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What Can Happen?
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The problem with either
of these phenomena is the power spike associated with them. When a blackout ends,
the power comes surging back with an attitude. ALWAYS unplug your PC during a blackout,
even if you are using the methods I will describe below...unless you don't want to be 100%
safe (...yes, some people take the risk. They are the ones at the computer
shops..heheheh.). There is not much you can do about a brownout, but if you suspect
something fishy is going on, then shut 'er down till things smooth out. Flickering lights
and sounding smoke alarms can be a sign of a brownout.
What happens to your PC
when you get nailed with a nasty voltage spike? It can potentially fry every component
in there. If you're lucky, it will just toast the power supply. Assuming you read and
followed BT's Buyer's Guide, then you can pick-up a new
one for about $20-$50 and plop it in yourself. I recommend a good quality 235W to 300W
power supply...I lean toward the 300W. If you have a Compcrap or other proprietary PC, you
can look forward to forking out about $100 or more for a new one. Next on the toast chain
is the dreaded motherboard (mainboard). Fry it and you'll really have
to come off some green.
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| Surge Suppressors (The
must have $5 accessory.) |
| These do just the job they say. They
"block" voltage spikes (surges) from entering your PC's power supply. Basically
suppressors are rated for "clamping voltage" and "reaction time".
AND NO...they will not suppress the surge caused by a lightening strike anywhere
near your power lines !!! All they do is stop normal voltage spikes from toasting your PC.
Make sure your PC is plugged into a suppressor. This is the minimum protection you can
provide to your PC. If you can't swing $5 to protect your expensive PC, then turn it off
right now and wait until you can. It's just not worth it, especially if you can't do your
own repairs. "The mo' the mo'
better". I use 3 suppressors on my system. Hey...why not? They are so
inexpensive, it certainly can't hurt. I have an APS "Diamond" wall SS, into that
is plugged a "Curtis" strip type SS, into that is plugged a desk top switching
station.
Some SS's come equipped with a "phone line"
jack. It's true, phone line voltages vary too! To save your modem, it's a good idea to use
the phone protection. |
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Line Conditioners
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These devices are like fancy
surge suppressors, except that they have improved circutry that
smooths the current so it stays constant. If there is a dip in the
current, they have small capacitors that will keep the current even. There
are fairly expensive for what they do. You are better off getting an
uninteruptable power supply.
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| Uninterruptable Power
Supplies (UPS) |
| The ultimate in protection is the UPS.
With careful shopping, you can pick one of these gems up for about $79-$89. They not only
provide surge protection, but most claim protection against a direct lightening hit (Most
of these UPS manufacturers also provide a warranty for up to $10,000). They are called
"uninterruptable" because they hold a battery within their bowels. When the
electric screws up, the battery kicks in and gives you a few minutes to shut everything
down. The cheap UPS's give you about 4-7 minutes of computer time, more expensive units that
provide hours of PC quality juice. If you want to kiss power related problems and worries goodbye
forever, buy yourself a UPS. |
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