Hidden PC Killer
You can’t see it, you can’t smell it but in the blink of an eye it will attack your computer and render it scrap metal. The hidden pc killer lurking in your home is hiding behind your power plugs - Its’ electricity.
Your Computer and Power
Unlike some electrical items, such as your electric cooker or microwave, your pc does not need the full level of power provided by the ESB. To reduce the power down the computer uses a power supply. If you have a laptop you can see your power supply it’s that small black box that connects between the pc and the power plug. The power supply is the heart of your system and once damaged your pc will not turn on.
Electrical Problems
The quality of electricity provided by the ESB is subject to environmental conditions and the demands placed on the grid. Both of these can cause serious electrical problems in the form of surges, spikes, brownouts and cuts. All of these conditions result in poor electrical supply which is poison to your computer and has the potential to damage your power supply. In severe cases the problem passes through your power supply and your memory, hard disk or motherboard sustain damage. When these problems occur it is rare to observe any indication that it has happened. You won’t see sparks, blue flashes, or smell burning but you may notice the lights flicker or dim. Electrical problems will damage not only your computer but will take out your broadband modem/router and I’ve seen this numerous times. These problems are not rare and occur fairly frequently. During storm conditions, common here on the east coast, the power levels can drop and sometimes there are multiple short term electrical power cuts. Each time these conditions occur they may also been accompanied by surges and spikes.
Symptoms Of Electrical Damage
Electrical damage to your pc can take two forms. The easiest to identify is component failure. Simply put your pc refuses to turn on and the power light is off. The second form of electrical damage results in what I term as a “walking wounded” computer. In this form one or more of your components is damaged but the pc will turn on and function. After several weeks or months the damage component will fail and you are left scratching your head as to the cause.
Preventing Electrical Damage
The simplest and most effective steps to prevent electrical damage are as follows:
1.Purchase good quality surge protectors designed to protect your computer and electronic equipment. I recommend Belkin surge protectors but surge protectors by APC are also of good quality. Don’t skimp here and buy cheap ones as they are a waste of money and simply do nor work. Electrical problems can also travel down the phone line and when purchasing surge protectors you can also protect your broadband modem with one equipped with phone line protection. Don’t forget to buy one for the big screen television if you have one.
2.Turn off and disconnect your computer and other sensitive components during stormy conditions particularly if you see lighting or the lights dim. Leave it off during the storm.
Battery Backup Systems (UPS)
My own systems, and the computers I repair ,are protected not only by surge protection but I also use backup battery systems which are called UPS's. This stands for uninterruptible power supply. A battery backup not only provides emergency power in a power cut but also provides surge protection. The models I use, from APC, monitor the power and alert me with a warning signal whenever they cut in to protected my systems from an abnormal electrical condition. During the winter months I hear this alarm quite frequently and only last night(Sun 28th June,2009) I heard the alert beep. Less than a minute later there was a short power cut. Once again my trusty APC backup saved me! If you run a business from home I recommend you protect your computer with a ups.
Ed Note: (I posted this article on the 29th in the morning by the afternoon I had my first call for a machine that was damaged during the aftermentioned power cut.)
Conclusion :
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