Geek Monkey Computers Woolgoolga 0490 776 643