I was recently on-site at a client’s after they had three power-related outages due to windstorms. In all three outages, a power strip was affected. One surge protector had turned itself off, and two had burned out. (The picture above shows the brown stains from ionized metal and plastic vapors which were caused when the power tap burned out.)
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While you can’t prevent power spikes, you can make sure that any damage falls on a good quality surge protector rather than your cell phone or computer. The first step is to ensure all equipment is plugged into a quality surge protector. Electricity will find ANY path to ground, so if even one of your devices is plugged directly into the wall, then the voltage can flow through it into the computer and then throughout the network cabling, potentially damaging multiple devices and systems. A good motto to live by, is “if any equipment is unprotected, all of it is unprotected.” (Please note that “power taps” don’t offer this same level of protection.)
If you already have a surge protector, check the light on it to ensure the protective parts are still functional. After absorbing a certain amount of damage, the surge protector stops working and turns into a power tap. You will still have the illusion of protection, but if your surge protector doesn’t have an indicator light, or if it is over 10 years old, it is time to replace it!
Here is a review of one option that I recommend which auto-shuts off when it burns through the protection. To purchase this APC protector, click here.
Additional options may also be found at Lowe’s Hardware.
If you are interested in learning more about surge protectors, this is a good article by CNET.
Additionally, sometimes people use battery backups for their servers, and even sometimes for desktops. If you have a battery backup, it makes sense to purchase a spare battery for it so you can quickly repair it when the battery gets used up or stops functioning.
I believe it’s also important to mention that surge protectors are not a solution for all devices. Some devices don’t need surge protection, and some are actually a source of electrical noise themselves. For example, if you plug a space heater, fan, shredder, microwave, refrigerator, or vacuum cleaner (…or really any appliance in general) into a surge protector, it can actually damage the surge protector and reduce it’s lifespan.
This newsletter is meant for informational purposes, but as always, I’m here to support you. Please call me if you would like assistance in selecting surge protectors for your business, or would like for me to review your current power set-up.
Andy