With almost every home now having smart TV’s, modem’s and other devices which are sensitive to electrical spike and drops, it is cost effective to use protective measures against electrical damage.
There are two good options for achieving this – surge protectors and uninterrupted power supply units (UPS).
Surge Protectors
Without going into too much technical detail, surge protectors suppress or disperse surges and spikes in electrical flow which might damage sensitive equipment such as computers, televisions and other expensive equipment.
- When the increase lasts three nanoseconds (billionths of a second) or more, it’s called a surge.
- When it only lasts for one or two nanoseconds, it’s called a spike.
Surge protectors keep your equipment safe by making sure only a designated amount of power reaches your connected equipment.
We recommend having a surge protection device installed in your switchboard.
This will reduce the over voltages and will minimise potential damage. It provides protection for all of your appliances.
Most of us would think lightning is the biggest cause of surges and spikes, but it’s actually one of the least common reasons.
Lightning causes an extremely large power surge that will overpower almost any surge protector. You should never rely on a surge protector to save your sensitive devices. The best protection is to unplug them.
A more usual cause of power surges are common household electrical devices such as air conditioners and refrigerators. These items require a lot of energy to switch on and turn off components like compressors and motors. The switching creates sudden, brief demands for power, which upset a steady voltage flow. These surges can be severe enough to damage components, immediately or gradually.
Other sources of power surges include faulty wiring, problems with the electricity company’s equipment, and downed power lines. In today’s system of electricity distribution, power surges are an unavoidable occurrence.
Uninterrupted Power Supply Units
Uninterrupted Power Supply UnitsUninterruptible power supply (UPS) units are systems that contain a battery which maintains power to electronics in the event of a power surge or outage.
Typically UPS power keeps your computer running for several minutes after a power outage, enabling you to save your data and shut down the computer gracefully. Many uninterruptible power supply units now offer a software component that enables you to automate backup and shut down procedures in case there’s a power failure while you’re away from your computer or the other equipment you have plugged in to the unit.
An uninterruptible power supply system generally offers multiple outlets, allowing you to maintain battery back-up power to more than one device and will also include additional outlets for surge protection.