The Surge & Power Solutions Blog

ANSWER:
Ask a loaded question, get a loaded answer

We need surge protectors to keep all the little circuits inside our computers safe from excess voltage peaks. When these power peaks (surges / spikes) occur, it causes the electrical circuit to heat up—kind of like the filament in a light bulb. Although a big surge can cause the circuit to blow on the spot, lesser surges can peck away at it, eventually causing it to fail.

Sometimes these failures are intermittent, causing your computer to do strange and unexpected things. You know, odd lockups, sudden reboots after it warms up, conjuring up lost spirits—that sort of thing.

Most of the time these oddities are not predictable (since they’re intermittent and all), and show no type of pattern. That said, if your computer is acting weird, it’s not automatically a damaged circuit—don’t underestimate Microsoft’s ability to make strange things happen in Windows.

Now, a lot of people think that most of the problems come from thunderstorms—you know, when lightening zaps a power line. Although a good hit can certainly ruin your computer’s day, there are other more common sources of surges you need to be aware of.

Most of these sources are high powered appliances—refrigerators, air conditioners, furnaces, even hair dryers and vacuums. In addition to appliances, those big power transformers you see hanging off electrical poles can cause problems—especially on hot days when the local air conditioning is giving them a workout.

Any one of the above can cause a disruption in the power flow of your house, creating a surge. It may not be as dramatic as lightening, but can cause damage over time.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 4:05 pm and is filed under Surge & Power Solutions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.