To Surge, but How to Surge? ; That is THE Question.

There is no question about it, every piece of electrical technology that you currently own and care about should have a surge protector between it and the electrical outlet on the wall. Everyone, most tech heads included, is guilty of having some electronic device plugged directly into the wall. It’s not a question of if, but when, a power surge will render it useless.

The electricity supplied by our power companies is not constant. No matter where you live, the electricity supplied to your home, office, or favorite place to work on your computer, has ebbs and flows. The flow of the current is constantly fluctuating due to downed power lines, lightning, or more frequently power hungry electrical devices such as air conditioners, heat pumps, and refrigerators which require a lot of energy to switch on and off.

Your computer and other electronics are designed to function with small electrical potential energy changes, but not sudden power surges. If there is a sudden decrease in the voltage, your equipment will just shut off. If there is a sudden increase in voltage your equipment may become overloaded. When the internal circuitry becomes overloaded it essentially melts. This happens so quickly there is no way for you to stop it. Unless.

The one way to prevent the overload of power to your equipment from burning it up... is to stop it before it ever happens. You must use surge protection. Please note; the only way to guarantee your equipment is safe is to unplug it from the wall - especially in a lightning storm. We are not talking about an extension cord. We are not talking about a power strip. We are talking about a surge protector.

Surge protectors come in so many different styles, colors, makes and models that it can be very difficult to know which to choose. There are two levels of surge suppression not counting a power strip which offers absolute minimal protection. There are surge stations (commonly known as surge protectors) and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). I’ll leave the discussion of a UPS for another time, as it is typically only needed by professionals on high-end equipment. You can purchase a true surge protector for about $30 and up. The higher the rating and not necessarily the cost, the better the quality. Ratings are typically based on Joules and the more equipment is plugged into a protector the higher the rating should be.

The Three Most Important Features to Look For;

The most important feature on a surge protector is an indicator light. One problem with surge protectors is that the MOVs (metal oxide varistors) can burn out with one good surge. This is why it's good to get one with an indicator light that tells you whether or not it's functioning properly.

The second feature to look for is a fuse or reset button. A reset option allows you to use the protector after it has stopped a surge so that it may be used again after a smaller surge. If your protector takes a hit due to a lightning strike, it will probably have been killed permanently, and this feature won’t do you any good. Lower end protectors may provide the reset button, but not the light. Higher end surge protectors typically have a light, but not the button. The indicator light is much more important.

Third, if you are connecting any piece of equipment to the surge protector that requires a phone line, you should buy a surge protector that includes phone line connections. This includes a modem, satellite receiver, digital video recorder, and even your telephone! There is no telling how many devices have fallen to an electrical surge on the telephone line. The phone line is just as susceptible to lightning strike as power lines.

I never connect anything other than a light bulb directly to electrical current. A light bulb can be replaced without hurting my pocketbook. Replacing a computer, television, sound system or even a cordless telephone hurts a lot more. The question is not “to surge, but how to surge”?

"My Computer Will Not Turn On!" - Does Not Mean "It's Dead!".

I walked into my office and I pushed the button to turn on my computer and then I went for a cup of coffee. When I returned to my desk a few minutes later, sipping my warm brew, the screen was still dark. I reached out with a slightly shaking hand (not from lack of caffeine), heart in my throat, and pushed the power button again. Now, I’m upset! My computer will not turn on, and everything on my to-do list for the day is a distant memory.

We would all like to think that this is a “hypothetical” situation, but the sad truth is, that this happens thousands if not tens of thousands of times every day. It really has happened to me and it has really happened to many people that I know, including other IT professionals. This has to be one of the most dreaded things to happen to you, and worse yet, to have to tell your IT or tech support department.

You know that the first question you are always going to get is, “Are you sure your computer and monitor are plugged in?”. Of course, that is the first thing you checked. The power cord leads from the computer to the surge protector and the surge protector to wall. Yes, you checked it!

I can’t tell you how many times this has happened in front of my own eyes. Many times. And, I can’t tell you how many of those times the answer was so simple, it only took 30 seconds to remedy. There is no exact percentage, but more than half of the time that I have been presented with this problem, the answer was as easy as unplugging the computer and/or monitor and plugging it back in.

Yes, that is what I said. Unplug the power cord from the equipment that is not working and reseat it. Unplug the cord from the wall as well, but first pull it out of the computer connection and then put it back. Do this to all of the connections between the equipment and the wall itself. I usually just pull them all, and put them back, one at a time. Then, take a deep breath or sip of your caffeinated beverage of choice, push the power button.

Of course, this will not make a lick of difference if there is actually a mechanical problem with your equipment. But... It is uncanny how many times I have seen the connections look absolutely fine, but be in fact, not quite right. Yes, it seems very rude of me to crawl under a desk and begin unplugging and re-plugging, all the while hearing my patron tell me that they have already checked the power cables. When it works, it works. And it makes me look omnipotent.

Next time you encounter this problem yourself or on someone else’s computer. Do the dirty work. Crawl under, over, or behind and check each and every connection. Oh, and It doesn’t hurt to lay hands on your monitor and say a little prayer as well.